Hi
Never been to Eugene; but many of my friends have and they loved it. A lot of green space, liberal people with a very DIY attitude. Have you ever been to the West Coast? If you could take time to do some travelling to the coast or south to the RedWoods I'm sure you'd fall in love with it.
Denver is a bit different, bigger, more conservative - you won't notice the altitude unless you start running; Nearby Boulder is breathtaking and more interesting IMO. If you're stuck in Denver look up St. Mark's cafe, one of my favorites.

abelian