Ghost Tours: Take a Walk on the Dark Side

The Ghost Walk of Old Wilmington

A few favorite Southern ghost stories and the tours that tell them best. Every town has them, ghosts, ghost stories, and other terrifying tales. But, honestly, the South seems a bit more saturated with accounts of ghastly apparitions perusing both public places and personal spaces found in and around its humid, oak-lined streets. While the…

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Top-Ranked Amenities: Fitness Centers and Walking Trails

News & Events Lifestyle Articles Top-Ranked Amenities: Fitness Centers and Walking Trails ideal-Living|April 17, 2021 Embracing an active lifestyle has never been easier for retirees who choose to live in communities with fitness centers and walking trails. From North Carolina to Florida, from Colorado to Arizona, communities that attract the most retirees boast recreational activities that go well beyond the ever-popular…

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Romantic Getaways

With holiday travels long over with and summer vacation months away, now is the perfect time to break out of your routine and go on a long romantic weekend with your significant other. If you can time it so that it falls on Valentine’s Day, even better! But we think it’s possible to fill any weekend with love. Here are a few weekend trips we came up with to rekindle the romance.

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7 Lifestyle Hacks to Lose Weight

7 Lifestyle Hacks to Lose (almost) 17 Pounds (almost) Effortlessly by Jan Cullinane (Updated – originally published in the 2015 Fall Issue of Ideal-LIVING Magazine)  I love the articles about people who have lost 100, 200 and 300 or more pounds. Their stories are inspiring and riveting, and I find their before and after photos…

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#NationalHotDogDay – Bring on the Chicken

#NationalHotDogDay – Bring on the Chicken Recipe by: Fanny Slater A undoubtedly American tradition, the hot dog is something to be celebrated, indeed. But, because there’s enough pork being passed around on #NationalHotDogDay and everyday (not to mention pork can be a touch heavy on the hips!), why not choose chicken? Please everyone in your…

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Year of the Gaillardia

Year of the Gaillardia – The Beauty of Blanket Flowers Dr. Leonard Perry, Extension Professor University of Vermont What is a gaillardia, you may ask, if you’re a novice gardener? It is often known as blanket flower, and its daisy-like flowers come in variations of yellows, orange and reds, and combinations of these. Most commonly,…

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Surf’s Up for Baby Boomers

Surf’s Up For Baby Boomers Many Baby Boomers were first exposed to surfing when they saw Gidget, Hollywood’s 1959 version of Malibu’s beach scene. The success of Gidget ignited an explosion of beach movies in the ’60s, and surf culture quickly permeated the lifestyle of teenagers across America. Those same teenagers now account for the…

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Herzog on the move

Touchdown, Wilmington, North Carolina written by Jamie Penn Frank Herzog, renowned announcer for the Washington Redskins, was as zealous and methodical about his retirement choice as he was about his 25-year career. Most long-time football fans would know the voice responsible for the phrase, “Touchdown, Redskins!” For nearly a decade, play-by-play announcer, and now Wilmington…

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Something New and Special Every Year

A New Kind of Retirement | Acting in North Carolina | Stay Healthy

Tony Viollis Lives a New Kind of Retirement By Emily Hackeling. Previously published in the 2016 Fall issue. It’s noon on a Tuesday, and my phone rings. I answered, expecting to talk with Tony Viollis, the St. Mary School Athletic Director, about his retirement before I headed to work. I had no clue I’d hang…

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Single Life Looking for Love

Looking for Love?…Find your First Love Do you remember how you felt on the day of your first “real” job interview? I know I experienced a gut-churning mixture of optimism, anxiety, racing heart, exhilaration, and sweaty palms. How about the first time you had to speak in front of a large crowd, ask for a…

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