So...You're Not Much Into Golf But Want To Retire In La Quinta, Ca?

Funny thing about retiring as an active adult these days; everyone assumes you play golf and want to live in an active adult golf retirement community. If you do play the game, then it’s a correct assumption and no big deal. But what if you don’t? Some of us played more golf when we were about to go to college than we do as we about to plan a retirement. Some of us have been just been busy with careers and families, right? What if you still enjoy the occasional game, but it’s not your raison d’etre. Or, maybe you live with someone who’s slightly less involved with the game than you are.

Retirement is supposedly life’s next big adventure. So, in considering where to live out that adventure, it’s a good idea to think about what do with the time that you’re not out on the links. Or, for those obsessed with the game, it’s a good idea to think about what your significant other is going to do while you play golf every day.

Whether due to your own or your significant other’s obsession - If golf is associated with your retirement, an active adult community in La Quinta, CA will probably be a part of the conversation. According to the Robb Report, La Quinta is the “Best Place to Live for Golf” thanks to over 20 exceptional golf courses, including the famous PGA West and the nationally acclaimed Arnold Palmer Classic Course at SilverRock Resort. It’s a virtual smorgasbord of golf with an unparalleled reputation in the golf world; a siren’s call to the golf enthusiast.

But did you know that there’s more than golf to La Quinta? Were you aware that the city embraces art and culture? Ever hear about the La Quinta Arts Festival, live theatre by the La Quinta Playhouse, or the variety of public art pieces? The Old Town Village is enchanting, and features the very best in shopping and dining experiences.

Okura, which offers a fusion of Japanese and California cuisine, has a legendary sushi bar. Arnold Palmer’s (look, there’s no escaping the golf thing…) offers “Progressive American Cuisine served in a private club setting.”

If you’re retirement includes taking the time to cook for yourself, check out the Certified Farmers Market at Old Town. Offering live music from 9 AM to 12:30 PM, the Farmers Market is the best way to find the freshest, best tasting fresh fruits & vegetables. You can also get honey, nuts, cheese, plants and cut flowers, as well as fresh-baked breads from the local L'Artisan Bakery. Check out the Old Town website for details and other events such as the nightly live music shows.

As for where to take those fresh veggies back to cook, take a look at the retirement community Trilogy La Quinta. Nestled against the Santa Rosa Mountains in the Coral Mountain area of south La Quinta, it’s a 55+ active adult community that’s surrounded by all of the natural beauty that La Quinta has to offer. The resort-like setting is maintained with natural landscaping and seasonal flowers, and owners have the use of the Santa Rosa Club facilities, front yard landscaping service, and 24 Hour Guard-Gated Security. There’s even an on-site spa!

Retiring in California Wine Country for Active Adults

Napa is over-rated.

That’s right, I said it, and I’m prepared to back it up.

Not that I don’t love Napa, don’t get me wrong – there are some great wines coming out of Napa Valley, and it’s pretty, and I love visiting there as much as anyone. When we lived in San Francisco, the first thing we did when we bought our new car was cruise up the coast to Napa. The wine train is awesome. That does not mean I have to retire there to prove my affinity for fine wines.

Yet, why is it that as we get older everyone I know who claims to be a wine lover waxes poetic about retiring to Napa to live among the wineries? Take a look around California for a moment. If you’re paying attention, you quickly realize that Napa is not the sum total of the wine industry in California. There are some great wines and beautiful wine countries for retirees to consider in California.

Remember those ads for some of the Napa wines that went on and on about the cool damp mornings and the hot dry afternoons? Hard to maintain my active adult lifestyle if the foggy mornings make my knees hurt, huh?

Consider this; how cool would it be to retire in a landscape defined by rolling hills, native grasses, oak trees and fruit orchards, that is also the ancestral home of California wine making?

About an hour outside San Francisco, up the river delta and along Highway 4 you end up in the Antioch, Brentwood, Mt. Diablo area. It’s an area still known throughout the Bay Area for agricultural products like cherries, corn and peaches. But up until prohibition, it was an area known for grapes. In fact The Mount Diablo region was the dominant grape growing region in the late 1800’s.

When, January 16, 1920, the Eighteenth Amendment was ratified, the era of Prohibition began. Within a few years, most of the vineyards were plowed under and replaced with orchards of walnuts and almonds. What survives today is an enclave of family owned vineyards and wineries with names like Tamayo, and Hannah Nicole Vineyards. To retire among these wineries is to retire in the roots of California winemaking.

