I am going to be in a couple of places this summer in Colorado--Heaton Bay SP near Frisco (north of Breckinridge).
Don't forget that like California, Colorado is really several states in terms of climate and geography, so what is true of one part is not necessarily true of another. The southwest area is dry and hot. The area east of the front range is VERY hot and dry. The mountainous places can be chilly with a lot of snow, etc., so you really will want to do some exploring. Denver and Colorado do have a lot of snow, but it melts pretty quickly there, also, and they have lots of sunny days. And the weather in those two cities also varies by what side of the city you are at.
And I like the hour away distance also--not too close but not too far.