Often described as a city with Southern charm and a cosmopolitan flair, Aiken is a laid-back, charming community located near the mid-point of South Carolina’s long border with Georgia. With low-cost housing and taxes as well as a mild four-season climate, it’s easy to see why Aiken is one of the favorite retirement locales in [...]

Crystal clear water and miles of shoreline at some of the finest lakes in the nation attract many people looking for retirement destinations at or near the water’s edge. Tennessee lake living offers tranquility, a relaxing environment and innumerable outdoor recreational activities. Tennessee boasts over 250 lakes and reservoirs, most of which were man-made. Nestled [...]

Old western movies mythologized the role of the American cowboy on horseback, his image by film’s end often reduced to a dark silhouette against a setting sun and jagged, snow-covered mountain tops. In modern times, the horse and horseback rider have become part of mainstream culture. Horseback riding has entered both urban and suburban settings, [...]

With its palm-fringed white sand beaches, warm turquoise waters and verdant rainforest, Puerto Rico is as dreamy a Caribbean island as Bermuda, Jamaica, Antigua or the Bahamas. Its culture is a vibrant blend of Spanish, Taíno Indian, African and American influences. This tropical, salsa music-filled paradise is a world away from frigid winter, yet direct [...]

If you were to stand out in the ocean off the South Carolina coast and look back towards the shore, you might see a shrimp trawler pulling its nets slowly across the sea. The land beyond would sparkle, and it would be hard to tell the ocean from the shore. You would see the Lowcountry [...]

Watching the purple haze lift over the Smoky Mountains of eastern Tennessee makes it easy to see why thousands choose to retire to the tranquil, yet vibrant state each year. Tourists arrive in the state by the thousands, many of whom decide to make it their permanent residence. The Great Smoky Mountain National Park is [...]

It is impossible to think of East Tennessee without thinking of the Smoky Mountains. They frame the region’s eastern border in a haze of blue, with the streams and rivers of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Cherokee National Forest feeding the area’s many lakes and reservoirs. These mountains have been the inspiration for [...]

Up a long and winding road, past Little Switzerland and through the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, aspiring writers from around the world make their annual pilgrimage to Wildacres Retreat, seeking tranquility and inspiration. Some are making the trip for the first time, but for most, the week-long retreat and workshops are something they [...]

Despite the sluggish economy and down real estate market, those who have the means are out looking to buy now. Thousands of people who attended the Winter 2009 Live South Real Estate Shows took advantage of discount travel opportunities to visit their favorite communities in the South this spring. Spring is the perfect time to visit potential [...]

With the Blue Ridge Parkway curling around it on the east and the blue haze of the Smoky Mountains bordering it on the west, Asheville is the consummate eastern mountain city.

A bronze hawk perches on the dining terrace rail at Sedona’s Enchantment Resort and Spa. His ruffled feathers, modeled mid-flight by the sculptor, simultaneously reflect the wildness and the serenity of his surroundings.

For decades, the Myrtle Beach, SC area has described itself as the “Golf Destination of the World.” And with good reason, considering that annually, a million golfers play nearly four million rounds at Myrtle Beach’s 102 golf facilities.

It was 1982, and my young son Kurt and I were working at the Australia Outward Bound School in Tharwa when we heard that Reinhold Messner, the first man to ascend Everest without oxygen, was to give a talk at the University of Tasmania. Armchair Everest groupies, we went to hear him.

Ideal Living magazine would like to take this opportunity to share a very special place with you—Wilmington, NC, where we are headquartered.

When Robert and Carol Crate moved to the South 20 years ago, they had two small children and a third on the way. Today, their children are grown and many aspects of their lives have changed, but the Crates still call the sunny South home. Here are five reasons why.