Mary Berg, GRI, CNS

Reason #6: Anacortes residents take pleasure in many outdoor activities. Here you can enjoy sailing, power boating, whale watching, hiking, kayaking, mountain biking, golf, camping, sport fishing, bird watching, scuba diving, beach combing and much more. Anacortes is homeport for numerous sailing and power yacht charters. Whale watching in the San Juan Islands is especially exciting with our three pods of resident Orca whales.

Reason #5: Anacortes is known as the "Gateway to the San Juan Islands and Sidney, BC". Anacortes is the largest city on Fidalgo Island which is the easternmost of the San Juan Islands and jump-point to the rest of the world-renowned archipelago. Anacortes is assessible by bridges from the east and from Whidbey Island to the south. It is also home to the Washington State Ferry terminal, serving the rest of the San Juans and Sidney/Victoria, British Columbia. Stay tuned for Reason #6...

Reason #4: Anacortes homeowners enjoy the use of 3000 plus acres of city-owned forestlands and 20 different parks within the city limits. Washington Park is our largest which includes 220 acres jutting into Rosario Strait on the western edge of Anacortes, offering territorial views. The park has a day use area and overnight camping facilities. At Sunset Beach, on the north shore, there is a boat launch, rest rooms, reservable picnic shelter, playground and open play area. It's a wonderful recreation area. http://www.cityofanacortes.org/Parks/WaPark/wa_park.htm. Stay tuned for Reason #5...

Reason #3: Anacortes boasts over 20 miles of saltwater shoreline and five freshwater lakes in or near city limits - Whistle, Campbell, Cranberry, Heart and Erie making Anacortes a fisherman's paradise! Whistle Lake is a large lake with many rocky outcroppings on which to sit and a network of trails leading hither and yon. The lake's north end is typical of a woodland lake, but the southern portion is sprinkled with deep coves and passages. You can even look down on Whistle Lake from the summit of Mount Erie, where you'll often find climbers clinging to rock faces. This area contains perhaps the most remote section of the Anacortes Community Forest Lands. The species of fish found in Whistle Lake are bass, cutthroat and perch. Lake Campbell offers a wonderland of activities. Some love the lake for its year round fishing and others enjoy the warmer waters for swimming, wake boarding, water skiing and inner tubing. Bass, catfish, cutthroat, perch, rainbow trout and spiney ray call this lake home. Cranberry Lake is easily accessible from several entry points and has several trails of varying length and difficulty which are very scenic. The trail system circumnavigates the lake and there are viewpoints along the lake shore and places to picnic. Heart Lake is an excellent trout lake with a boat launch, parking and restrooms. There's a hiking trail around the lake and old growth timber. There are no picnic tables or campsites. Lake Erie is a popular area for rainbow trout which includes access, boat ramps and resort facilities. This pretty little spot is just west of Mt. Erie and approximately two miles south of Anacortes. There is one more trout lake called Pass Lake which is located on SR 20 as you approach Deception Pass State Park. Pass Lake is for fly fishing only and does not allow boats with motors. Stay tuned for Reason #4...

Reason #2: Anacortes is located within 90 minutes of Seattle and Vancouver, B.C. When interest turns to nightlife, Seattle and Vancouver, B.C. are within driving distance. Vancouver, B.C. will be home to the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. Very cool! Go to http://vancouver.ca/visitors.htm to learn more about this exciting city so near to Anacortes. Closer to home is Skagit County's own McIntyre Hall. McIntyre Hall is a premiere performing arts and conference facility located on the Skagit Valley College Mount Vernon campus and is dedicated to bringing you a variety of arts, educational, entertainment and cultural offerings throughout the year. Visit http://www.mcintyrehall.org/ for more information. Stay tuned for Reason #3...