Best places to live the simple life, retirement home - aarp everyw...

Much has been said in praise of the simple life—words that give us a lot to think about as we consider how and where we may want to spend the rest of our days. In _Walden,_ Henry David

Thoreau wrote of his two-year experiment with living in a woodland cabin, “As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will

not be poverty, nor weakness weakness.” SEE ALSO: FIND PURPOSE, LIVE LONGER. BEST PLACES TO LIVE THE SIMPLE LIFE Keep life simple, be happier. — Photo by Holly Harris/Getty Images * Tucson,

Arizona. READ * Greenville, South Carolina. READ * Montpelier, Vermont. READ * Logan, Utah. READ * Ames, Iowa. READ Much earlier, Leonardo da Vinci said, “Simplicity is the ultimate

sophistication.” But closer to our own time Albert Einstein remarked, “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” SAVE MONEY: GET AARP MEMBER DISCOUNTS ON TRAVEL,

SHOPPING AND MORE We’re with Einstein, at least when it comes to identifying places where a simple life can most easily be attained. Working with Best Places guru Bert Sperling, we defined

criteria for just what it may take. We screened more than 300 metropolitan areas in the U.S. for characteristics including stable home values, low unemployment and cost of living, minimal

traffic congestion, availability of cultural activities, outdoor recreation opportunities, and more—17 traits in all that contribute to a no-hassle, low-key lifestyle. _ All demographic

information provided by Bert Sperling of BestPlaces.net. For black-and-white reprints of this article, call 866-888-3723._ GREAT PLACES TO LIVE AND YOUR RETIREMENT * Find your ideal place to

retire. READ * 10 charming cities you shouldn't rule out. READ * You've Earned a Say about your Social Security. DO * AARP Retirement Calculator. DO JOIN AARP TODAY — Receive

access to exclusive information, benefits and discounts.