Best small/midsize cities for me?

[EmmeW]

I live in Kansas City, and religion is a pretty big deal here. The city itself has poor quality public schools and is somewhat removed from outdoor activities. The suburbs have much better schools and parks, but religion is even bigger there. And while it gets plenty cold here we don't get much snow, so winter outdoor activities are pretty limited. You will also deal with a lot of sprawl, and over 2 million people in the metro.