Top 10 Best Outdoorzy Places to Retire Young
April 12th, 2007 Wade
Money Magazine released it’s Best Places to Retire Young recently. They were places in the US with a semi-affordable cost of living and plenty of things to do. A few places like, Coeur d’Alane, ID and Logan, UT look like really sweet places to hang your hat. But they also included places like Manhattan, KS and Ames, IA… I’ve been to those places and well… I think I could have picked a few better spots for outdoor activities specifically.
SO, without Further Adieu, here are my Top 10 Best “Outdoorzy” Places to Retire Young, and why I think so. (Please comment if you disagree or have any honorable mentions…)
10. Port Angeles, WA - this town lies just across the sound from Canada, has the Olympic Mountain Range at it’s back door, the Hoh Rain Forest a hop away, and enough water activities to shake a paddle at.
9. Klamath, CA - Go there and you will understand. This North Coast gem boasts a placid river spilling into the pacific where majestic redwoods, black bear, and Roosevelt elk are your neighbors.
8. Buena Vista, CO - Like 14ers? Take your pick here, you have at least 10-15 within an hours drive of your crib. Not to mention an excellent whitewater river running through the middle of town, a nearby hot springs, and a kick arse burger joint.
7. Asheville, NC - An amazingly open community for the South, mixed with resident artists, the Biltmore, and natural beauty, this town has been the rave recently. Not to mention Smokey Mountain NP, premium whitewater, the blue ridge parkway, and epic mountain bike trails at Tsali and Pisgah.
6. Portland, ME - Acadia NP, Moose, Lobster Rolls for lunch, an art school providing plenty of canvas and two-legged visual distraction. A great music scene, unstoppable seafood, lighthouses around every corner, and microbrews. It’s almost enough to endure the winters.
5. Taos, NM - They say the air “hums” there. Seriously, they don’t know why. But the buzz I hear on Taos is that you have snow covered peaks, a cool hippy culture, and Wheeler Peak.
4. Kona, HI - This is where the Ironman Triathlon happens each year. But while you’re not training try a fruity drink, surf the world-class waves, or hike through the lush jungle and strange volcanic world on the slopes of 13,679 ft Mauna Loa.
3. Estes Park, CO - The resident elk herd roams through your front yard as you decide which mountain stream to go pluck trout from this morning. Or perhaps you want to try a new route on Long’s Peak? Maybe take a drive on the scenic trail ridge road?
2. Monterey, CA - Sea life is crazy here, it IS life. There’s a greenway through the middle of town teaming with bikes, walkers, etc. Great wines. The bay is always full of kayaks. San Francisco is a short drive up the amazingly beautiful coast if you want city life. Mountain bike trails abound. It’s an outdoorzy paradise.
1. St John, US Virgin Islands - Well, for number one this better be pretty good, right? Here are a few things to get you interested in googling this place… Virgin Islands NP, Coral Reef Natl Monument, pristine Caribbean waters to paddle, miles of jungle to explore, plenty of beach bars, warm ocean breezes, perfect sunsets, and 80 average temps.
Entry Filed under: Links, Top 10 Lists
8 Comments Add your own
1. Billy | April 13th, 2007
Just wondering what you mean by, “An amazingly open community for the South”
2. Wade | April 13th, 2007
Good call Billy. “Open Minded” is actually the term I should have used. I did some research when writing this post and I found a few other articles that referred to Asheville as an open-minded community. Living in the south, I know personally that it’s hard to find the same type of open-mindedness when it comes to art, culture, and awareness, that you find in many places on the west coast.
There are obviously other places in the south with this vibe, but I thought I’d include that line for our members who haven’t experienced Asheville.
“Open” was the wrong term to use there and could have been mis-read. Thanks for pointing that out.
3. Billy | April 13th, 2007
Good explanation Wade. I’m just a little sensative about the negative connotation of the southeast US. Are they a little more “close-minded”? Yes. Are they a little behind the times? Sometimes. But I think it results from a blue collar working people attitude that has traditionally not enabled a lot of free time for art and other types of leisure. I think attitudes will slowly change about these things, but I think there is a lot less racism and intolerance than outsiders perceive. Keep up the good work and that looks like a good list. Speaking of open-minded and cool outdoorzy stuff, how about Flagstaff, AZ?
4. Lizzy Scully | April 13th, 2007
I’m impressed with your list. Most of the cities/towns are in the database for the relocation company that I run–FindYourspot.com. How did you come up with them? Have you visited all of them? I just moved from Estes Park to Lyons (also in Colorado). Estes is a wonderful place for outdoorsy folks, but in the winter there’s not much going on (i.e. everything closes at 8:00). Have a great day!
Lizzy Scully
Managing Editor
FindYourSpot.com
5. Julia Rosien | April 13th, 2007
I agree on the Taos choice - I could easily retire there. I visited a few years ago and I love the mix of cultures - hippies, aboriginal peoples and the artsy fartsy hippies. It’s a beautiful marriage of culture, art and of course great food. I’ve never had mushrooms like Taos has them……..
If you go, retired or not, I highly reccomend hiking the mountains. There’s a lake (you’ll need a guide to find it) that is absolutely pristine. And with 300+ days of sunshine a year, what’s not to love. Because you’re so high up, the air is divine - though a few people in my party had to slow down until they adjusted to the altitude……..
Julia Rosien
Nomadik Editor
6. Miss Becky | April 16th, 2007
PORTLAND, Maine? C’mon man. That’s like the dirtiest part of Maine. ANY placebut Portland…. haha, but you definitely got some of the goodness of the Maine-land in there!!
Well done… ayuh, well done.
7. Goose | June 26th, 2007
You missed one!
Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK
Its entire coastline is a designated national park, with a wealth of opportunities for surfing, kayaking, coasteering and hiking, and a stone’s throw in any direction (certainly by North American standards) gets you rivers and mountains for practically everything else.
Best of all? A different type of rain for every day of the year!
8. Outdoorzy.com...blog&hellip | December 4th, 2007
[...] of these are in the southern half of the US unless you count NC. If you’ll remember I did a Top 10 Outdoorzy Places to Retire Young earlier this year. But if each of us did our own list… I’d say they’d all be [...]
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