i'll just say i haven't been to anywhere i'd rather live than oregon. well, maybe british columbia.
i grew up in eugene, went to school in corvallis (a really nice college town) and now live in portland. overall, the people are much friendlier here than anywhere else i've visited. eugene and portland are very similar, portland's just a lot bigger than eugene. for a city (although not that large), portland has a small-town feel to it that you don't get from any other city i've been to. also, it feels much cleaner than any city i've been to-- the hippy thing with eugene is starting to become a thing of the past, although it is still a very liberal city. there is rain here, but like others have said, it doesn't really rain hard, just drizzles often. but it needs to to keep it so lush and green. the summers actually get fairly hot-
with other outdoor activities, portland and eugene are hard to beat. both have large kayaking, rock climbing, sailboarding, and cycling communities.
portland is also growing into sort of a multi-media arts mecca. it's true the economy is in the toilet here, but if you can get a job, it's all good.
someone suggested salem, or. STAY away from salem! there is nothing good in salem other than a few trails 10 miles outside of town.
other than oregon, other cities i have been impressed with are:
- boulder, co. - i lived there for a summer. it's almost exactly the same city as eugene, although i found it a little pretentious. the weather is pretty much perfect all year long. it sits right up against the rocky mountains. biking is great there. people are moderately friendly, but imo not really in a genuine way.
- flagstaff, az. - nice town, spent a little time there and thought it would be a nice place to live. close to grand canyon. the weather is a bonus, too.
anyways, hope this helps. it's awesome you are at a point where you can just decide somewhere seems cool, and go there! good luck on your journey.