When a city is chosen by Money Magazine as the best small city to live in in the U.S., it is going to be special. Fort Collins, Colorado (population 170,000) is a popular retirement community for obvious reasons – it features low crime rates, fantastic outdoor life, small town ambiance, and for those who want them - ample jobs in…...

Tacoma is a port city of 200,000 on Puget Sound, about 32 miles southwest of Seattle. Commencement Bay is the deep water port for the City, one reason why Tacoma was chosen as the western terminus of the Northern Pacific Railway in the late 1800's. The University of Washington has a branch in Tacoma. The city has invested heavily in…...

Chapel Hill is a particularly beautiful (population just over 53,000) college town in the gentle hills of central North Carolina. The University of North Carolina (24,000 students) is the centerpiece of this charming  town with a cosmopolitan flair that makes it appealing as a retirement community. This entire area is highly educated, with Duke University nearby in Durham, and NC…...

The history of Grapevine, Texas, started in 1843, when General Sam Houston met with members of 10 American Indian nations to negotiate a treaty of peace and friendship, which opened the area to homesteaders. Within a year, the first settlers started arriving, making Grapevine the oldest settlement in Tarrant County. Wild mustang grapes were abundant in the area, from which…...