Also keep in mind when I say to check out the Appalachian mountains in its entirety as fairly solid ground I'm not just talking about the Virgina/West Virginia/Tennessee/Kentucky area most people think about. The Appalachian Mountains run from the Deep South up to New England. They frame the Adirondacks to the East and South. For instance the Appalachian Trail runs from Georgia to Maine. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appalachian_Trail. That's a lot of territory where you can hopefully find a climate and people you are comfortable with.

My family on one side is Virgina/West Virginia/coal country born and bred; where people moved in and rarely ever leave. If you've ever watched the tv show Justified they do a decent job displaying that area; my mother thought it was fairly accurate.