There is always Phoenix/Tucson, then rent a place in Denver for the Summer. Kids/school/job makes that tough, though.
I’d live in Phoenix, personally, but I grew up in Tucson and don’t mind the heat so much.
Nobody mentioned Sacramento. There’s a river there for recreational boating, and mountains very close. Bay Area excitement is close, too. Bit hot in the Summer. Not as hoity-toity as the bay area. More down-to-earth than San Diego. Real-estate really tanked there in the crash, so there may be bargains now.
Portland/Seattle = too rainy, though my dad lived in Portland for a while and says “nobody ever gets wet in Portland.” A comment that means – it never really rains, it just drizzles all the time.
Spokane is nice, but too small for much of an industrial base.