Of course, at this point you might start to analyze your idyllic retirement dream and suddenly realize that, as a 55+ active adult retiree, you love wine but maybe you don’t want to live way out in the sticks surrounded by grapes and nowhere to shop and dine.

Relax, the region is fully modernized. Don’t tell anyone, but the water tower in Brentwood is where they hide the cell phone transmitters. It’s still the bay area, after all. Brentwood in particular is a great choice for wine loving active adults to consider for retirement. The idyllic wine country locale is within easy reach of Walnut Creek, where you’ll find Broadway Plaza – one of the best known shopping destinations in the Bay Area. Surrounding the mall is an amazing array of small high quality restaurants, many of which feature the local wines. There’s access to BART in Walnut Creek, as well as Pittsburg/Bay Point (which is a little closer than Walnut Creek), so really, retiring in Brentwood gives you access to the entire Bay Area Region.

If health care is a concern for you as you get older (as it is for everyone, really) you’ll be glad to know that Kaiser Permanente has several facilities around Brentwood, so you’re never far away from high quality medical care.

Then the question becomes, “okay, so where’s a nice place to live in Brentwood?”

Active Adult New Homes

Well, if you’re looking at your retirement as “Life’s next big adventure” then you should take a look at Trilogy at the Vineyards. Trilogy is a master planned community that’s specifically designed around active adult retirees. Now in particular is a great time to talk to the folks at Trilogy because the depressed housing market has created an opportunity to buy into a very well appointed retirement at a discount price. Amenities include architecture by award- winning Bassenian Lagoni Architects, a library, gourmet studio and a fully equipped fitness center. If you’re serious about your wine lover dream retirement, you should really check them out before the economic recovery drives the prices back up.

Active Adult Living in Washington State

Situated between the dramatic Cascade Mountains and sparkling waters of Puget Sound, Redmond is probably best known as the home of Microsoft, and Nintendo of America. Thanks to the global success of these companies, and the associated large population of highly paid tech workers, the area has gained a reputation for affluence.

But what makes Redmond a great place for active adults to retire is that it abounds with natural beauty. It’s a city that boasts 34 parks totaling over a thousand acres with over 25 miles of trails; all within 20 minutes of downtown Seattle and only a short ride away from some great skiing.

Realizing full well that “active adults” includes a variety of activity levels, it’s an area that just about everyone can enjoy. There are trails for hiking, bicycling, and horseback riding, and many of the parks are “neighborhood parks” with benches and picnic tables, sports fields or courts. Marymoor Park in particular is one of the most popular in King County. It features a climbing rock, a big off-leash dog park, a model airplane field, an outdoor theater, and Washington’s only velodrome.

Cycling enthusiasts will probably be also interested to know that Redmond is "the Bicycle Capital of the Northwest". In addition to the velodrome, there’s the annual Derby Days bike race that takes place on the city streets, and is the oldest bike race in America. July of 2010 will see the 70^th anniversary of this event.

Along with the race, Derby days is a great example of this small town's community spirit. There are booths and attractions from most local businesses, and the events are designed to raise funds for local schools and holiday decorations downtown. During the rest of the year, the historic downtown, adjacent to modern downtown Redmond, offers a robust small businesses community and some great shopping in a relaxing environment. There’s live theatre, music, film and literary arts for every taste, along with an abundance of first-class restaurants to explore.

Active Adult New Homes

If finally owning your own business is part of your retirement plan, you should know that the City of Redmond does not have a Business & Occupation tax on income. Rather, a business license fee of $85 per employee helps offset the costs of road improvements for businesses. For those concerned that the regional economy is driven entirely by the big tech firms, it should also be noted that by some accounts Redmond's economy, as well as Puget Sound’s, continued to expand even when general technology slowed.

Of course, the strength of the local economy did not make the area immune to recent upheavals in the national economy. In an odd way, the housing crash has presented an opportunity for retirees looking at this area. Falling new home prices have actually created a phenomenal buying opportunity at places like Redmond Ridge.

Active Adults Love a New Golf Course

Active Adult Living

If you haven’t already noticed, Trilogy Golf Club at Mountain House is currently under construction just outside Tracy, California. It will be the latest addition to the Trilogy portfolio of daily fee courses by designers Fred Couples and Gene Bates.

