• Clean air
• Clean water
• Safe community
• The view

  

• Lots of sunshine
• Low humidity: makes summer days feel cooler and winter days feel warmer than those horrid humid locations!
• High quality of life for my kids and family
• The view

  

• Low cost of living: housing is very affordable and property taxes are way way low
• No state income tax
• A balanced state budget. In fact, most of this decade has seen HUGE surpluses.
• My commute. 22 minutes walking....8 minutes biking...5 minutes driving.
• Easy 2-hour drive to Denver airport where you can fly direct to lots of places, including Hawaii and Europe.
• Parking within 4 blocks of my building on campus: 0$ per year.
• Lots of access to a 2.3 m telescope...perfect for an observational astronomer
• University town with sports, music, cultural events
• yeah, the view....all within 45 minutes of my house

  

• A university that is a great blend of a big state school (lots of resources) yet with some qualities of a small college, such as good collegiality and ability to interact with all levels of university people outside my department
• Good colleagues
• Lots of nearby hiking, biking, climbing, camping, fishing, skiing (at half the price of the big Colorado resorts...plus cross country)
• Dark skies. I walk home at night and see stars all the way to the horizon!
• Did I mention the view?

  

  Ok, so what's not to like? The wind. Definitely the wind. More windy here than most places. Could be a plus if you're a wind surfer. And spring comes late at high altitude. March and April can come and go like a lion. Still, I feel like there are more nice days here even in the winter than in the east or midwest.