> OR & WA, and I wouldn't want to do the Summers in NC & SC.
Picky, picky, picky.
OK, specifically, the Olympic peninsula area of OR|WA. Home of the only North American rain forest, IIRC. Some of the coastal towns are just out of the rain belt.
>heat
It's not the heat, it's the humidity. hhh.
It'll make a man out of you. If you're a wuss, then look at the "Isothermal Region" of NC in the foothills. Due to the lay of the land, temps stay fairly moderate year round.
Me, I **NEED** water. Lots & lots of water. BIG water. Anything less than a mile wide is a creek and barely counts.