BengeBoy 

My wife and I are both 5th-generation Kansans (my great-great-grandparents were Homesteaders).

Since leaving Kansas, I spent a lot of time in the Southwest and other warm climates: Dallas
Los Angeles, Mexico City, and Houston. Then I moved north, and lived in Chicago, and finally London before moving to Seattle.

The biggest plus of the Pacific Northwest is the access to the outdoors. You can be outdoors doing something 52 weeks a year. In the winter, if you are willing to dress for rain, you can continue cycling, running, or hiking at lower elevations (where we get rain all winter, but not much snow). It rarely gets below 30 degrees in the winter; generally the day time highs are around 37 degrees. Or, if you like snowsports, you can snowshoe, ski or snowboard in the mountains.

Summers are spectacular -- last week's heatwave aside (first time it's ever been over 100 degrees), it's generally 75 to 80, no humidity, no wind, no bugs.

Another plus is the people - generally nice. Plus, the "Pacific Northwest" is a big area - Oregon, Washington, British Columbia - there is a lot to explore. Throw in the fact you're a day's drive from Idaho and Montana and there is plenty to do.

Finally, there is the variety of living possibilities -- some folks get cabins in the mountains; others get condos right in downtown urban areas (Portland, Seattle are both pretty nice cities); and then there are the islands, bays, rivers, etc. East of the Cascades, you have a whole different climate - the "high desert" areas of Oregon; the Methow Valley in northern Washington, the wine country of Eastern Washington...it's pretty diverse.

In terms of your interests:
- Jazz - one of my interests as well; several really nice clubs in the PacNW and enough jazz festivals during the year to keep someone interested.
- Cycling - check; year-round cycling and variety
- Water/boats - obviously this is a huge boating center. Sailing, powerboats, whitewater kayaking, ocean kayaking.
- Gardening - this is the best gardening climate we've lived in; it's a amazing what my wife has been able to do with our yard (I just watch and pull the occasional weed). We do get plenty of slugs but this year they are out-numbered by the hummingbirds.

Minuses?
- You do have to be able to tolerate constant drizzle/moisture in the winter; it *will* be drippy from November to March.
- Higher cost of living than the Midwest/South/Southwest
- It's a *long* way from friends and family. Anything east or south of Denver takes a big chunk of time to get to, even by plane.