Retirement community lets residents lodge on the road

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Feb 26, 2006 by Michael Hooper Capital-Journal

KANSAS LOCATIONS

- Thornton Place, 2901 S.W. Armstrong, Topeka, (785) 228-0555

- Greenwood Terrace, 11150 S. Greenwood St., Lenexa, (913) 345- 9969

- Grassland Estates, 10665 W. 13th Street N., Wichita, (316) 722- 4817

Vernon Dickeson, left, and Juanita Eyman have stayed at Holiday Retirement Corp. properties in Texas and Oklahoma while traveling. In addition to lodging, residents can have meals at the retirement facility.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANN WILLIAMSON/THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

Peggy Reid, right, and Ernie Blair laugh as they talk about staying in other Holiday Retirement Corp. properties as they travel the country. She keeps an apartment in Thornton Place in Topeka, and he keeps an apartment at Golden Mesa, Las Cruses, N.M.

TRAVEL

Just like home

By Michael Hooper

THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

Retirees at Thornton Place can pay one bill for food, lodging and a unique travel program.

Residents may stay for free up to a week in any one of 300 properties owned by Holiday Retirement Corp., which owns Thornton Place, and eat meals for free, too. Most of the retirement facilities have guest rooms that can be reserved for travelers.

Juanita Eyman and Vernon Dickeson, residents of Thornton Place since 2000, have taken several trips to Texas and stayed in sister properties along the way, including a stop in a Tulsa, Okla.

"We never bought a hotel room," Eyman said.

Dickeson said, "We did buy one meal out. But that's because we wanted to go out to eat."

Holiday Retirement Corp., based in Salem, Ore., was founded in 1971. It has three locations in Kansas, 10 in Colorado, five in Arizona, 30 in Texas and two in New Mexico, including Albuquerque and Las Cruces. The company also has properties in Missouri, Florida, Washington and Oregon and facilities in Canada, United Kingdom and France.

Thornton Place opened at S.W. 29th and Wanamaker Road in spring 1998. With more than 100,000 square feet, the facility has four floors and 119 apartments ranging from studio apartments to two- bedroom cottages.

Joe and Julie Rowlette, management team at Thornton Place, came to the facility from Broken Arrow, Okla., last May.

Residents in the retirement center receive three meals daily, weekly housekeeping, utilities and cable TV as part of their monthly bill. The only other bill they have to pay is the telephone bill. The facility also offers health seminars, movies, library, beauty/ barber shop, free laundry facilities, transportation services and massage therapist.

"We looked at other places, but nothing compared to this," Eyman said.

"The best deal we ever made was moving in here," Dickeson said.

Peggy Reid and Ernest Blair met at Thornton Place 10 months ago. They had lived in separate apartments, but decided to live together. She keeps an apartment in Thornton Place in Topeka, and he keeps an apartment at Golden Mesa, Las Cruses, N.M.

In mid-January, Reid and Blair went on a long trip and stayed in sister facilities in Amarillo, Texas, Albuquerque, N.M., and Las Cruces.

"It's a long trip --- about 1,000 miles," Reid said.

She loves the travel policy where residents can stay for free at other locations.

"I think it's wonderful," she said.

Staff in other facilities are also friendly, she said.

Greta Kelsey, a resident at Thornton Place, said she went on a trip with her son and daughter-in-law, Rick and Darla Kelsey, of Overland Park, to a facility in Pompano Beach, Fla. They stayed there a week. The children had to pay for the cost of their meals.

"We flew down there and stayed there a week," Kelsey said.

Her sister, Faye Kelsey and brother-in-law Scott Kelsey also have taken trips and stayed in facilities in Lenexa and Austin, Texas.

He said he would like to go to California and see the redwood forest one more time.

Michael Hooper can be reached at (785) 295-1293 or michael.hooper@cjonline.com.