The things Dan quoted are the main reasons so many British people (including us) live here. My sister (still living in northern England) says "Anacortes is where God goes on vacation". It's the only place we've lived in the US that's she's jealous about!
For those of you familiar with Lancashire and the Lake District, my phrase is "It's like Grange-over-Sands, but without the sexual excitement".
We retired here after living in Renton, Des Moines (WA), Hampton/Newport News (VA), Bothell (WA), and Everett. Been here almost 14 years and will leave here in a wooden box.