I can only really speak for Colorado.  I went to school in Golden and now live in Denver.  Of course I have some bias but I think Denver is one of the best places in the country for young people to live.
The economy is better than most and housing prices are still affordable right downtown.
The city gets 300 days of sun and the saying "If you don't like the weather, wait 20 mins is pretty accurate."  It can go from a foot of snow to dry roads in a day.  You can wear a tee shirt in February or a parka in May.
The old moniker "Menver" seems to be fading, it is not SoCal or Arizona State but there are girls around.  Go sit on 16th street and its like a fashion show some days.
If you are graduated from college and want to start a career and not a job, Denver is a good place to do that and ski and be active.
There are a few cons.  I-70 is a slut, some days you can cruise right up, others for no apparent reason you are in traffic for hours.  Summit country is often crowded.  People in Colorado are terrible drivers.  There are no good lakes, Colorado has a severe lack of surface water.
If you are not looking to start a career and just want to bum it for a while (or indefinitely) I would suggest Steamboat which is expensive but an awesome town.  Or pretty much anywhere in South Western Colorado.  It is so amazingly beautiful down in the Durango to Gunnison area and the skiing is awesome.
Anyway that is my $0.02
Good luck in whatever you do.