Welcome—good luck with your biggest loser challenge. That’s a fun way to get people motivated. I live in Southern California and have hiked several portions of the PCT. For an outdoors person you can’t beat California. For a retired person, not so much, unless you already own real estate or have done due diligence in the saving money department. Access to the outdoors all year long is a wonderful thing.. I’m a mountain and an ocean person. I’m spoiled being able to have both in one day—- surf in the morning and ski in the afternoon if you are so inclined.. Like everywhere else, there are lots of drawbacks.