I'm a 2 hour drive from down town Seattle, (or a 18 minute flight) on an island that has about every thing including a home depot, walmart, boat basen, airport, low crime, good schools, good water, medical facilities, clear air, mild temps year around, and last but not least, natural gas main at the curb. Last month our gas bill was $40, and our elect. was $18.
I have lived in SoCal 12 years hated it, I was raised in upstate NY, don't like the winters, the bugs, floods, and humidy.
Our daughter lived in Round Rock Tx. for a few years so we spent a couple vacations there and didn't like the heat, rude drivers. and flatness.
We loved the PNW the day we got here 33 years ago, The outdoor recreation is the best anywhere, boating in the San Juans and Vancouver Is. wide blue and in protected water, plus world class sking is only 50 miles away major ski resorts at every mountain crossing highway. Salmon and Halibut fishing is second to only to Alaska.
And the Flying is great, yes we do get some very poor icing weather in the winter, but mostly it is 2500' and VFR with vis at around 15 miles. but when it is clear it is really clear see for ever.
Today is going to be 80 plus degrees and I am now looking out my window and seeing Mt. Rainier, look at a map, that's a ways away.
But Please don't tell the Californians, we have enough of the them already.
