My brother lived for 20 years in that part of the world. In Denver, Boulder, Arvada, and Ft. Collins. I spent a good part of the fall/winter of 2007 shuttling back and forth to Denver and Ft. Collins when my brother was sick.

Good things:
– It’s gorgeous! Undeniably, take your breathe away gorgeous. The mountains are spectacular.

– It’s less expensive. A lot less expensive. My brother owned 3 houses in 20 years – all were about 1/3 of what you’d pay in San Diego.

– You’re right, people are very fit and active. My brother was a rock climber and cyclist – and that was pretty typical. Everyone there hikes, bikes, skies, etc.

– Good colleges and hospitals. I have to give serious props to University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora. I was super impressed with the medical care my brother received in his last weeks.

Things that might not be as good – depending on your viewpoint.

– People tend to be more overtly religious – more so than in San Diego. This is more pronounced as you get down towards Colorado Springs. If you like churchy folks -then this is not an issue. For some folks this might be an issue.

– The weather… In the fall and spring it is entirely unpredictable. 100 degrees and sunny – 2 hours later it’s snowing. I’ve seen this first hand. There are also more twisters. A friend that lives near Denver Int’l had a twister and hail damage total her car and destroy her siding and roof 2 weeks ago. She has insurance – but it’s unsettling.

– No beach. For me, that’s a tough one to get past. But if you don’t go to the beach much then it’s a not issue.