Colorado is nice (great Governor - you could go from THE worst to one of the best) but parts of it are little too dirt-worshippy for my tastes.
You really should throw middle Tennessee in the mix of places you are considering. Great economy, less traffic, distinct change of seasons, major league sports, close to a lot of great places to visit, great hunting and fishing, reasonable level of arts and all kinds of music and Democrats are more conservative than most of California's Republicans. Now if we could just be like Texas and find a way to make them leave the state (without letting them back in).
How is the Tennessee state income tax fight going?
Are Gov. Taxquist and the Congressional income tax promoters out of office yet?