If PT is too rainy, then aside from Sequim and Port Angeles you're pretty well cooked as far as western Washington or the Willamette Valley are concerned. The rain gauges on Whidbey may not say it rains that much, but the gray and drizzly days aren't much different than on the mainland. Bellingham also gets a lot more snow and blowing/freezing rain than further south, because of the Fraser Canyon winds coming out of the BC interior. Mt. Vernon (IMO) would bore the bejeezus out of anyone, except for the three weeks in spring when the tulips bring the multitudes to fill all the available roads.

Check out Victoria BC.

Walla Walla is a lovely town with a population less than 30,000, I believe. It's the home of Whitman College, which some refer to as a west coast ivy league school. It has an excellent reputation.

It is definitely a four-season town. Summers can be up to 100 degrees and do expect some moderate snow in the winter.

There are two hospitals in the area: St. Mary's (Catholic) and Walla Walla General. Both are fine for routine care but you must drive 1 hour to the Tri-Cities (Richland, Pasco and Kennewick) for any major procedure or 2 1/2 hours to the north to Spokane.

Walla Walla High School provides an excellent public school education and DeSales is the name of the local private Catholic high school.

I haven't kept up on home prices so I can't advise in that area. Check Realtor.com.

There are many, many trees which create a lovely living environment. In the past 10 years or so the local winery production as really taken off. In fact, the downtown area is filled with local wineries. It's the Napa of the north, so to speak.

Great public library, local newspaper and YMCA. A really lovely town.

I have heard, however, that gang activity has moved to the area from southern California. I haven't kept up on the crime statistics so I don't have any first-hand information for you.

Just ask if you have any more questions about the area as I was, at one time, intimately familiar with the area.

There is no place in Washington State that meets all your criteria. Bellingham has much of what you want, but it does not have a vibrant downtown. On the other hand Bellingham is within an easy drive of Seattle and Vancouver, B.C.

Considering everything, in Washington, I think you will be happiest living in Seattle or very nearby in a town such as Edmonds.

Thanks for everyone's help. I thought I'd post a few photos so people know what we are trying to "replicate" (within reason).

Of course we want to experience an area for what it is, but my hubby says we are NOT moving unless we can find someplace as special as this (see below).
http://www.newburyport01950.com/downtown/pres0000.html

http://www.newburyport01950.com/waterfront/gallery.html

http://www.newburyport01950.com/Jopp...t/gallery.html

http://www.newburyport01950.com/park...T/gallery.html

We were thinking PT sounded close. Just how bad IS the weather there?? We will also check out Edmonds. Thanks.

Edmonds is beautiful and from your links, it looks like what you are looking for. The weather can be quite rainy, but the area is still so beautiful. The ferry over to Kingston (to the Kitsap Peninsula) is right there, so that is nice too. My inlaws live in Edmonds so we know it well. We just spent Thanksgiving there and really enjoyed it (except for the hotel...skip the Edmonds Harbor Inn!).

Edmonds is intriguing. I like what I've read so far, and I would like to know more.

Please tell me about the weather - constant rain, clouds and drizzle, or just a rainy season?

How is the weather compared to Port Townsend?

Edmonds can be quite rainy, but come mid July through September it is really beautiful! My husband commuted via that ferry for several years, and I was usually in Edmonds 2-3 days a week when we lived in the area. The rain does not stop anyone from going about their business though, and it rarely stops people from going outside for enjoyment. You just learn to dress appropriately I can't help much with Port Townsend since I have only visited there, not lived close enough to it to comment.

Edmonds has the same climate as the rest of western Washington. Gardyloo is right-if you can't stand a long gray damp season, pretty much all of Western Wa. is out of the question. I think Edmonds is a perfectly nice place-it has a cute downtown and nice views-but much of it is a sprawling suburb sandwiched in a metro area of millions of people. A quaint small town seaport it's not.

I wonder if you should adjust your expectations somewhat. Those historic seaport towns of New England have a very unique, special feel. The Pacific Northwest is different than New England, and the towns reflect that. It's going to be damper, grayer, not as many historic buildings (and not as old when you do find them), and there is just going to be a different character and feel. Port Townsend I think is the only thing even close to what you are looking for; maybe Coupeville on Whidbey Island, or one of the towns in the San Juan Islands like Friday Harbor would fit the bill, but again, they really are not going to "replicate" your hometown. Why not take a trip out here and check out these places? I think you really need to get an idea of how different the character of the PNW is from New England.

If you love everything about your home but the snow, aren't you just trading one set of bad weather conditions for another by moving here, plus giving up much of what you already love? I'm not trying to be discouraging, but I do think your search is unrealistic unless you modify your expectations.

