Military Officer - March 2007 - (Page 58)

SPRING retirement guide “The good news for retirees is that Americans are living longer and healthier lives than their grandparents and parents ever could have imagined,” says Dr. Warren Bland, a geography professor at California State University, Northridge, and the best-selling author of Retire in Style (Next Decade Inc., 2005). “Retirees can look forward to spending 20 or 30 years in active, fulﬁlling retirement. Their problem is deciding how and where to enjoy their ‘golden years.’ ” Many retirees buy retirement homes in areas where they have vacationed but have not lived. Those individuals, say experts from AARP, are advised to do research or even to rent in those areas before pulling up stakes and permanently moving. If you’ve vacationed in southern Florida in the winter, for example, you might not realize how hot and humid spring and summer can be. And Tucson, Ariz., one of our best places to live, can be unbearably hot in August. “Military personnel, however, [might] have the upper hand in the search process,” Bland says. “[Ofﬁcers might] have been based for a year at a naval station, Army post, or Air Force base in a region they might eventually retire to. In some cases, this familiarity can be a signiﬁcant factor in their choice.” Researching online and interviewing Bland on the subject led to the selection of 10 cities as attractive retirement havens. The criteria for selecting and evaluating these cities include housing costs, quality of life, job opportunities (for retirees who plan to remain in the workplace), health care accessibility, and proximity to military installations. western North Carolina (population: 70,400, median home price: $166,000). Nestled where the Great Smoky and Blue Ridge mountains meet, Asheville’s lively arts scene, short winters, and excellent health care facilities are a few of the reasons it has gained a nationwide reputation as a highly desirable retirement area. Downtown Asheville has coffeehouses, antique shops, and galleries featuring works by mountain artists. The nearby Blue Ridge Parkway passes by the edge of town, offering a quick escape to mountain hiking, ﬁshing, and whitewater rafting. Camp Lejeune is 375 miles away, and Fort Bragg is 255 miles away. Asheville, N.C. (828) 258-6101 www.ashevillechamber.org One up-and-coming destination is the mountain city of Asheville in Bellingham, Wash. (360) 734-1330 www.bellingham.com Bellingham (population: 72,000, median home price: $303,000) is a small seaside city known as an attractive retirement destination with a favorable quality of life. You can’t beat the location or the mild climate on the northwest coast between Seattle and Vancouver, Wash. Here, the views are spectacular, capped by Mount Baker to the east. But it’s the city’s remarkable outdoor recreational opportunities that draw retirees to the region. According to Bland, Bellingham operates a “superb park system, with 70 miles of trails. Hiking, biking, and horseback riding are popular in many city parks, including the city’s scenic 1,000-acre Lake Padden Park.” Retired naval personnel also might appreciate the Bellingham area for its lakes, rivers, and miles of shoreline, Bland says. Community services are rated highly, including the Bellingham Senior Activity Center, and the health care system is adequate, with St. Joseph Hospital as the city’s only full-service general hospital. Outstanding comprehensive medical PHOTOS: BOB KRIST/CORBIS; ABOVE, ED FREEMAN/GETTY IMAGES Puget Sound (Olympia, Wash.) Charleston, S.C. 58 MILITARY OFFICER MARCH 2007 http://www.ashevillechamber.org http://www.bellingham.com

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Military Officer - March 2007

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