I think the Bangor area has a lot to offer. All of the new people I work with are 19-23, have moved to the area, and love it. There are many universities around, including U Maine in Orono, so there's lots of restaurants and bars to choose from. We're not talking LA, NY, or Boston here, Maine "cities" are small, quaint, and within 10 mins you're back in the woods. Bangor is also somewhat "central" in the state, and the last major populated area traveling north. Easy access to the interstate, lakes, mountains, you name it. Maine has the highest percentage of forested area in the US. The mountains are "small" compared to the Rockies, mostly under 5,000 ft. Because of that the amount of trees and wildlife in those mountains is plentiful. Maine is definitely a state of hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, four wheeling, snowmobiling, boating, and other outdoor recreations. In Bangor, you're 1.5 hrs from the Atlantic coast and Acadia National Park (hikers paradise), and the same distance from true wilderness. But you also have plenty of stores and an international airport. Below 0⁰F temps and feet of snow are normal in the winter. The cost of living is much lower than the southern part of the state, but jobs pay slightly higher than areas far north. I've been coming to Maine for decades, and moved here a year and half ago. This area is definitely growing for sure. Poverty and politics are similar to most rural areas, but there's a decent balance in this part of the state. I hope this helps, and don't be afraid to turn on topography on Google maps and explore.

What's crazy to me is that Maine has the highest percentage of forested area in the US; 89%. Alaska has so much tundra and alpine, that its forested area is only 35%.

I actually watched a UK based video on winter tires effectiveness in rainy conditions. It makes sense that they have more grip and control, and less stopping distance in wet weather vs all seasons. They were advocating their use in late fall and early spring. Being as our weather also gets wet those times of year, I usually do 6 months on/6 off; Oct-Apr.