Georgia is a pretty nice place. I moved here from Ohio to get away from the winter weather and I didn't intend to stay long but I've been here 7 years now and I'm probably going to be here a lot longer.
Winter is nothing like the winters up north. It's mostly in the 50's and 60's with some rain and wind. We'll get a span of a week here an there with freezing temperatures, mostly in December and January. But, we also get spans of unseasonably nice weather too. In fact this last sunday 1/13 I was hiking around a state park in shorts and a t-shirt. It snows maybe once a year. I'm talking 1/2 inch in the morning and everything is closed for the day. So far it hasn't snowed this year. Sunshine is the norm, unlike the months of overcast nastiness near the great lakes. Summer is HOT and HUMID.
Beaches are on the east coast or down to Florida, both about a 5 hour drive. Likewise, you can ski in N Carolina about 5-6 hours away. If you like hiking in the mountains and camping in the forest you're looking at 2-3 hours north of Atlanta. There are a million state parks all around the city. If you like biking, the silver comet trail runs from the Alabama border to somewhere just west of the city, over 40 miles.
Speaking of the city, Atlanta is a pretty good market for jobs and weekend activities. Small businesses are very plentiful and several large corporations are based here like Coke, CNN, Chic Filet. GM has a plant and there is major warehousing and transportation thanks to the rail and the port in Savannah. The housing market is pretty stagnant like the rest of the country, but new construction is starting to pick up. The tech industry is great. This is a right-to-work state. There's a very dense population in the metro area which causes major traffic problems during rush hours, so choose your location very wisely. There is a N/S and E/W light rail which is great, but the buses are not so great. There is pretty average Big City crime around Atlanta and especially south of I-20 but I've never felt unsafe. Detroit seemed worse when I was there.
Firearms laws are very friendly. No waiting period or registration or any of that nonsense. Carry permits are shall-issue and you can carry loaded in your vehicle without a permit. We are a castle doctrine state and have stand your ground laws. State law preempts local ordinances. Sometimes I see people open carry but you need a permit for that. Public ranges are plentiful, both indoor and outdoor, and some of the state run ones are free. Shooting sports are pretty plentiful too. IDPA, bullseye, carbine courses, trap and skeet etc.
Hope this helps. Wherever you decide to go be sure and visit for a week and check it out first.
I won't call what we have right now "winter" because "winter" is usually warmer than this. 
