I respectfully disagree. I live in Central Oregon (Bend).
- The weather and seasonal changes are great.
- The recreation is amazing (hiking, boating, camping, motorcycle-riding, etc.)
- Very reasonable gun laws (no wait, no restrictions on mags or AR's, easy-to-get Concealed Carry licenses, etc.)
- Terrific 1-mile rifle range (COSSA) nearby.
- Oregon coast rivals scenery anywhere else in the world.
- Cheaper to live than a lot of places (no sales tax, property values, etc.)
Oh, and no Sales Tax.
I've lived in Massachusetts, Colorado, California, and visited almost every other state during my life. I believe Oregon ... if you extract Portland and just don't go there ... is a terrific place to live, work, and play.