The only thing imo that yer freind could have improved upon would be a place with better climate, especially when winter hits... I know you like lots of water to go boating on but I have a new hobby for you to think about.
The vast wilderness of Washington State in the forests is home to volumes of Bigfoot sightings and sounds attributed to them..
MAYBE for adventure you could go on a Bigfoot expedition and see iffen ya can meet one and let us know?????
Ya would be infamous and famous... Just a thought that was inspired by yer far too northerly location fer me........
Kinda like De's. Albeit he is nowhere near as far north as you he picked the best of the snow belt.....
In Ohio, which in southern Ohio is on the Mason Dixon Line, we have winters but little snow... It gets cold sometimes but not bitter.
AND, we have PLENTY of rural places and land to go bug out in for preppers. Not more than 30 miles east of me..
Just a thought.. Of course you won't find Livingston bot wrecks here on the river.. But we do have plenty of large lakes and the 2nd biggest river in the country about 12 miles south....