Port Angeles, known by locals as “PA”, is near the northwest-most part of the contiguous United States. It is in the northwest part of Washington State, the most northwest state, excluding Alaska. This northwest corner of Washington State is called the Olympic Peninsula, and it includes the Olympic National Park—a million-acre wonderland of snow-capped mountains, clear rivers, and a rainforest that averages 120” of rainfall annually. Port Angeles is the gateway to the fantastic views at Hurricane Ridge.

I have visited Port Angeles multiple times and ridden my bicycle in a 300+ mile loop around the Olympic Peninsula three times. One August trip is especially memorable because my two friends and I suffered through six inches of rainfall in two days. Despite that, PA made an impression on me because I love both the sea and the mountains. I most recently spent three days in PA researching it as Sterling’s Sojourn’s setting. During that visit, I rode my bike along the Olympic Discovery Trail (ODT), sat on the benches at the Coho ferry terminal, and went out on Ediz Hook—all things that Sterling experienced.

Sterling’s Sojourn mentions the pilots that guide ships through the Strait of Juan de Fuca. While on the ODT, I watched a pilot climb the ladder up the side of a tall ship. It’s not a job I would want; writing is more my speed. Speaking of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, you can track the ship traffic as it moves through the strait, and yes, tracking uses the Automated Identification System (AIS) mentioned in the book.