Santa Clarita Valley (not similar sounding Santa Clara) contains one of the larger cities in LA County, as well as many other developments. The valley was part of the Rancho San Francisco Mexican land grant. Some of the communities within it include the city of Santa Clarita, which is made up of Canyon Country, Newhall, Saugus, and Valencia. Adjacent unincorporated communities…...

Methuen is a small city and suburb that is northwest of Boston.  This is an old town (population 44,000) with a  history dating back to 1642.  It has many strong institutions, such as the stately Nevins Memorial Library pictured above (photo courtesy of Wikipedia and EraserGirl).   The town lies along the north banks of the Merrimack River. There are several…...

Colorado Springs (population 478,000) 2020, is an extremely popular retirement community due to spectacular scenery, abundant sunshine, and conservative values. Originally built  as a resort city, the town owes part of its growth and history to a huge gold strike nearby. Colorado Springs looks up at Pikes Peak, which towers over the city at 14,115 feet. The United States Air…...

Fairhope, Alabama is one of the most unusual (and nicest) retirement communities anywhere. It was founded by 28 settlers from Iowa in November, 1894 as a utopian single tax colony by the "Fairhope Industrial Association". Their purpose in founding a new colony was to establish and conduct a cooperative model community, free from all forms of private monopoly. The Fairhope…...