BW Online | July 26, 2004 | At Home In The Hills

JULY 26, 2004

2004 RETIREMENT GUIDE

At Home In The Hills

Settling near the mountains? That can be the high life for high-energy retirees

3D"HotSpots For folks who are = active and determined to remain that way, there are few better places to retire th= an the mountains. You can hike, bike, climb, play golf, and ski -- and as you = get older, you can tune your activities to match your fitness level. As a bonus, the natural beauty and scenic views can be spectacular.

Some places, such as Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and Prescott, Ariz., are onetime mining towns that have grown up into upscale resorts with live music and bistros to match those in the big cities. In Coeur d'Alene, in Idaho's panhandle, much of the recreation begins at the downtown lakefront. Hiking trails are easy to find and paved bike paths go from the lake to Spokane, Wash., 45 miles to the west, and east to the Montana border.

Historic Prescott, once Arizona's territorial capital, has an abundance of hiking and biking, too. Some 450 miles of multi-use trails traverse its forested slopes and pristine mountain lakes. The nightlife in Coeur d'Alene= and Prescott peaks during the summer months -- celebrity sightings are not infrequent -- but there's enough going on in both places to support year-ro= und communities of retirees.

If something smaller and more out-of-the-way is appealing to you, check out Sisters, Ore., population 1,400. It's named for three volcanic peaks in the Cascade range and is little more than a wide spot in the road 25 miles northwest of Bend, Oregon's new boomtown. Its laid-back style, Old West bui= ldings, and annual rodeo will remind you of Santa Fe, N.M., say, 30 or 40 years ago. "It's the up-and-coming place in central Oregon, and its natural setti= ng is appealing to artists and art galleries," says Bert Sperling, whose = BestPlaces books, magazine articles, and Web site (BestPlaces.net) have been helping people find places to= live, work, and retire for nearly 20 years.

In the Midwest, Sperling picks the rolling hills of the Ozarks, about as cl= ose to mountains as you get in the middle of the country. "The Ozarks rate very highly for affordability and livability," he says. "It's one= of my favorite spots for retirement." Fayetteville, home to the Universit= y of Arkansas and its fabled Razorbacks, is fast becoming the anchor city for the region. Wal-Mart (WMT ), headquartered 25 miles north, has made the area a destination for big busin= ess, which helped bring upscale restaurants and a more sophisticated lifestyle to the area.

BEST OF BOTH WORLDS
Back on the beaten path, Asheville, N.C., is a longtime favorite for retire= es. Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, this college town provides rich educational opportunities through the University of North Carolina at Asheville's College for Seniors. There's a symphony, an exquisitely preserv= ed Art Deco downtown, and top-notch health care. An in-city arboretum offers easy-to-moderate hikes, and you have plenty of opportunities for day trips = to the mountain lakes and hot springs for rafting, fishing, and more. In most every respect, such places can offer an exhilarating experience for energet= ic, vibrant retirees.