Enjoy beautiful Fidalgo Island

One trip to the beautiful and varied island of Fidalgo and you’ll want to stay a lifetime.

The easternmost of the San Juan islands is home to the city of Anacortes, full of lively residents who love art and nature and are who extremely proud of its maritime heritage.

The city dedicates every first Friday of the month to the First Friday Gallery Art Walk, an wonderful excuse to get out and visit the numerous art galleries, shops and museums throughout the downtown area.

Art is also ever present with the many outdoor murals of current and past residents, shopkeepers, mayors, newspaper editors — and a self-portrait of the mural artist himself, Anacortes native Bill Mitchell.

The island has close to 20 parks, not including the Anacortes Community Forest Lands — 2,800 forested acres within the city limits. The land includes lakes, streams, wetlands, meadows and more than 20 miles of hiking, biking, and horse riding trails throughout.

Causland Memorial Park, just blocks away from downtown, is host to unique decorative rock and black and white mosaic walls, a bandstand and other structures built in the 1920s by Louis Lepage. Part of the park is also dedicated to Anacortes military veterans.

Both Cap Sante Park and Mount Erie Park feature panoramic views of Anacortes and the surrounding area.

For those more into speed than nature, the city also has Ben Root Skate Park, a 7,500-square-foot concrete park near the industrial marine area and next to the Tommy Thompson Parkway. The parkway is a great walk, especially the section on a former railroad trestle over Fidalgo Bay.

Other parks on the island include Washington Park to the west, a popular camping and picnicking site, and Deception Pass State Park to the south. The state park has areas for marine and camping activities with 77,000 feet of saltwater shoreline and almost 24,000 feet of freshwater shoreline on three lakes.

The park is full of old-growth trees and spectacular views of the pass that cuts between Fidalgo and Whidbey islands.

The waters surrounding Fidalgo Island offer opportunities for boating, whether it be in a kayak, yacht or on board one of the many charter boats available through local businesses.

The nightlife in Anacortes is also hopping with live music at several venues throughout the town including at the Department of Safety, which offers live entertainment for all ages.

Festivals and events abound in Anacortes, starting with the Salmon Derby in March, the Quilt Show and Garden Art Fair in April, the Waterfront Festival in May, Bark in the Park Dog Festival in June, July 4th celebration complete with annual town photo and Shipwreck Day Flea Market in July, Arts and Jazz festivals in August, and Antique Engine and Machinery Show and Oyster Run Motorcycle Rally in September. The year ends with the annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony and Lions Club Christmas Parade in December.

For more information about Anacortes and Fidalgo Island, visit the city’s Chamber of Commerce Web site at anacortes.org. Look for the additional 101 things to do in and around Anacortes on the Things To Do page.