Numerous water features and lush exterior landscaping are a major part of the design strategy (a signature of many Fred Couples’ designs). Rolling terrain will be surrounded by lakes on 14 of the 18 holes – requiring a great deal of accuracy off the tee! And, if the wind blows (as it sometimes does in this area) anticipate quite a test of skill…

Active Adult Lifestyle

Trilogy Golf Club at Mountain House will complement other Shea Homes Resort & Golf facilities in the area – Trilogy Golf Club at Rio Vista in Rio Vista, and the 27-hole Brentwood Golf Club in Brentwood, California.

Trilogy Golf Club at Mountain House, set against the rolling foothills of the East Bay area, is anticipated to open in late 2010.

Who doesn’t love a new, challenging course?

Active Adult Communities

Baby Boomers Consider Sharing Expertise Through Volunteering

Active Adults

Approaching retirement, yet not ready to step away from being an active and contributing member of society?

78 million Baby Boomers stand to retire from full-time work over the next decade, and many of them are choosing to channel their skills and energy for social good.

For example, Coming of Age, is a program launching in the Bay Area to connect people over 50 with non-profit volunteer and occasionally paid opportunities.

Janet Oh, Co-Director of Coming of Age, says “A lot of the non-profits have had their budgets cut. Many of them have had to layoff staff. In addition to that, the needs of communities are growing even more so places like the food bank are having more demands for food.”

Baby Boomers could help fill a needed niche with non-profit organizations in need of volunteers with business experience.

A Coming of Age volunteer workshop will be held in San Francisco on Wednesday, March 17th with one in Oakland scheduled for next month. Check your community for similar opportunities.

Active Adult Lifestyle

Active Adults Improve Overall Fitness Through Strength Training

Active Adult Living

As reported by RetirementHomes.com, people of all ages and fitness levels, particularly women between the ages of 65 and 75, may benefit from strength training, according to the New York Times.

A recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine asked 155 women who were active adults to break into two groups. One team did strength training exercises on a weekly basis, and the other did toning exercises.

After a year, the researchers found that those who were in the weight-lifting group improved their overall fitness levels by between 10.9 and 12.6 percent, while individuals in the toning group actually experienced a 0.5 percent decline, according to the news source.

In light of these findings, active adults might consider incorporating strength training into their daily routines as part of a healthy active adult lifestyle.

The Mayo Clinic reports that strength training on a regular basis will help preserve muscle mass and bone density, help maintain a healthy body weight and could even reduce a person's risk of insomnia.

Many active adult communities today incorporate amenities that support active adult lifestyles such as gyms, yoga and other exercise classes, golf courses, pools, etc.

Visit www.TrilogyLife.com and learn more about Active Adult Communities.

Stargazing for Active Adults at Your New Home in La Quinta, CA

Here’s something for the Active Adult Night Owl!

The Astronomy Club of Trilogy at La Quinta, founded in 2008 by Trilogy community member Mike Wagner, is an informational and social club that helps people learn about the objects on view in the night sky, and by extension about the earth’s place in the universe.

Star gazing get-togethers are held every four or five weeks. Meeting dates are adjusted to take advantage of special events, like eclipses, meteor showers, or comets. A typical meeting is held on a Thursday evening close to the new moon. During a new moon, the moon isn’t visible, so the sky is darker and the stars can be seen more easily.

Active Adult Communities

Get-togethers are held at the driving range at 8:00pm (8:30pm in the summer months). This time may also change to take advantage of a sighting of the International Space Station or other interesting phenomena.

Stay tuned for upcoming events…In the next few months, Mars will become visible overhead, and the Beehive Cluster will fill the telescope eyepiece with its 1,000 stars. Then, in April, Saturn will become visible again. This will first appear in the east, and will be higher in the sky each month through the summer.

The Astronomy Club is open to all Trilogy La Quinta members (there are no dues). Interested members and guests are invited to come to a star gazing session to learn about the night sky, solar system, Milky Way galaxy, and the earth’s place in the Universe.

For an in-depth interview with founder Mike Wagner, visit Trilogy’s online magazine at http://www.mytrilogylife.com/?section=sec-connection&aid=37410&pagenum=1

Now’s A Great Time for a New Home at Redmond Ridge, WA!

Reduced rates on new homes at Trilogy Redmond Ridge make it a great time to purchase a home in an Active Adult Retirement Community. And, you can even save $68,000+ on many new home models!

Seattle is just 20 minutes away where you’ll find cultural events, pro sports, universities, restaurants and shopping. And the world-class wineries and microbreweries of Woodinville are close as well.

Active Adult Community

Redmond, surrounded by 500 acres of protected wetlands and forest preserve, is known as the bicycle capital of the Northwest, and with 12 miles of trails surrounding your new home, there are plenty of opportunities for running and hiking, too.

