Great Falls is a possible choice. As said close to the Little Belt mountains and the Rocky mountain front. Plus 2 ski areas Showdown or Teton ski area. No smog due to a steady breeze lol. Plus the real estate prices have not gone bonkers compared to most of the towns mentioned. Missoula County has never met a bond issue they did not love aka property tax's are high. Real estate prices have increased every where west of the divide. This summer it was common for people to buy a home sight unseen due to the Covid situation.
No matter where you end up someone else will think their idea was much better. lol
Good luck,
Dan
I think it is worth mentioning that a lot of what makes a person love a place is the people. Before we moved to Yakima, WA all we heard about was how bad it was. Then we moved there and found an amazing group of friends which was proceeded with a lot of adventures in the areas around it. We would move back if it wasn't so far from ND. You can't believe everything you read on the internet as one person's perspective may not fit yours. I appreciate your input Dan!