So the genesis of this is that my wife and I have always enjoyed going to West Marin, hiking during the day at the very easy Pt. Reyes Seashore trails and having a decent meal every night - either at a somewhat local restaurant or cooking at the house we rent. We've done the same thing every other summer or so for our entire married life.
So want to try some new places that are modeled on the same routine (day hike, eat/drink/ repeat) for both my wife and I and also to try to meet up with old guy friends form high school/college.
Let me caveat this thread topic.
1) Has to have at least a handful of solid day hikes. Time frame would be about 3 days minimum/7 days maximum.
2) By day hikes, I mean good long walks and not climbs/crazy drop-offs. The hikes can be in the area of challenging climbs/walks, but I'm looking for the treks where you can carry a conversation. The folks on these walks are in decent shape but on the wrong side of 50. For example, every hike in Pt. Reyes National Seashore would fit the bill. No grizzlies and no rattlesnakes a plus but not a bar.
3) No camping. I've got no camping skills Need to stay in at least a cabin with electricity/plumbing or airbnb or hotel. Something like the Chisos Mountain Cabins in Big Bend would be the most rustic we are talking about. Renting a house would be the most favored.
4) Has to have access to decent food/drinks. So at least a few solid restaurants/bars or easy access to buying stuff to cook/drink in cabin.
5) Has to be relatively easy to get to air/rental car. Big Bend - seems not to fit the bill, especially if we have people coming from multiple locations.
So off the top of my head, I'm thinking no-brainers would be something like Santa Fe. Someone just suggested Tucson, AZ. I would think Asheville, NC, Boise, ID and most of the ski areas in the off season would fit the bill.
All ideas/specifics would be appreciated.