No mosquitoes here by the coast - hooray! So do not miss them, even more than I don’t miss snow and ice. An occasional fly, ditto a wasp (mainly near the blooms), and one June bug (or figeater beetle; not sure which) at a time. They are close to the size of a hummingbird so can be startling.
The PNW has never been an option for me because of rain and cloudiness too much of the time. Also, my life has been too east, south and southwest oriented for many years, and I need to be more centrally located.
We actually upsized when building our final house. It was more my husband’s thing than mine. He has a lot of big stuff- tools, bicycles etc. If I wind up alone, it’s too much house for me to manage. For now, it’s great. We have two separate guest areas and room for everything. We have lots of indoor pets, too. We use a lot of the house and even more of it when we have guests staying. In our area homes are big and spacious, and we sort of got used to that. They are also affordable (or at tlast they were until this current boom). He made the house extremely energy efficient- including solar panels. He can be in the country on his bike in a few minutes and I can be at work in 20. We can walk to the grocery store but can see cows at the end of our street and have privacy behind our back deck. I think, for us, it’s the best place.
For most folks, good docs in large metro areas is probably great. For folks with unusual and/or chronic conditions, access to major airport and/or regional specialty centers may be needed.
For me and my kids, we have had much better results with regional and national specialists than our local docs. I suspect as I age and things get more complicated, I will need to rely on them more.
We are heading out to vacation. will be staying in a condo. It is a fee simple ownership complex where most condos are leased to a vacation rental company. Lots of short term rentals, but the building is so well constructed that there is almost zero noise from the folks above, to the sides, or below. Once someone decided to host a loud party just above us, but closing the Nanawall window did the trick. Plus, rowdy neighbors are gone after a few nights! The rental price$$$$$$ keep springbreakers etc. at bay. Imagine being stuck in a condo with a barky dog for 18 years until the dog dies… Vacation rentals may not be so bad.
My son in law is a doc at a top hospital and has horror stories about what gets sent to them from regional hospitals. He is VERY leery of regional medical centers. Of course, they can be fine for routine things…
Well, there are logistics in traveling for medical care. We’ve been doing it but I must admit it isn’t one of my favorite things to do.
As physicians medical care options were a consideration. You need to develop a relationship with local physicians, especially if you have any chronic conditions and/or take various prescription medicines. You may get infections from bug bites, allergic reactions to things and other experiences you want someone local to look after. Finding physicians we liked was one of the harder aspects of moving. We did move close to a good hospital but think some physicians over test et al. As much as you value your familiar health care providers (generally hate that term, but I’m including nurses and others you encounter) you need to make the switch. Central Indiana has IU and wonderful options, but top notch care does exist in many other places as well.
There is a learning curve for everything when you move. New foods, brands and some old favorites simply not available, sigh. Regional plants- different zones mean a lack of some favorite flowers but also some new ones never heard of. It takes getting used to planting in opposite seasons in Florida- summers can be too hot for some things. Still not quite used to garden plants and how to advice in seasons I would be calling it quits for that.
We also are readers so a good library system a must. Cities with medical schools were a factor although we have not found it convenient to try to attend any lectures there. Having a major university means being able to audit classes. Consider how you like to spend your many extra hours of free time along with golf and nature. Figure what to do after that round of golf.
I prefer humidity to dry air- indoors can be controlled and haven’t needed hand lotion. Have not had any mold/mildew issues either. But vacations during the hot/humid (summer) season are a delight.
Cost of living. Tradeoffs. Energy bills for heating and cooling may average out to the same. Have adjusted to higher food costs here and sales tax. Offset by no income tax.
As always, people make the difference. That is why politics and religion play a role. As does the age range of most around you- no fun being the youngsters in a mostly geriatric retirement community. We have found that with so many retiring to Florida there is a good infrastructure for those of us who are aging. Also plenty of transplants so people from elsewhere. Diverse ethnic origins also- refreshing and not dominated by one culture foreign to us. We also picked a part of town with plenty of transplants (of all ages) so we do not feel like outsiders.
RVM-I cast another vote for you to check out St. Simons Island, GA and am envious of those with property there. We have vacationed at many different beaches up and down the east coast, and St. Simons is where we would consider for full time residence. It doesn’t feel touristy or even very beach-y. It feels like you’re at home. The beaches are beautiful and not at all crowded. Locals that we encountered on our visits have been friendly and welcoming. The downtown is quaint and the island and rest of the Golden Isles have some nice restaurants. There is history and wonderful golf-tell your H that Zach Johnson and Matt Kucher live there. If you like HH, I think you might really like St. Simons.
As I mentioned up thread we will stay in MN for most of the year when H retires in a few years. Both girls are here and they have no plans to move away. I want to be around them and future grandkids as much as possible. I also want to be around our lake home during the summer and our friends who also have no plans to move away. St.Simons, however, has me thinking of a possible place to spend 6-8 weeks in the winter. Thanks for the suggestion! 