Perhaps my wording was wrong. We are not really trying to "replicate" our town as much as the "feeling" of our town - something special.

We really like Sonoma, CA which is as different in architecture than where we live, but it feels "special" and has that community spirit we are looking for. It is historic, but in a different way. And even though small, has a lot going on, plus all of the surrounding areas are nice, and the state (as with WA) offers a multitude of things to do. Of course the pricing is very high, as where we are, so that's a consideration. We were hoping to find something similar in feel in WA.

I have to admit, gray, rainy weather for 9 months of the year with only July - Sept seeing the sun would wear on me. If it was just a "rainy season" for a few months, I could handle it, as when you are older, rain is easier to deal with than snow - the shoveling, the cold and the driving (or not being able to because of the weather) are hard when you get old out here in our winters.

In any case, we plan a visit to see the Puget Sound area. It looks absoultely gorgeous, and we've never seen Seattle even.

Well, its really more like 5-6 months of gray, damp weather, then a few months where it could go either way, then a few beautiful months. But there's no denying the winter is very hard on some people.

Your latest description makes your search seem a little easier (though I still can't think of anything that is closer to what you want than Port Townsend). I should warn you of one thing-we are somewhat short on quaint historic towns here. Washington is just a newer place. Good to hear you are coming to visit-that of course is better than any advice we could give you.

Even most of our grayest months have some sunny days or sun breaks—periods when the clouds part to let the sun shine through. Employed people often can’t take advantage of sun breaks, but you, as retirees, will be free to enjoy all of them.

Have a look here, especially the pages covering the Fairhaven neighborhood in Bellingham, Langley on Whidbey, LaConner, and Port Townsend: http://www.nwculture.com/NWC/1NWChp.html

You must understand that the "gray" months in western Washington (even more than in western Oregon) tend to have a predominance of days when there is some sunshine or bright bits or dappled light - maybe not a lot, but very seldom none at all. Like any northern latitude place, in winter when it's sunny in the daytime, it tends to be cold at night; the benefit of our cloudy/partly cloudy weather is that it moderates temperatures quite a lot, unlike eastern cities, where clouds have usually had a nice cold continent to cool them first.

Langley, LaConner and Coupeville (also on Whidbey) have some advantage of being in a relatively dry - meaning more breaks in clouds - area, compared to places farther south where the Olympics don't block some onshore flow. In Oregon, the Coast Range does a pathetic job of blocking much, IMO.

Sonoma is very nice, with a great cheese shop. But do the numbers, including property and income tax comparos. Oh, it's hot as hell in the summer, too.

wanderer - you are crazy to leave Newburyport. Its the prettiest town around. As I read your first post I instantly thought of Newburyport. I live in the small town just "West" of you.

I love the Pacific Northwest. Long Beach Pennisula is very beautiful - maybe too isolated for you.

Good luck with your search though you might consider Northern California to get better weather.

I also thought of all those gorgeous, artsy, and historic small towns along the northern California coast when you asked this question, but I didn't know if you'd already looked into this. They might be too remote or too far from good hospitals for you.

CA is at the moment our first choice, but only because we have yet to visit OR, WA and VA where our other choices are.

Yes, Newburyport IS lovely, so who knows... If not for our kitty, we'd escape for a few months in the dead of winter and just stay.

We are going out to CA again (3rd time in a short time) in May to Mendocino and environs. Although it sounds beautiful, I think it will be too small and isolated up there. Sonoma is still our top pick in CA, and St. Helena and Yountville would be picks too if we could afford those 2 towns.

We don't mind not being right ON the coast (although that is ideal), as long as we can drive to it for a long weekend.

Appreciate everyone's help.

In Oregon, most of the towns on I-5 are within a two-hour drive of the beautiful Oregon coast.

You are right about Mendocino, but it is a lovely little town and the walk on the Mendocino Headlands is one of my favoritese.

Hi...I'm in the process of planning my retirement too...4 yrs to go...but have already decided to put my house here in Sonoma Co on the mkt...getting too crowded and expensive after living here for the past 30 yrs. The flavor of this area has changed considerably...
I've considered and explored mostly online the same places as you have...I need to be at least within a few minutes of salt water.
About Bellingham:
A bachelor friend of mine inherited his father's townhouse 2 yrs ago in Fairhaven just as he was ready to retire...and loves it. He sold his home in Sonoma County and moved there..he's an avid sea kayaker,moutaineer, and xc skiier..also discovered an indoor ice skating rnk in Bellingham...takes art classes in town...sings in a choir... Never a dull momentnt. The Amtrak station is 3 blks from his home...and he takes reg trips to Vanc BC and Seattle...We watched the Alaska ferry pass outside his deck when we visited him this Summer on our way to Alaska.
Best of luck with your search