How fortunate you were. We emigrated back in 1968 when I was hired by Boeing after the collapsse of the UK aerospace industry under the Wilson government. We've lived most of the time in Washington State, except for three years in Hampton, Virginia.
We found the East coast to be uncomfortably humid in summer, and some areas ludicrously over-crowded (particularly NJ and NYC). We love the climate on this side of the country. It's like Cornwall, but a bit warmer. We're in the middle of a "hot" spell right now, the third week of clear skies, light winds and high temps around 80F a few miles inland and 74F at the beach near home.
Take a look at our part of the world on Google Earth. The area has attracted a lot of ex-pat Brits in retirement.
