The Villages

Spanish moss ladened trees line the streets of The Villages

My folks decided to get out of the cold of Henderson, Nevada (yes, it gets pretty nippy in Las Vegas this time of year) and head to Florida. They rented a modest two bedroom house in the Alhambra neighborhood of The Villages.

Haps at Spanish Springs

If you haven't seen The Villages, it's one of the largest 55+ communities, and it continues to grow. It's made up of many, many housing developments (from condos, to duplexes, to small and large homes), and has everything the hip retiree could possibly need, right there in the area. Multiple town squares that have shopping, dining, and nightly music, community pools, rec centers with aerobics, weights, and yoga classes, forty-eight golf courses that are "free for life," tennis courts, shuffle boards, bocci ball courts, and a polo grounds -- yes, you read that right. Each of the town centers have their own vibe (Brownwood is a throw-back western look, while Spanish Springs is adorned with adobe buildings made to look old with exposed brickwork and fountains). While there are many roads that wind around the area, most of the folks seem to choose using golf carts, driving on the special roads and pathways made just for them.

Sunset on a golf course

The holiday itself we spent with friends of friends of my parents. They annually host a Thanksgiving pseudo-potluck (they make the basics, but folks brought a bunch of other items). The meal and the company was lovely. The day was gloomy, which made socializing indoors the perfect pastime.

Friday we did a bit of running around, trying to acquaint everyone (my folks, my husband, and myself) with the large selection of things to do and how to get there. Google is invaluable in such situations.

We left Saturday morning to pick up the dogs from day care and return back to the boat. There are still a few things to do before we head to Endeavour at the end of this week.

Lunch at the Bluefin