Anacortes is located some 80 miles north of Seattle, 80 miles south of Vancouver BC, and 30 miles east of Victoria BC. Known as the "Gateway to the San Juans", a reference to the famous San Juan Islands to the west, Anacortes is one of the special geographic areas to be found in the world. The San Juans consist of about 175 islands that can only be accessed by air or water. Anacortes is located on Fidalgo Island, the last island connected to the mainland by bridge allowing easy vehicular access; hence it is host to the 1.5 million people using the Anacortes ferry each year to access the San Juan and Canadian Gulf Islands and Victoria BC.

To the west, Fidalgo Island overlooks the Rosario Strait and the San Juan Islands. To the north, the Guemes Channel. On the south side, we have Deception Pass and on the east the last bridge to the mainland.

The topographical conditions around this area have created a weather pocket called the "Banana Belt" with unusually dry temperate weather. This belt is the weather shadow northeast of the Olympic Mountain Range. This banana shaped area receives only 20" of rainfall per year, far less than Seattle. Just adjacent, Mount Olympus gets 200" a year and is a North American cool rain forest.

The area provides a setting that is both spectacular and pristine and offers a breath-taking diversity of wild life led by the magnificent orca or killer whale. The area is also famous for the marine and boating industry, snow capped mountains, tulips, Native American art including pottery, weaving and painting.

For all these reasons Anacortes and the San Juans Islands have become a tourist mecca for the area. We are well known and well visited by Washington State residents and it is not surprising that Fidalgo and the San Juan Islands have become a popular retirement location both nationally and internationally.