Will read more of the post later becuase my wife and I want to get out of our area at some point and are not sure where to go, we've been in the same place forever.

All I can say at this point is stay away from the Washington, DC area unless you like overpriced living, crowded roads, rude people, work is life attitude, no sense of community, and massive commutes to anywhere.

Will read more of the post later becuase my wife and I want to get out of our area at some point and are not sure where to go, we've been in the same place forever.

All I can say at this point is stay away from the Washington, DC area unless you like overpriced living, crowded roads, rude people, work is life attitude, no sense of community, and massive commutes to anywhere.

<i>frequently grouped together when referring to prestigious highly selective colleges.</i>

If we are including Smith and (especially) Mt Holyoke in this list of "prestigious highly selective colleges" then the list must be about 150 colleges long.

I graduated from Dartmouth.

Smith and Mount Holyoke are two of the Seven Sisters.

Amherst is known as a "potted Ivy."

Skyking correctly noted the Ivy League schools.

Thin

<<The Ivy League is a sports conference, not a designation of selective schools.>>

No, it's not. Has NOTHING to do with sports.

The Ivy League schools are: Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Princeton University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University.

The term Ivy League also has connotations of academic excellence, selectivity in admissions, and social elitism.

<<Just to be clear, Amarillo is not all there is to Texas. Indeed, I would think most Texans in a place like Dallas would avoid going to Amarillo at all costs.>>

So true! Amarillo is just a pit stop when we drive to Colorado!

Austin could be a good option for you. The "hill country" of Texas is good for hiking and a lot of outdoor activity, and good schools.