Just to second some other posts -

South Carolina low country is nice, but I like heat and humidity. Our daughter went to college in Charleston SC and we loved the low country. It is always voted one of the friendliest areas in the country.

Greenville, SC is really nice. Just visited and liked the visits-several friends lived there and would like to move back.

SW VA/East TN is a great area.

After the Gulf Shores pics I think I might give it a longer visit and consider the area for the future.

Bruce

dont go there!
 

If you move to Wichita Falls on purpose, you need to have a lobotomy.

They just had the HHH....thats the Hotter n Hell Hundred, or "hotternhellhunnerd", thats a bicycle race in the city thats 100 miles in 100 degree heat.

14,000 riders arrive for a few days of punishment. 14,839 people leave afterwards.

:p

The poster who said Oregon has no income tax is incorrect...they have one and it is high. There is no sales tax, however. Washington has the opposite situation.
I have lived in many places and they all had good and bad points, and one person's positive is some else's negative. Eliminating family ties or job requirements, I would say weather would be a prime consideration. I would prefer to not ever be snowbound, and I wouldn't want a high humidity area. That narrows the field a great deal.
I agree with those naming Prescott, AZ. I would suggest looking into it. (And there are lots of car shows.)

I'm back from vacation guys :) just a quick week hiking, biking, white water rafting, star-gazing and generally doinking off up in the mountains... now begins the decision process. I'll post some vacation pics (just so you guys can have some armchair vacation time yourselves) as soon as I can gather myself together and get through this first day back at work.

Be wary of some counties in Oregon as the economy is in the pits. Josephine County, for example, has very little county police protection. The city police and fire hit you with a levy every couple of years to maintain city protection.

All but the worst criminals get turned back into the streets.

I blew out of that city in 1977 and haven't looked back since. I miss about 3 friends and of course that little gas station (on 6th and North Grand) they turned into a doughnut shop back in the 60's. I agree, don't go to Illinois.

If you like the West then AZ is the place to go. We have been Snow birding there for 7 years and OOdles of Car stuff going on. If you like Ponderosa pine and small towns check our Payson. I you want the Valley but not too close to Phoenix check out the surrounding towns.

___________________________
48 Ford F1 - Darkside
46 Ford Tudor - Street Rod

"Happiness - 3 pedals and a 5 speed" :-jammin

You know us too well. :)

Unfortunately there was no car shows at all when I was there - just some sort of big huge acclaimed bicycle race (never heard of it myself) USA Pro Challenge or something.

Still working on digging out at work, leave for a week and the mess on your desk is insane.

hey sorry for the 'useless bump' , but i thought i would let ya'll know something. i am obligated all weekend, took tomorrow off to go work for family. i am almost without net (phone only) and don't have time for the pix promised.... will see what i can do when.gonna be a gruelling weekend...

I live on a baby mountain in North Georgia. I always wanted to return to Colorado after graduating college in 1980, but the wife was having none of it. So, the compromise was North GA. We have mountains with little of the snow and cold, For me it's a win-win. You might like from this area on north through Tennessee. You'll even have less competition for some of the physical exercise areas as the locals (including me)are more into biscuits-n-gravy than outdoor sports.

Great post, since I have a few years (read 10) until I retire and move on. I've lived in So Cal all my life and haven't traveled at all (bubble is Vegas, Napa, Mexico). I love the area but dislike the influx of people (and city/state regs too). Looks like I'm the opposite of your wanting warmer weather, as I want it colder (high in the summer of 75-80 with low humidity). My wants go towards a SAFE area for my girlfriend to walk around and my stuff, some land to put a shop on and a city to allow a steel building, some breathing room from neighbors (no in town living), cooler weather (light snow is ok), Good, nice people (although I'm kind of a hermit), NO extreme weather as in flooding or tornadoes. I can drive to car shows or back to the beach if I need to visit....plus it will give me an excuse to drive. Other then usual hospital, dentist, stores, restaurants that need to be in the area, I need to get used to septic tank living and having water, propane delivered.

I've tried the google street view for awhile, now it's time to go look for myself.

1. Williams, AZ
2. Washington
3. Oregon

Never really thought about going to other countries seriously because getting parts for my projects would be too hard and expensive........But Greenland, Iceland always sounds appealing.

Not really any help, but like the fact a lot of people have been all over this country. I also live in an area that would be a place to live for others (over a hill from a beach town, 15 minutes to the ocean), but again it's too crowded and too plastic.

To get low humidity with those temps, you're probably talking about the east slopes of the Rockies and above 6000'; north of Ft Collins, or Trinidad, or Raton NM.

I can certainly vouch for what Ross just said, Windsor is 10 minutes from Ft Collins so not particularly different. Summer highs are "mild" but on occasion it can reach 90. That said, the far east side of Ft Fun and also Windsor are significantly lower than the west side of Ft Fun. You change elevation fast here in CO.

To give you an idea the elevation I am thinking for those temps: The vacation I just took was to Avon/Vail/Beaver Creek CO - highest temp any day (straight up August, hottest time of the year) was 75. Now in winter, those same places are ski resort capitals, tons of snow... gotta love the snow and cold.

Hot Hot Hot
 

Someone mentioned Wichita Falls, Texas.
I was born 50 miles west of there in Seymour and it holds the record for high temperature in Texas at 120 in 1936.
TractormanBill