If water sports are more your speed, you’ll have a ball at nearby Lake Washington and Lake Sammamish where you can sail, kayak, canoe and fish.

And no experience in the Seattle area would be complete without taking in the stunning mountain surroundings—whether you hike, bike, horseback ride or go for a scenic drive. Why not hop on the ferry to Victoria, B.C where the breezy mountain air is a perfect match to your outlook? Did we mention skiing?!!

For a look at designer new homes at reduced prices, visit Trilogy Redmond Ridge.

Active Adult Fitness - Baby Steps for Boomers

Looking to ease your way into an Active Adult Lifestyle?

Here are a few great tips from Kathi Casey, ERYT, CPI:

It’s all about those first “baby steps”: start out with a few easy, fun exercises and stay with those until you’re ready to add one or two more. It doesn’t matter how long it takes for you to work your way up to 10 or 12 exercises, what matters is finding something that you enjoy.

Setting small, achievable goals is important for your success. This is a secret that the best Olympic coaches use when training young athletes, and it works for anyone at any age. When you continue to achieve your goals, you feel great and you want to keep going.

Active Adult Communities

Here’s a simple exercise to try:
While on the couch watching TV, lie on your side and raise your top leg up toward the ceiling slowly while inhaling to the count of 5 (slowly – it’s not a race) and then exhale 5 counts while you bring it back down. Do 2 or 3 to begin with, making sure that you breathe deeply and make your movements slow and purposeful. If you try to throw your leg up into the air you will be using momentum instead of leg muscles and you’ll be throwing your hip joint out – not fun! During a commercial, sit back up slowly and carefully and then lie on your opposite side to work your other leg. This is easy and you don’t need to set aside extra time from your busy schedule. Set an achievable goal for yourself like doing 2 or 3 leg raises on each side for 2 weeks. You’ll feel so good when you complete that goal that you’ll be ready to add more! At your own pace, work up to doing 10 on each side.

The muscles that you use with this easy, slow, purposeful leg raise are those deep muscles that are so important for strength and balance. And did you know that when you build lean muscle, your body burns more fat to keep those lean muscles working? This means that the more you do this simple, easy exercise – the higher you’ll be able to lift that leg, and then the more repetitions you’ll be able to do, and then the INCHES will drop from your thighs and hips! In fact, I recommend that you measure your thighs before you begin and then again after one month. You will see and feel a difference and that will encourage you to keep going. Now, understand that you may not have lost any weight during that month because muscle weighs more than fat, but you’ll fit into you jeans a little better, and your friends and family will begin commenting that you look “fabulous” and asking what you’re doing different.

When you have a minute, take out a pen and paper and write down some of the activities you loved as a kid. Was tennis your game? How about riding a bike? I’m sure you’ll find something that has slipped out of your life due to busy careers, raising families, etc. Now is the time to go back to those activities and have fun while getting fit at the same time.

For information about Active Adult Living Communities visit www.trilogylife.com.

Swimming Good Exercise for Baby Boomers

Active Adult Living Retirement Communities

There are an increasing number of people that are starting to want to improve there health and baby boomers are no exception. Swimming appears to be one of the most popular forms of exercise among the baby boomers. Swimming provides a full body workout without the danger of overdoing it because it is one of the least stressful forms of exercise that you can do.

Most people do not realize all of the benefits that can be obtained from swimming. Swimming and water exercise is the second best form of exercise that has the lowest rate for injuries. Walking is still the leader in that aspect for low injury rates. There is a great deal of doctors that will recommend that you do water exercises so that you can strengthen your muscles without harming your recovery. Swimming is great physical therapy for people of all ages no matter what their current physical condition is.

Baby boomers like swimming as it allows them to utilize almost all of their major muscle groups at the same time, so that they can get a complete total body workout with minimal strain. The water works as a great form of resistance so that you can use it as strength training and even for aerobic exercises. The baby boomers like water fitness as it can work well for people of all fitness levels. It can help people strengthen their muscles and build up their endurance as well as making them much more flexible.

Many people are not aware that swimming actually provides almost all of the same effects as running does. The difference between running and swimming is that you are not putting a strain on your connective tissues as you do when you are running or doing weight training. Many baby boomers find that swimming allows them to easily maintain the fitness lever or to improve on it as well. You can also do exercise in water more often then you could if you were doing them out of water because the amount of injuries is so low. When you are in water, your body weight is reduced my nearly 90% your movements are 12 times greater then just doing them in the air, therefore you can do much more while in the water.

