Seniors Seek Out  Mission Viejo

Mission Viejo, a city that senior travelers will find in Orange County, California in the Saddleback Valley, is considered one of the largest master-planned communities ever built under a single project in the United States, and is rivaled only by Highlands Ranch, Colorado, in its size. Its population as of 2014 was estimated at 96,346.

My wife picked up two Tuscan melons that came from Dulcinea Farms in Mission Viejo. I like the city motto: “Make Living Your Mission” in Mission Viejo, and my travel bucket mission is to one day visit the Farms.

Mission Viejo lies approximately 23 miles southeast of Anaheim and 43 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is bordered by Lake Forest on the northwest, Trabuco Canyon on the northeast, Rancho Santa Margarita and Ladera Ranch on the east, San Juan Capistrano on the south, and Laguna Niguel and Laguna Hills on the west.

Seniors Find Great City In Undevelopable Land!

Historically, Mission Viejo was a hilly region primarily used as cattle and sheep grazing land, since it was of little use to farmers. This city was one of the last regions of Orange County to be urbanized due to its geologic complexity. In 1960, early developers dismissed most of the land in Mission Viejo as simply “undevelopable.”

Mission Viejo is suburban in nature and culture. Although mainly residential, there are a number of offices and businesses within its city limits. The city is known for its picturesque tree-lined neighborhoods, receiving recognition from the National Arbor Day Foundation. The city’s name is a reference to Rancho Mission Viejo, a large Spanish land grant from which the community was founded.

Lake Mission Viejo is a private recreational facility built around a large man-made lake with extensive facilities for swimming, boating, fishing, and other outdoor activities. The Lake was created for recreational use and senior visitors will find two  beaches on the north and east ends of the lake.

 Seniors Like Southern California

The Shops at Mission Viejo, an indoor upscale mall, features Nordstrom, H&M, Macy’s, Apple, Microsoft, Sephora and host of other anchor department stores. Seniors can play a round of golf at the Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club and then tour of the campus of Saddleback College, a community college that is part of the California Community College system.

Pick a video on Mission Viejo. Like most of southern California, Mission Viejo is prone to dry Santa Ana winds. The houses and shopping centers are almost uniformly designed in a Spanish mission style, with “adobe”-like stucco walls and barrel-tile roofs.

Seniors enjoy memorable California scenery: San Juan Capistrano, Laguna Beach, Tustin, and Santa Ana. Set your GPS for Mission Viejo and enjoy a few days in a community loaded with amenities for senior visitors. -jeb