Alaskan looking for warmer clime

[Hinton Bound]

OK, gotta keep pace with GHO! Two pictures from Hinton...

I hope they come through OK.

[vec101]

Humidity... steer clear of Charleston and Huntington areas.

From what you said you are looking for, I think the following counties would be good for you to take a look at:
Upshur Buckhannon, WV
Barbour Barbour County West Virginia
Randolph Welcome to the Heart of West Virginia
Grant http://www.gowv.com/
Pendelton Visit Pendleton County: West Virginia's Hidden Treasure > Home
You may really like the following 2 counties. Keep in mind that there are Ski Resorts in these areas - lot more snow and shorter "warm " seasons than other areas of the state. However, coming from Alaska, they are a piece of cake for you.
Pocohontas Pocahontas County, WV - Nature's Mountain Playground
Tucker VISIT CANAAN VALLEY | BLACKWATER FALLS | TUCKER COUNTY | WEST VIRGINIA

There are probably others that meet your needs, but those are the ones I am most familiar with. You really need to take a drive and see the areas for yourself.

As to humidity - most people I know in Buckhannon (Upshur County) do NOT have central air in their homes (or at least they didn't - it's been a while since I lived there but I know family still there does not). We have a cabin in Tucker County and don't know anyone with air conditioning. Normally about the only month it gets really hot is August but even so the humidity is not nasty.
Even Morgantown (Monongalia County) has less humidity than Charleston.

Also take a look at:
Travel Planner

[vec101]

After rereading Harborlady's post (she has great points, especially the veggie growing part)... I'd recommend taking a good look at Buckhannon/Upshur County. They have 4 very distinct seasons, low humidity, a great growing season (family still has a graden with corn, potatoes, beans, etc). They get some good snows but not like the mountains (you can get to the mountains and ski areas in a 1 hour drive). Buckhannon is the largest town in the county - it's population is about 5,000. But its also close to the interstate, 2 hours from Charleston or Pittsburg. By wilderness not sure how it meets your definition - yes, you can get a place in the woods, hunt, fish, etc. It's not a metropolitan area but not sure if I would classify it as wilderness.

[harborlady]

Originally Posted by Hinton Bound

landandfarm.com is a great site, it led me to the place I eventually bought. I went to look at a place I saw on L&F, ended up chatting with a local who knew of a place that "might" be for sale. Property is still relatively inexpensive and property taxes are very low, at least where I'm at.

It was such a surprise for me to discover that, mark. I thought I could window shop online, call an agent with 20 listings I wanted to see, and just drive down on vacation time to see things- write check/wire transfer $ if I found paradise at a bargain.
Never worked out that way. I have no patience for realtors who don't pay attention. Folks here in my neighborhood are what sold me the place. I drove back after I was done with realtor, talked to people on their porches with some sweet tea, told me everything I needed to know about the house. Told me everything I needed to know about them too! Great people.

[Papachops]

Thank you all for the wealth of information. We'll be at my folks house for the 4th of July weekend, from there we'll be on our way to Florida for a 2 year commitment (taking care of the In-Law's winter home 'till they retire) Saving our money we should have enough to get started wherever we choose to settle down. On our way to Florida we'll be spending a week or so in WV visiting all the spots you folks have mentioned. We decided to try and camp as we go. Motel if the weather is inclement.
We've been moving around every 2-3 years since we've been married (Military and hard luck). We are looking forward to finding our Home. I can't thank you all enough for helping us decide this very important step in our life.

[harborlady]

Originally Posted by Papachops

Thank you all for the wealth of information. We'll be at my folks house for the 4th of July weekend, from there we'll be on our way to Florida for a 2 year commitment (taking care of the In-Law's winter home 'till they retire) Saving our money we should have enough to get started wherever we choose to settle down. On our way to Florida we'll be spending a week or so in WV visiting all the spots you folks have mentioned. We decided to try and camp as we go. Motel if the weather is inclement.
We've been moving around every 2-3 years since we've been married (Military and hard luck). We are looking forward to finding our Home. I can't thank you all enough for helping us decide this very important step in our life.

crucial camping tip for mtns-- get a tent with large waterproof rainflies to compensate if it does rain. tarp over your wood stack/kindling. when I was camping blue ridge the showers came almost daily, but it didn't last for too long. This is a different mtn range but I imagine it won't be all that different in behavior considering proximity. I was up there from june to august. I bought an air mattress after the first week- well worth $30 too.
http://camping.about.com/od/campinggear/u/path2.htm

[Papachops]

Thanks we have a large but easy to set up 10 man tent, with 2 rooms off to the side of a big open area. It's great because if its raining you can set up the table and chairs inside to eat, play games etc. We're old pros when it comes to camping, but we do it in style

[Retired Navy]

You might also want to check out Roane County, Vacant acreage is still pretty reasonable there and small farms with a home are not terribly expensive. My ex-wife generally has acreage for sale there. If you're interested PM me and I'll put you in touch.