It has been decided.

I am retiring on a beach. I came to this conclusion while strolling along Crystal Cove Beach in Newport Beach CA. We've been really good about saving and investing lately, but I was starting to question the present day prudence...is it really worth it? What is that money going to do for us down the road? If I got hit by a bus next week, I'll be kicking myself for skipping that 17-course tasting menu at Joel Robuchon in Vegas.

But the beach grounded me. It gave me a purpose for saving.

My 2010 beaches ytd:

Laguna Beach for my Mom's b-day in January. We also hit Coronado and Pebble Beach in San Diego, what a lovely trip.


The view from my hotel room in San Luis Obispo CA. A "work" trip. I was disgusted to learn that this beach existed a mere 10 minutes from the town/hotel that I have been staying at for the last 4 years. Without me realizing it was there! What can I say, business travel usually means a drive from the airport to the customer site and back to the airport. Wow, glad we had this fun boondoggle trip or I might never have known!

While not a beach, rather the vineyard we toured while on our boondoggle business trip, it's why San Luis Obispo is on my list for candidate retirement locations


Crystal Cove beach, where I came to my conclusion. This beach had a stretch of condemned homes along it, I don't know the story but it reminded me of the abandoned mine shacks in CO. I really liked seeing them hanging out there on the beach.



And finally, Playa del Carmen. Lots of pretty beaches here.






And I kicked off what will surely be a dangerous hobby...vacation home shopping:


So if you know of a good beach that I should add to my candidate list of retirement beaches (currently San Luis Obispo, somewhere in S or N Carolina, or Costa Rica), let me know!