[pdxtex]

^^^if you want out your door, alpine pursuits, you'll have to go to a proper ski town, or maybe boulder. l.a. is very hilly all over the place too. portland is pretty and hilly but only on the west side of town. the rest of the city is flat as a pancake. seattle is very hilly though. all over the place. its like rome and its seven hills. plus its got ocean views, forest view and mountain views so I say it wins for big city west coast beauty. unless your Vancouver. that's the champ. my unpopular opinion is midwesterners are topographically conscious. I was too and I moved. but in hindsight, lakes and trees are just as pretty as anything else. you couldn't pay me to live in north dakota though.