Vancouver & Victoria, British Columbia
Greater Vancouver and Vancouver Island, are favorite retirement areas for many Canadians and a fairly large number of Americans. A mild west coast climate with little or no snow, plus a wide selection of amenities, make this area a popular retirement location. Vancouver and Victoria (on Vancouver Island) have consistently been named as two of the best cities in the world to live.
Both cities have a high percentage of 'green areas' and a huge selection of parks. Walking trails, and bicycle lanes on roads, are very common. A nearly unlimited number of restaurants provide a worldly cuisine. Many people learn about Vancouver and British Columbia in 2010 during the winter Olympics. It has become a very cosmopolitan city with a varied ethnic population.
Many Canadians from colder climates actually 'snowbird' in these cities for the winter months. The winters can be wet, but dryer than some other west coast cities, and the summers are very nice.
Vancouver is just about 2 hours or so north of Seattle, and lots of people travel between the two cities on day trips. Victoria is just a short ferry ride from Port Angeles on the Olympic peninsula. Just a short drive from Port Angeles is Sequim, which enjoys a dry climate due to the rain shadow from the Olympic mountains (even cacti grow there). This rain shadow also benefits Victoria, the San Juan Islands and the Canadian Gulf Islands to a lessor extent.
Nearly every small town on Vancouver Island has a recreation center with a wide variety of activities and sports. There are more than a dozen lawn bowling clubs as well. Dozens of golf courses, and lots of water sports, fishing and boating. Fabulous beaches with surfing on the west coast, round out the outdoor activities.