Can you tell me about Colorado?

LisiLynn

Hi there,

I currently live in the Portland metro area and have lived in the Pacific NW my entire life but my husband is in negotiations with a company in the Louisville area and its a position with huge growth potential for him so if it comes through it looks like we'll be moving to CO. I'm excited and really nervous/anxious about the move. All my husband has really told me about the area is that it gets a lot of snow and is very flat. Are there rivers/lakes in that area? Can you plant gardens, is there plenty of water or is it more drought like in the summer? What are the nicest areas to live in that are somewhat affordable? Boulder was recommended to me but our house would cost nearly twice as much in Boulder so I doubt we'll be moving there. Also, what are people like there? Are they friendly? A friend who used to live in CO said she felt the people there were more friendly than here which surprised me because I hear that Oregonians are quite friendly. What is there to do for recreation or what is popular? Are there any areas to avoid living/purchasing a house? What is the weather like? How long are the seasons and what are they like? How much snow does that area get? We're also in the process of purchasing new vehicles, is there anything we should know about the area that would impact that decision? Right now we're looking at a commuter car, do we need to be sure to have all wheel drive or is the snow dry enough that we'd be unlikely to slip? If we get snow here its really wet and icy but we might get 2-5 days/ year so its not such a consideration. Portland is a super green city, big on recycling, sustainability and eco-coconsciousness, what's CO like? Are there many natural grocery stores or food co-ops? and what about farms and nurseries, are there many? For example its common for people in my area to purchase a farm share, and buy fresh produce and eggs either directly from the farm or at the weekly farmers markets when they're in season, is that popular in CO as well? 

 Sorry for the 50 questions, but I just want to know what to expect before we move there so that I don't experience too much of a culture shock LOL!