The retirement stage is being set for many folks within the United States. Baby Boomers — people age 65 and over — are nearing the finish line of their work lives, or trimming back to part-time or telecommuting roles By 2012, there were 47 million Americans age 65 and older, per the U. S. Census Bureau, and you might be among them.
Regardless of whether you’re surfing for a retirement destination or know exactly where it is, the state of Florida remains one of the world’s top retirement locales. Here are five ways a Florida home can rock your “golden years.”
Active Retirement Communities
Today’s retirees, who likely enjoy front-porch rocking chairs as much as anyone, trend more active than previous generations. They seek cycling and running trails, lap pools and kayak landings. Yoga classes and gyms.
Planned communities offering these and other in-demand amenities also foster an important social element. Being able to round up buddies for any number of fun, shared activities remains vital to retirees’ mental, emotional and physical well-being. As a top retirement destination, Florida can supply an active community for every retiree’s budget.
Recreation
Along with catering to active retirement lifestyles, Florida’s natural resources teem with recreational options. The warm, sunny climate and mild winters mean residents can enjoy outdoor activities year-round. How about fishing along the state’s unending miles of coastline and its hundreds of fresh-water lakes? Those same bodies of water can accommodate boating, wind surfing, paddle boarding and water skiing. Golf courses beckon everywhere (Florida is home to the PGA and LPGA). If you’re an outdoor enthusiast, a Florida retirement can keep you busy from daylight until dark.
Weather
Florida summers can be warm. They’re also excellent reasons to enjoy a patio, pool or shaded porch at your new retirement headquarters. But the state’s temperate, tropical climate really shines in winter.
Consider how you’d spend a typical February snow day elsewhere, then consider how you’d spend the same February day in Florida, amid mild temperatures that evoke early spring. Forget the furnace and heating bills. Embrace breezy open windows, swirling ceiling fans and yes — summer air conditioning when you need it!
Culture
While outdoor activities and recreation are perfect pursuits for a Florida retirement, there are other opportunities for enrichment. The Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida in Gainesville, and the Dali Museum in Tampa, which showcases the largest exhibit of Spanish painter Salvador Dali’s work outside of Europe, are two examples of the state’s cultural wealth.
Major cities such as Miami, Jacksonville and Orlando are home to theatre, opera, symphonic and other performing-arts communities, many of which welcome contributions from retirees.
Major Attraction Areas
Sometimes you need more than a beach to entertain grandkids and houseguests. The all-encompassing solution is Orlando’s theme parks and attractions. The city and its surrounding tourist destinations are located with easy-to-manageable driving distances of almost anywhere in the state. Don’t be shy about screaming on a roller-coaster, dancing with sea lions or sampling international cuisine or gardening exhibits.
And, though a world leader, Orlando isn’t the only Florida attractions powerhouse. Miami is the gateway to the Florida Keys. Tampa-St. Petersburg boasts jaw-dropping Gulf of Mexico beaches. Cape Canaveral on the Atlantic coast and historic Apalachicola on the Panhandle are top getaways, too.
