If you could retire with unlimited funds....

[StillAWarrior]

Maine has some beautiful spots.  But I'm somewhat partial to Novs Scotia and the Maritime provinces.

Read your rules...USA minus Hawaii.

[Goose]

Naples, FL next door to Lenny!!

[GOO]

Southwest Utah.  They have all the recreational activities that I enjoy: golf, hiking, skiing, and good bike trails.  Plus it doesn't get anywhere near as cold as it does here.  Maybe food options aren't great but I have unlimited funds so I can travel to CT for proper pizza and lobster rolls.  My only qualm with the golf is that when I was there in May, they wouldn't let me walk most of the courses.  I really don't enjoy playing golf out of a cart.

Maybe it's my limited experience, but it seems more courses require carts and more require caddies. I want neither. 

If I have to be in one place all year, I'd want to avoid the weather extremes. So maybe San Diego or Santa Barbara.

Otherwise I'd take a few months of harsh winter and snow over months of extreme heat. 

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

This is a tough one and I've gone through several thoughts. My first, immediate reaction was in the Rockies. I'm partial to SW Colorado, but would also want to take a look at Idaho and Montana. I'm not sure my wife would love that. My second thought was Cleveland area to be near family. We could -- and would -- travel extensively and only use NE Ohio as a home base. I've always been a believer that if you have enough money to buy a second home, then you have enough money to rent a house in all the places that you want to go. With unlimited funds, I'd test the limits of that theory. Other areas that I'd consider - Maine, South Carolina, North Carolina.

Good thoughts. If we made the decision to live near family, it would be Milwaukee or somewhere else in southern Wisconsin.  If we made the decision that we could always just visit family, it would likely be a place like Asheville or Chattanooga. 

[Hards Alumni]

Good thoughts. If we made the decision to live near family, it would be Milwaukee or somewhere else in southern Wisconsin.  If we made the decision that we could always just visit family, it would likely be a place like Asheville or Chattanooga.

Chattanooga also a great place.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Chattanooga also a great place.

It really is.

I was a finalist for a job there a number of years ago, and had to remove myself from consideration because the family timing could not have been worse. While it was clearly the right decision, I found myself saying "why could this not have happened three or four years later?"

[Dickthedribbler]

Vegas.

[Goose]

StillaWarrior

For years my retirement goal has been for my wife to alternate picking a city to live in for a year. Every second year one of us gets to pick a location pretty much anywhere in the world and go there for a year. Not that concerned on level of accommodations, more wanting to get the feel of the location. Want to get the feel of the city and live life enjoying a new location.

I have a long list of places that I could live for a year and hope we are healthy enough and can afford this endeavor, even if we only each get to pick one location. I would prefer doing this than owning a second home.

[Hards Alumni]

StillaWarrior

For years my retirement goal has been for my wife to alternate picking a city to live in for a year. Every second year one of us gets to pick a location pretty much anywhere in the world and go there for a year. Not that concerned on level of accommodations, more wanting to get the feel of the location. Want to get the feel of the city and live life enjoying a new location.

I have a long list of places that I could live for a year and hope we are healthy enough and can afford this endeavor, even if we only each get to pick one location. I would prefer doing this than owning a second home.

Same

[real chili 83]

Off the subject I have some friends that hit Nook last weekend in Maddy.  They said it was well worth it .

Enough of that dirty talk.

[Pakuni]

StillaWarrior

For years my retirement goal has been for my wife to alternate picking a city to live in for a year. Every second year one of us gets to pick a location pretty much anywhere in the world and go there for a year. Not that concerned on level of accommodations, more wanting to get the feel of the location. Want to get the feel of the city and live life enjoying a new location.

I have a long list of places that I could live for a year and hope we are healthy enough and can afford this endeavor, even if we only each get to pick one location. I would prefer doing this than owning a second home.

That sounds fantastic. Hope you can pull it off.

[WhiteTrash]

Not a lot of votes for Gary, IN.

[tower912]

How is the golf there?

[MU82]

Re the OP ...

What do you mean, "If"?