I’m retiring in just over 20 years. I recently revised my plan and finalized a half dozen locations.
Criteria:
– Somewhere out West
– Good trout streams
– College town or a small town with a decent local arts/cultural scene
– At least one outstanding used bookstore
– Near healthcare/hospitals
I have specific towns written down, but I can’t share them because they’re top secret.
Somewhere upthread, there was a discussion of retirement “phases”. I think I have identified 3, and of course this is all wild speculation based on health/longevity assumptions
- Younger, healthier years - lots of activities and travel. Hopefully this phase lasts into our mid-70's, maybe up to age 80
- Older years, more health issues, little to no travel.
- Final years - one of us is left alone.
I can definitely see wanting to spend phase 1 in a different location from phases 2 & 3, but who wants to relocate at age 75-80? So I think we will need to plan on our home base being where we would prefer for 2 & 3, then just get around as much as we can in phase 1.
I like your style 
@GertrudeMcFuzz - I like your description of the 3 phases. I am seeing this with my In laws and also with my neighbors. My neighbors moved to Santa Barbara from Wisconsin 20 yrs ago. I don’t know there specific ages but I would say they were in their mid 60’s at that time. Two story house with upstairs master bedroom but it does have a nice downstairs bedroom on a couple of acres of land. I would see them out biking, walking, gardening and being fairly active. I noticed about a yr ago they aren’t as active. I’ve heard via the neighborhood grapevine they are considering moving to a local retirement community. I actually have quite a number of neighbors in the 70- 90 age range. Some of them have started to move to retirement communities that have continued care. The first stage has stand alone homes with multiple bedrooms. You can eat in the dining room or in your home. They have additional levels of care for those who need it as they advance in age.
My MIL and FIL live in an area that has a lot of retired people who are still active. People who retire from cities who decide they want to have a vineyard or winery or raise horses. In that community some make a 2nd step of selling the larger home and buying a smaller home with no outside maintenance on a golf course. This plan will usually mean another move down the road. I’ve noticed in the 30 plus yrs my in laws have lived in their community the level of health care has risen.
Thank you for the St. Simons Island GA suggestions - will definitely investigate.
Have heard the phases ID’d as “Go-Go,” “Slo-Go,” “No-Go.” It’s interesting when the younger of us has health problems that makes us more into the hybrid “Go-Go” and “Slo-Go.” We still do travel but like to do so more comfortably for both our sakes and fortunately can afford it. 
@rockvillemom We love St. Simons Island, GA. Our home is on the south end of the island. When we return to vacation we bike all around the island, love the restaurants and shopping.
http://www.explorestsimonsisland.com
Our dear friends own Barbara Jeans!
http://www.barbarajeans.com
My sweet hubby and I walk from our home down to the pier and tootle around the island on our beach cruisers. Great food, Starbucks, grocery stores (awesome Winn Dixie’s and Harris Teeters!). The Sea Island Shops, movie theater, running and kayaking are all awesome! I miss home so much
:((
When you visit, the King & Prince Hotel is awesome!
http://www.kingandprince.com
But there are many beautiful B&B’s (and AirBNB)!!
^^^ I love Barbara Jean’s! We went to the one in Ponte Vedra (where we plan to retire in a year or two).
Agree that St. Simons Island is beautiful, although I haven’t been there since 1979 when I went to FLETC. I’m sure it has changed a lot since then but I know it’s still gorgeous. I remember driving out over the marshes at sunrise – breathtaking!
Guided- don’t worry, your criteria aren’t everyone’s. A couple I know retired from Rochester, MN to an Idaho place- and kept their Montana vacation place. It sounded so out of the way to me until I Googled it and it does sound like your kind of place.
I wonder- do those west of the Mississippi tend to retire west of that river while others tend to stay more east??? The distances are vast there. I need woods and water, and city amenities. Oh, and sunshine.
Going on from Oregon–well Florida seems like a world away. Europe seems about the same distance truly.
When I moved to Oregon in the 1999 I felt for at least 5 years or more that somehow we lived away from the USA. I really felt as if we lived on the very edge of things. The USA politics did not seem to involve us at all.
I grew up in Indiana, moved to Illinois , then PA, then CA, and finally OR where I have been since.
When I think of a next place to live it is true that is difficult for me to imagine a life completely out of the PNW
We visited St Simons island for a day in May. My brother and his wife had come over on vacation from England and we stayed with my son in My Pleasant, SC. An old drama school friend of my brother’s lives in St Simon’s island and they really wanted to meet up, so we made a side trip to Savannah and to St Simons island. I fell in love with St Simons island. It is beautiful. It is definitely on my wish list, but I think may be a little out of my price range.