Vashon Island in “Sunset”

The February, 2012 issue of “Sunset” Magazine adds another complimentary article to Vashon-Maury Islands’ collection of accolades, as a place that is fun, beautiful,and an excellent location to make a life.

The introductory blurb mentions “slowerpaced, stress free…” “…switch from the daily grind to living in paradise…” (There is some “Sunset” literary license in these statements, in my opinion.) While I do not believe that Vashon is a “fantasy town,” I moved here for aesthetic  reasons and to improve my quality of life, and I know that having a better life, is the big draw for people coming over; people do not come here because they love spending time on ferries. People move to Vashon-Maury because these islands are uniquely open/ free/ rural places of breathtaking beauty near a world class urban hub, while having all the positive aspects of a small town. This is a heady combination, if one is looking for greater human connection while still maintaining  maximum personal freedom.

The article classifies us as “woodsy.” The other “Sunset” woodsy contenders are Boulder, CA, Cowichan Bay, B.C., and Victor, ID. “Sunset” cites a “ tropical town group”(The Big Island, Summerland, CA, Todos Santos, Mexico, and Troncones, Mexico). The magazine also mentions “Wine Country locations..lots of fun! However, I am not objective. I like being close to the airport, theaters, SAM, Ben Aroya Hall, (and we have an opera company!) The west side looks like Lopez Island or wine country to me—rolling, pastoral, w/a spectacular Olympic backdrop.

The last group of great places is the Pacific Rim—Whitsunday Islands in Australia, Fremantle, Australia, Napier NZ, Nelson, NZ, Wanaka, NZ. I would love to spend six months to a year in any or all of these places. I know these are marvelous spots! But I still need to make a living, so having a home there does not work well for me. For those of us who do not live on discretionary income, Vashon is looking pretty good.

I LIKE THIS ISLAND!