[pbiflyer]

StillaWarrior

For years my retirement goal has been for my wife to alternate picking a city to live in for a year. Every second year one of us gets to pick a location pretty much anywhere in the world and go there for a year. Not that concerned on level of accommodations, more wanting to get the feel of the location. Want to get the feel of the city and live life enjoying a new location.

I have a long list of places that I could live for a year and hope we are healthy enough and can afford this endeavor, even if we only each get to pick one location. I would prefer doing this than owning a second home.

Nice!
Potentially my plan as well. But might get a small place in Spain, then do the digital nomad thing for a while. Maybe AirBnb the Spain location. 

[Goose]

Flyer

My plan is to really live in the city vs being a nomad. Definite junkets, but more embracing the spot we shack up in. The cool for us is that we have very different ideas on where to choose and I think that could make it very interesting.

[pbiflyer]

Flyer

My plan is to really live in the city vs being a nomad. Definite junkets, but more embracing the spot we shack up in. The cool for us is that we have very different ideas on where to choose and I think that could make it very interesting.

I love that idea.
Sadly, I will not be retiring until a bit later than some of my layabout compatriots (looking at you chick! ).  So the number of years to live in different places may be a bit more limited. So, the see as many places as I can is the current plan. A month or longer in each local, so to get a feel for the place. I like it? Stay longer. Don't? Bail early.
There is a digital nomad I know that used to update their blog, but bailed on it last year, but some of their location reads are interesting. Maybe some ideas for you.
https://readyjetroam.com/

[Goose]

Flyer

I just turned 61 in July and hoping we can have our first adventure year in 7-8 years. Unfortunately I am one of those Dad's that want to leave my kids some dough, so I definitely need to plan ahead on when to start.

I thought about a month or two at a place, but I thought committing to year forces you to embrace the location if you do not like it and that could be a good thing. Good news, I am just dreaming about it and a lot can change in 7-8 years.

[jutaw22mu]

Maybe it's my limited experience, but it seems more courses require carts and more require caddies. I want neither. 

If I have to be in one place all year, I'd want to avoid the weather extremes. So maybe San Diego or Santa Barbara.

Otherwise I'd take a few months of harsh winter and snow over months of extreme heat.

Good point...sorta forgot the funds were unlimited.  SB or SD would not be terrible....

[tower912]

One thing that could change my answer is where my 17 year old settles after college.  My daughter's long term location is between Baltimore and DC.  If my son were to settle on the east coast, too, my wife and I are agreed that we could be very happy there.   Downsizing,  to be sure.   But we love the geography and the history.

[NCMUFan]

Asheville or that area seems like a very desirable place to live.

Wife and I tied the knot at Lake Junaluska which is 30 miles west of Asheville.  Mother-In-Law from that area so just returned from annual family reunion.  I would probably do the foothills of NC to avoid snow which is what I have grown to distain.  Quick ascend into the NC Smokies if want to escape summer heat to cooler weather.

[Jay Bee]

Doesn't really matter to me since all my friends r online friends only

[WarriorFan]

Mrs. Warriorfan and I have discussed this at length.
The requirements:
- no state income tax
- no tax on retirement income
- low property tax
- conservative political environment
- Good air travel links to everywhere
- Near Beach

Based on the above we probably end up in Dubai.

[The Lens]

StillaWarrior

For years my retirement goal has been for my wife to alternate picking a city to live in for a year. Every second year one of us gets to pick a location pretty much anywhere in the world and go there for a year. Not that concerned on level of accommodations, more wanting to get the feel of the location. Want to get the feel of the city and live life enjoying a new location.

I have a long list of places that I could live for a year and hope we are healthy enough and can afford this endeavor, even if we only each get to pick one location. I would prefer doing this than owning a second home.

This is our plan. 

Year 1 Manhattan
Year 2 Manhattan Beach
Year 3 Ski town

I want to be embedded.  Like get a job at the bodega or volunteer for recess duty at a Catholic grade school.

If you're saying I gotta pick one...it's Manhattan / Hermosa Beach

[MuggsyB]

Does anyone have some insight on the US Virgin Islands?