Oregon is a beautiful state from coast to the east side of the state. They are very environmentally conscious and as a visitor....have to say I enjoy their hospitality and wide open spaces.
When I retire I will probably retire in southern Oregon along the coast. As far south as I can get w/o being in California.
BUT...that assumes that Oregon doesn’t tank and begin over taxing every freaking thing like they do in California. Right now the cost of living in Oregon is less or comparable to Western Washington state (where I currently live).
I can’t imagine that Oregon is any more hippy dippy than WA state. I would stay in WA...but I’ve got to get to a place that has less gray days. It’s not even about the rain...it’s about the grayness in the sky for weeks on end that just wears a soul down.
Some of us like that gray sky. It matches our gray personalities.
That is exactly why my husband and I moved to Oregon from Kirkland 20 years ago. We wanted land with warmth enough to grow a great garden, we are three hours south of Portland. It is so much warmer Kate, long summer growing seasons, still have not had one night even near 32 degrees yet and the endless gray skies have rain in them which dump and clear. Plus one hour from siting on the beach in the clear days of fall. And most fav of all, no traffic! Hard to even come to Washington to visit family, the traffic is horrendous.