Retirement Focus

Travel America, Sept, 2000 by Pat Woods

TEXAS RETIREMENT

Del Webb offers options for those who do not want to retire to Florida or Arizona. Nestled in the scenic Texas Hill Country 30 miles north of Austin, Sun City Texas offers 46 fully-furnished vacation villas. Each villa comes with a garage, washer/ dryer, and VCR, plus use of a golf cart, pools, fitness center, and discounted golf.

Guests are invited to a daily continental breakfast, plus twice-weekly receptions and community tours. One member of the party should be 55 or older. Vacation Getaway packages are priced from $100 for two nights to $300 for five nights with a sales appointment of any length. The 5,500-acre active adult community offers 14 floor plans ranging from 1,132 to 3,081 square feet, priced from $110,000 to $700,000. Amenities include two 18-hole golf courses, indoor/ outdoor pools, wood shop, arts and crafts, auditorium, and fitness center. Call (800) 833-5932 or visit www.suncity.com.

MAKE IT MADISON

For a refreshing vacation or weekend retreat, try Madison, Wisconsin, twice listed as a "Best" place to live by Money Magazine. Wisconsin's capital is bicycling heaven with 100 miles of paved trails. Scattered throughout this city of 203,000 are four lakes, 13 beaches, and 200 parks. You'll find free admission to the zoo and most of the six downtown museums. Watch the sailboats and windsurfers on Lake Mendota as you sip a drink on the famed Memorial Union terrace at the University of Wisconsin. A young town with a lively arts scene, Madison offers excellent theater and musical performances.

Each Saturday morning from May through October, the Farmers' Market on Capitol Square attracts thousands who purchase fresh produce, plants, and flowers, plus Wisconsin's finest cheese, sausage, honey, and gourmet foods, from 300 market vendors. There's no shortage of ethnic eateries--everything from Afghan to Vietnamese. For more information, call (800) 373-6376 or visit www.visit madison.com.

FLORIDA INTRACOASTAL

Lighthouse Cove opens soon as the only active retirement manufactured housing community on Florida's Intracoastal Waterway. Located near New Smyrna Beach, south of Daytona Beach, Lighthouse Cove will feature the finest in waterfront living, with such amenities as community docks, tennis courts, bocci courts, and RV/boat storage. The first phase will include 102 home sites. A clubhouse is part of phase two. Contact Lighthouse Cove, (888) 963-COVE.