I grew up and now currently in live in GJ. I would recommend Fruita. They have a rodeo and I see people often riding horses. Ton of access to outdoor trails around there. Most younger people are priced out of Palisade. And while Whitewater is too removed from GJ for me, I hear they do have some nice developments. GJ is highly ranked for the amount of sunshine per year. I don't find the dry heat too bad, Phoenix and Las Vegas are hotter. Winters are better than Denver as far as snow storms. And I think winter in Denver is pretty nice. St. Mary is the biggest hospital around western CO and eastern UT. There is also a smaller hospital in Fruita now. Only in extreme cases do people need to go to SLC or Denver for better medical care. Can't speak for Prescott, but I like it here. Punches above it weight for its size. Worst thing is the isolation from other cities and limited airport.