Independence, Missouri is justly famous for a number of reasons. For one, this growing town of over 120,000 people was the starting point in frontier days for the Oregon, Santa Fe, and California trails. The National Frontier Trails Museum commemorates that history.  Harry Truman, one of America's most popular Presidents, hailed from here and indeed lived here in the home…...

Groton, Connecticut, is located midway between New York and Boston, on the shore of the Long Island Sound and is framed by both the Thames River and the Mystic River.  With a population of about 40,155 (2010 census), it is home of the US Naval Submarine Base and became known as the “Submarine Capital of the World” during World War…...

History lovers will find Natchitoches (NACK-uh-tush), Louisiana to be an interesting retirement community. Located on the Cane River Lake, this charming southern town of 18,500 was the picturesque setting for the movie Steel Magnolias, starring Sally Field and Shirley MacLaine. An older movie set here is The Horse Soldiers with William Holden and the Duke, John Wayne. The town was…...

Portsmouth is a small and very old town of just over 20,000 in eastern New Hampshire, right on the Maine border.  Portsmouth has a tremendous amount going for it as a retirement town. There is a charming old downtown with lots of great shops and restaurants, cobblestone streets, historic seaport, plenty of water to live near, and a relatively mild…...