Guemes Island WA residents: any information would be helpful (Seattle: to rent, house)

[TrueNorthernDiver]

We will, we hope, be relocating to the greater Seattle area next year. We've pretty well decided on a place to rent while we have to be in downtown Seattle every day. Now, we're looking for a weekend place that will become a permanent home when we retire.

Guemes Island sounds as if it might be a good fit: seems to have good ferry service; is close enough to Anacortes that an occasional water taxi wouldn't break the bank; is inside the Olympic Rain Shadow; has vacant land that is within our price range; is rural, with quiet roads to walk along. Our hope would be to buy land, camp on it in our little travel trailer for a year or so while we build a small house, and then weekend there until we retire.

We are sailors, skiers, hikers, readers, and Netflix DVD watchers. While we're still working, we'd be spending winter weekends skiing at Steven's Pass and summer weekends in a place on Guemes and/or sailing on a smallish boat. When we're retired, we'd expect to do 2 to 3 month ski odysseys and, during the summer, occasional 3-week sailing trips in the San Juans, the Gulf Islands, and further north.

What did we get wrong about what we think we know about Guemes --- and what are we missing, what haven't we considered?

Your thoughts are appreciated and welcome! Thank you for taking time to respond.

[Jumpindogs]

Originally Posted by TrueNorthernDiver

We will, we hope, be relocating to the greater Seattle area next year. We've pretty well decided on a place to rent while we have to be in downtown Seattle every day. Now, we're looking for a weekend place that will become a permanent home when we retire.

Guemes Island sounds as if it might be a good fit: seems to have good ferry service; is close enough to Anacortes that an occasional water taxi wouldn't break the bank; is inside the Olympic Rain Shadow; has vacant land that is within our price range; is rural, with quiet roads to walk along. Our hope would be to buy land, camp on it in our little travel trailer for a year or so while we build a small house, and then weekend there until we retire.

We are sailors, skiers, hikers, readers, and Netflix DVD watchers. While we're still working, we'd be spending winter weekends skiing at Steven's Pass and summer weekends in a place on Guemes and/or sailing on a smallish boat. When we're retired, we'd expect to do 2 to 3 month ski odysseys and, during the summer, occasional 3-week sailing trips in the San Juans, the Gulf Islands, and further north.

What did we get wrong about what we think we know about Guemes --- and what are we missing, what haven't we considered?

Your thoughts are appreciated and welcome! Thank you for taking time to respond.

Not sure you can count on much of a rain shadow effect there. The maps I see all show Anacortes outside the rain shadow area and Guemes is even further northeast. Here are some links that may be of interest:
LineTime : Guemes Island Precipitation Data 1991-2011 and Olympic Rain Shadow Map and Location

Here's a thought for you...when comparing annual rainfalls it really depends on how that rain falls. Our average annual rainfall in the Milwaukee area is 35 inches...more than Guemes at 29 inches...but we get it mostly in downpours. So even though we get more rain we have way fewer rainy days. Which means if you are truly looking for fewer rainy days you prolly want to be closer to the center of the rain shadow map where you will see a range of 16-19 inches.

The rain thing may not matter much to you but if it does you may want to do some more research on that. Good luck with your relocation.

[TrueNorthernDiver]

Thank you for the Rain Shadow Map --- I had looked at it earlier this year, but had forgotten how tight that oval really is and didn't check it before considering Guemes. You're right, we should be looking at the south-western shore of Fidalgo Island and the western shore of Whidbey Island.

We're originally from Vancouver, B.C. and rain, as such, isn't a problem. Not even when it rains every day, as it does in Vancouver in the winter. But Vancouver doesn't seem to have the unending drearyness of Seattle. That we definitely couldn't live with.

Do you know anything about Blaine, WA?

[Jumpindogs]

Originally Posted by TrueNorthernDiver

Thank you for the Rain Shadow Map --- I had looked at it earlier this year, but had forgotten how tight that oval really is and didn't check it before considering Guemes. You're right, we should be looking at the south-western shore of Fidalgo Island and the western shore of Whidbey Island.

We're originally from Vancouver, B.C. and rain, as such, isn't a problem. Not even when it rains every day, as it does in Vancouver in the winter. But Vancouver doesn't seem to have the unending drearyness of Seattle. That we definitely couldn't live with.

Do you know anything about Blaine, WA?

You're welcome.

Don't know anything about Blaine beyond that it is way outta the Rain Shadow area and a small town. But maybe it is not considered PNW as far as rain goes. I focused on Rain Shadow communities in my retirement research since we love the beauty of the PNW but cannot tolerate all that rain. Cloudy fine. Rain no.

I've read that Whidbey Island has lots of jet noise at all hours of the day and night.

[TrueNorthernDiver]

Arrgghhhh. The more we search, the less we find. I can deal with rain but not cloudy and grey. Vancouver, from where we come, is very, very green and except for November, the sun shines for at least an hour every day. And people sit around in shorts --- under umbrellas and beside propane heaters --- even in January. It's a very out-doorsy place.

You may be wondering why we don't just move back to Vancouver. Lots of reasons, not the least of which is employment.

I rather think that we should give up the idea of buying a weekend place near Seattle and just wait until we don't have to head off to a place of employment before making a commitment to land or a house --- somewhere. In the meantime, we can sail. I think. If we can find moorage.

Thanks for your comments!