You will want to look into swimming for your recreational activities if you are from the baby boomer era and want to maintain an active adult lifestyle. Not only will swimming help to fill your need for exercise but it is safe as well. This low impact form of exercise can help to increase the amount of range of motion that you have as well. You will want to talk to your doctor to make sure that you are doing the right thing as with any new exercise program that you begin. To ensure you are not over doing it your doctor will be able to suggest some water exercises to suit your actual fitness level.

Swimming as exercise for baby boomers is a popular pastime as more and more baby boomers near and enter the retirement phase of their lives.

If you are looking for retirement communities that cater to active adult lifestyles, visit http://www.trilogylife.com/.

Article provided by Juliette Crane of Women's Health.

US Census Reports 78 Million Baby Boomers: New Homes Cater to Active Adult Living

In its first report on Baby Boomers in 13 years, a new US Census Bureau analysis of 2006 data released in November 2009, found that California, Texas, New York, Florida, and Pennsylvania are the five US states with the largest numbers of Baby Boomers. In 2006, Baby Boomers age 42 to 60 totaled an estimated 78.0 million and comprised 26.1% of the total U.S. population.

With 78 million people nearing retirement age, it is not surprising that retirement, or “Active Adult Living”, communities catering to the needs and interests of the Baby Boomer generation are increasing in popularity.

Some new home builders even offer a resort-like lifestyle in the form of forward-thinking, master-planned communities complete with diverse amenities like world-class resort clubs, tons of recreation choices, restaurants, scenery, and spa services.

WOW....Who wouldn’t want the live that way….EVERY day?!!!

If you are in the market for a new home in an active adult living community look into the amazing, eco-friendly, energy efficient new home communities located in California, Texas, New York, Florida and Pennsylvania by Trilogy of Shea Homes.

For more information on the November 2009 census on Baby Boomers visit www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/age/2006%20Baby%20Boomers.pdf

3 Qualities to Look For in an Active Retirement Community

A person can make the most of his or her retirement in many ways. Some may fear that retirement ultimately means days of boredom or inactivity since they are no longer working most of the day. However, many seniors are able to have an active retirement by choosing to fill their days with activities such as casino games, attending galas or even taking part in new hobbies and art.

Retirement living doesn't mean retiring from life. Many senior living centers provide many social activities as well as ways to stay active. These types of retirement communities help residents become a part of a larger social setting where there are group outings, social gatherings, and scheduled fun.

Companionship and Activity

When it comes to retirement living, most retirees want to stay as active as they possibly can. But the retired also want to maintain relationships, create new friendships and have companions to do activities with. Finding an active retirement community, not only means a retirement community that provides numerous things to do, but also one that encourages companionship through the creation of group outings and activities. Providing these types of structured activities encourages their residents to sustain and enjoy the camaraderie of others while having a good time.

When retired, many retirees may also not know what activities are going on in their area, how they will get to them or who they can go with. Active retirement communities are just that, communities that are active. As part of such a community residents will have the opportunity to be a part of a group, visit new places, and enjoy new things with other like-minded people.

Variety of Activities

Being retired doesn't mean one has to become sedentary. Active senior living centers encourage their residents to participate in activities that are suited for their guest's abilities and interests. Whether the activity be arts and crafts or that which is more physically active such as Tai Chi or a fitness class, it is the variety that is important. Program directors of active retirement communities know that their residents have many interests and therefore, they seek numerous ways to meet those interests. Finding such active retirement communities is important. Whether you like music, art, nature, shopping or trying new things, having variety should be a big part of any seniors living criteria.

Which Active Retirement Community To Choose

When seeking out the right active retirement community, research the specifics regarding what types of activities are offered. Find out whether there is a large variety of opportunity for residents to immerse themselves in. Look into the center's recreational and social calendar. Are there regular outings to area attractions in addition to walking groups, arts and crafts sessions, bingo games, fitness classes, and such? In warmer climates like Florida, retirement communities usually have swimming pools and spas for water aerobics or just general relaxation.

There are many different ways to ensure you have an active retirement. Joining an active retirement community that can meet your needs, provide to you companionship and variety, are just some criteria to look for. Other methods are up to you.

---

Christine O'Kelly is an author for Aston Gardens, a premier developer of award-winning Florida active retirement communities. Aston Gardens offers luxury senior living for the active retiree.

Article Source: Christine_OKelly