[tevake]

Both Seattle and Portland have traffic issues that completely put me off.
But I'm more of a small town guy anyway.
Plus the coastal moderate weather is a big appeal to me. During the summer there can be very hot temps inland, then much colder temps in winter also.
I loved that pic Bob shared of he and his dog and snow machine overlooking the lake from his mountaintop spot. But Burrrr.

Little side trips I attempted during my summer cruise on the west coast,
for driving fun in the S C , like inland from Eureka toward Reding Ca some great roads through the redwood forests in the area, took me from low 70s on the coast into the 115 degrees just 75 miles inland.
I couldn't make it back to the coast area quick enough.

Similar in Seattle, had been cruising the peninsula and San Jaun Islands enjoying mild temps high 60s to high70s. Then headed inland thru Seattle. Spent a five hours traffic ordeal getting thru sea/tac corridor in sweltering high 90s , stop and go for hours on the freeway there. Nope not for me.

Persistent very high temps inland for the month and and a half of my trip on the coast kept me contained to the coastal areas.

There are trade offs for all locations hot summers, colder winters, WETTER winters in the coastal PNW . HOT dry desert summers here in Az.
I even did a trip this summer to help my brother get his RV from the Fla Keys up the west coast to the Panhandle, checking out interesting small coastal towns along the way. And low and behold it was pretty hot, humid, and buggy there in the summer.

So it's a matter of finding the best overall climate year around with the shortest least extreme off season, or like some here embrace the four seasons and enjoy the variety.
Challenging for spoiled So Cal and Island guys like Scottmandu and myself.

I have come Realize that I'm bit of a weather whimp.

Or find a place that's great most of the year and escape with the RV for those less enjoyable months

Ah the challenges of First World Problems.

Then there is the social community to consider. As a somewhat liberal, open mined person, I've felt like a duck out of water here in very solid conservative very gun loving AZ. In these very polarized times lots of folks seem ready to pidgin hole new acquaintances pretty quickly and move away from or want to argue with those that seem differ too much.

For now I'm enjoying the hunt for a new place to call home. Traveling the width of our country is amazingly varied and interesting. I'm thinking some place/ community will call to me and feel like home eventually, I just hope I haven't beat down my nest egg too much by the time I find it

Cheers Richard