agree with Portland or Seattle recommendations.

If you want lots of wonderful hiking in the mountains, close to skiing but without long cold winters, that spells Pacific Northwest---somewhere in the Seattle/Portland area, but not right in either city (housing prices are high).

Portland is gaining recognition as a major culinary destination.

We have some nice beaches up here too---people actually surf and Boogie-board (in wetsuits).

I've never been, but Asheville NC sounds like it would fit the bill. A place I've been eyeing and hope to visit possibly next year, for a potential move...

Austin, my husband is from Asheville and we visit his parents there often and the price of real estate there is heart stopping.

More heart stopping than Portland and Seattle?

Wintergreen and Snowshoe are pretty small ski areas if you want to call them that. Wintergreen has two high speed chairs and Snowshoe has maybe three or four. Probably OK for someone who wants to learn but don't compare to Colorado and Utah. Not the same.

And no one said they did compare with skiing out west.

If you reread my post, I said they were decent east coast skiing.

I believe you said, "pretty close to some decent east coast skiing." Don't view four hours as pretty close and it depends on how "decent" is defined. But then you probably don't have a lot of experience with sking either.