Retiring in Lake Havasu City, Arizona

Home to the world-famous London Bridge, Lake Havasu is both a water lover's paradise and a desert lover's dream. Visitors enjoy the top-rated RV resorts and condominiums with spectacular views and convenient locations. And, with more than 300 days of sunshine per year, Lake Havasu is ideal for golf, tennis and desert tours.

Population: According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town is 56,355

Health Care: Havasu Regional Medical Center is here to serve you. (928) 855-8185.

Transportation: HAVASU AREA TRANSIT

Retiring In Fairbanks, Alaska

Fairbanks, Alaska, 358 miles north of Anchorage (by way of the Parks Highway), likes to think that it (instead of Delta) is the end of the Alaska Highway. Its central location makes it the focal point for the tiny villages scattered throughout the surrounding wilderness, and Fairbanks is a staging point for North Slope villages such as Barrow and the oil fields of Prudhoe Bay. Yet, unlike Anchorage, it still retains its down home "frontier" feel. It is contained within the North Star Borough, similar to a county, but which is roughly the size of New Jersey

Climate: Interior temperatures range from 65 degrees below zero in the winter to 90 degrees above in the summer. Gardening is big in the Interior.

Population: As of the census of 2000, there were 30,224 people.

Transportation: Regularly scheduled jet flights are available at the state-owned Fairbanks International Airport. An 11,800-foot (3,597 meter) asphalt runway, heliport, and seaplane landing strip are available.

Taxes: There is not a sales tax.

Things to do and see: Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge
Georgeson Botanical Garden
Pioneer Park
University of Alaska Museum of the North
Riverboat Discovery

Health Care: Local hospitals or health clinics include Fairbanks Memorial Hospital; Interior Community Health Center; Chief Andrew Isaac Health Center; Bassett Army Community Hospital/Fort Wainwright.

Universities: Fairbanks is home to the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the oldest college in Alaska.

Housing Costs: Estimated median house/condo value in 2005: $145,800 (it was $126,400 in 2000)

Choosing the Retirement Location

Retirement communities can also mean the geographical location that one wants to live in. And, then the question;how do I choose where I want to retire? One way to search out that retirement location is to do what a retired couple from South Dakota is doing. They told me that they were considering retiring in Ashland, but wanted to really "feel" the town. So, what they did is to find a small, furnished place to rent for a couple of months to see it this community fits all their retirement needs. They found a cottage on www.ashlandextendedstay.com I know that www.vrbo.com is also a good site to find temporary houseing. I think the exploration of the perfect retirement location can be an adventure in its self. Happy hunting, fellow retirees.

Karen