[Seahawk]

Good advice on Yakima. We have an office there and while I really enjoy the area (one of our guys has a cabin near Rimrock Lake up route 12 I stay at) the town itself is unremarkable.

There are parts of Wenatchee I really like, especially headed to Leavenworth. Another small town I really like is Ellensburg - home of Central Washington University. Ellensburg has a very defined downtown and a good feel.

Lastly, I really like Spokane. I spent a week there last year and really like the surrounding areas. When I fly into Washington State I typically fly into Spokane and drive to Yakima, etc. rather than fight the Seattle traffic and the Cascades, especially in winter. Spokane is very easy to get in and out of.

The heat in the summer, especially compared to the air you can wear in Maryland, is not a factor for me. I also very much prefer college towns.

As you can tell, I have no experience west of the Cascades. Hard to go wrong.