You mentioned you were open to other parts of the world. If you speak Spanish (or have an interest in it), consider the colonial city of Patzcuaro in Mexico. If you have the ability to work online or on the phone for an American employer, you're all set! Patzcuaro (pop. 80,000) is one of the 20 places in Mexico with the "magical town" designation. We spent two months over the summer and LOVED it not only for biking, but also for its low cost of living and its interesting colonial architecture. Lots of expats have moved there, but it's still overall a best-kept secret. The countryside really rivals that of Southern France, Northern Spain or Tuscany. It has well-maintained quiet countryside roads with overall courteous drivers, beautiful lakes and interesting nearby towns rich with traditions and culture. English is widely spoken. The LBS told me there are tons of MTB trails around but I didn't have a MTB to explore them. Even though the city is lively during the day, it becomes quite sleepy at night. Morelia, however, is 45 mins. away and it's one of the most beautiful big cities in Mexico (pop. ~600,000.) Morelia has a Costco, Sam's Club, Home Depot, a Best Buy and several nice malls with movie theaters showing current movies for about USD $3.50. Morelia airport has daily flights to/from the U.S. (less than 4-hour flight.) Recommend a visit from mid-September through mid-November and mid-February to late March. April-May are the hottest months with temperatures in the high 80s/low 90s. The rest of the year daytime temps vary from low-mid 60s to high 70s. Patzcuaro sits at 7,500 ft. elevation (perfect for high-altitute training.) It rains mainly from mid-July through mid-September. The beach resorts at Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo (~4 hr. drive from Patzcuaro) we thought were first class.
Last edited by Chris Pringle; 11-06-12 at 07:13 PM.