Hiking Club
Have you heard of the Sierra hiking club? Open to all ages, this group ventures out on short, long, day and overnight excursions around San Diego and Orange County. With so many trails, lagoon systems, and nature around us, filling your time with outdoor activities and sunshine can bring a lot of joy to your retired life. If you don’t want to join a club, you could check out one of our favorite solo hikes in the Elfin Forest and Torrey Pines.
Volunteering
Some would argue that giving is better than getting. As volunteers ourselves, we can honestly say this is one of the greatest rewards of our lives. Consider using your expertise to teach the next generation new skills, contribute time to help out at a hospital or nursing home, donate an afternoon a week to a local museum or shelter, or even join a clean up crews at the beach. One member of our team regularly picks up trash on the beach and found a couch cushion and high heel once. Trust us – even a little bit of coastal trash pick-up helps.
Gardening
Planting things and watching them grow is one of the great joys we experience as human beings. Whether it’s planting a vegetable garden, or taking care of a Bonsai – watching over a plant and making sure it’s nourished is proven to lift moods and relax people. We recommend checking out Sunshine Gardens or Armstrongs in Encinitas for your gardening needs. If you go to Sunshine’s, make sure to grab some amazing pie at Betty’s Pie Whole and say hi to Bubba the tortoise on your way out. This is a great place to take grandkids as they have goats, chickens, koi fish, a tortoise and some other friendly animals.
Mentoring
Let’s face it – you have a lot of experience and knowledge and there are a lot of people in younger generations that need guidance – whether it’s career, personal, or family-related, we’re sure you have lessons and stories that can help others from making the same mistakes. If you don’t already have a LinkedIn Profile, consider creating one. It is free and there is a function where you can activate “mentorship” and allow people who are looking for mentors to find you.
Video Sharing
After losing relatives this year, we’ve realized how valuable videos are of our parents and loved ones. One of the greatest gifts you can give your family are videos of you talking about your life and what you’ve learned. If you don’t have someone to help you set this up, we would be happy to help you find someone who can.
Looking for some other ideas of what to do in San Diego for retirement (or vacation?)? Follow us on social media and sign up for our newsletter to find more local gems in the North County area!