Re: your question "a better place...", damn near anywhere. Were it me, given you'r criteria for water, air outdoors, etc, I might opt to look at Idaho, Montana, Wyoming. Oregon and Washington are tooooo liberal/PHRASECENSOREDPOSTERSHOULDKNOWBETTER. for me, with too many old hippies. Out east is almost as congested as California and seem to want to bleed you out tax wise as well.