Solvang is a small town of about 14,000 people in the Santa Ynez mountains of Southern California. Solvang, which is Danish for "Sunny fields", is about 35 minutes inland from coastal Santa Barbara. Nearby towns include Lompoc, Buellton, Ballard, and Los Olivos.  The area  was made famous when “Sideways”, a dark movie about 2 wine-loving bad boys, was filmed here. …...

Nuevo Arenal is a quiet village in Northwestern Costa Rica on Lake Arenal and just below the Arenal Volcano National Park. It is leisurely, tropical, in the thick of lovely rain forests, and enjoys the centerpiece of glossy Lake Arenal. Nearby La Fortuna is a regional tourist center with restaurants, hotels, and tourist bureaus. The altitude is about 1500'. Cost…...

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…...

Westbook is a charming small New England town on Long Island Sound. It has a lovely little downtown with a square in the center. This is a big sailing and boating town with many large marinas.  The area is fortunate to have a major outlet mall in town and one other in the adjoining town of Clinton. The average ages…...