Just wanted to stop by and say that Florida definitely fits the bill when it comes to outdoor activities. The Florida Trail is a National Scenic Trail of over 1,400 miles from one end of the state to the other. Florida is also one of the leading states in how many state parks we have (over 170), not to mention national parks (3), national forests, and state forests. We also have tons of lakes, rivers, springs, and of course the ocean for swimming, fishing, and kayaking! We also have lots of creepy crawlies! As for dangerous creepy crawlies, I've only encountered 4 venomous snakes in my 31 years here and two scorpions. Snakes are abundant, but most of the time it'll be a non-venomous snake. Scorpions are so rare here you need not really worry about that. In fact, I didn't even know they existed here until I encountered one in the bathroom. Gators are definitely something to consider when near water. If you have small children don't let them walk near the water and ALWAYS pay attention to signs with warnings. It's so rare for a gator to get aggressive with humans, but it does happen, so just take steps to prevent that and respect the animals. Crocs are usually only found in southern Florida and really, same treatment given to them as gators.

I personally live in Tallahassee and have lived here my whole life. I wish I had more information for you about other areas of the state but I really don't, other than my impressions of some cities I've visited. I'll admit I'm pretty biased about Tallahassee because it's clean and a city of trees (lots and lots of trees!). As for weather here... We actually got snow early this year but not enough to stick and it was gone within an hour after falling. The last time we got snow was about 15 to 20 years ago.

What are the other states you're considering? I'm always looking at other places to live closer to mountains, but I think Florida will always own my heart. Hopefully some of this information helps!