Hi Mary,
It sounds like you've had quite an adventure and challenges in Alaska. I lived for some years in Northern Idaho and worked in, around and through Spokane and surrounding areas. I've seen snowy and cold winters there as well as mild (seems to come in spurts). I moved to the west side of Washington about 24 years ago when I got tired of shoveling snow, tire chains and frozen pipes. We moved to Whatcom County in the north western corner of the state. Although Eastern Washington is beautiful in the summer, a sportsman's paradise with lots of wildlife, I've never regretted the move. Here we seldom have a 100*F day in the summer, it is kept temperate by the breeze through the Puget Sound from the Pacific. We get a dusting of snow a couple of times or maybe a little more but it never stays more than a week or two and most times is gone in a day or two. If you want more snow the mountains are only an hour away. Yes it's wet through out the winter and sometimes late into spring but that isn't much of a hindrance unless you live in a low spot, near a river or a sliding hill side. From where we live, Seattle is 2 hours, Vancouver, BC is about 45 minutes and Bellingham or Mount Vernon is about 1/2 hour or so. Not looking it up but just guessing I'd say average summer daytime temperature is between 70 and 75. For the last 3 years I've run my pond pumps year around and some times get a little ice sculpture going on but it never freezes up. You may like the area around Lynden or Ferndale, I think they have the best soil in the county and it's flat land. There are also hills and mountains in Whatcom County. The Olympic Peninsula also has some really nice areas to consider.
I hope you find what you're looking for and good luck on your quest.
