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Golf, boating, and nature are just a few of the things readers told us they are enjoying in retirement. For our second annual list of great places to retire, we asked readers to tell us about their healthy retirement haven. Here are 10 additional retirement gems worth a look.

Asheville, N.C. "I am 44 and do all of my training in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, road biking on the Blue Ridge Parkway, running the scenic Mountains-to-Sea Trail, swimming in our clean national park lakes and rivers, and mountain biking the hundreds of miles of challenging trails of the North Carolina Arboretum." Todd Gothberg

Austin, Texas "I like the climate, culture, and nice people in Austin. We go to the opera, concerts, pools to swim, and live [near the] forest." Gabriel Cacuci

Fairhope, Ala. "There are a lot of ma-and-pa shops downtown but no fast food and no chains. There are an awful lot of beautiful flowers on every street corner in every season. And people will look me in the eye and say hello." Norm Wachtl

Huntsville, Ala. There is "a great four-season climate, no recession, lots of job openings, very little crime, a very high percentage of professional people, the latest and best in shopping and entertainment, and very good schools, all in a beautiful area in the Smoky Mountain foothills.... Many veterans who were stationed here and worked on the big Redstone Arsenal move back here for retirement." Mel Fisher

Pensacola, Fla. "In Pensacola, nearly everything revolves around water or beach recreation, and the beaches have sand like very fine, white sugar. I bought a 30-foot Hunter sailboat when I moved here and have a 15-foot speedboat for fishing.... Life is very laid back, easygoing, and the cost of living is much cheaper than we imagined it would be along the Gulf Coast. We were very surprised at all the festivals throughout the summer, from crawfish to local art, and all the fishing tournaments that seem to be every weekend. Two weekends ago, a shark fishing tournament was held, and the winner was over 900 pounds." Elaine Helen Pike

Providence, R.I. "Providence, R.I., is a neat place to live if you've got some money. Between Brown and the Rhode Island School of Design, there is plenty of intellectual opportunity. The water and scenery are gorgeous, with plenty of boating, sailing, and fishing. Boston is under an hour away. The Patriots are even closer—just 20 minutes. Amtrak scoots you into NYC if you want it." Barry Fain

Reno, Nev. "Thanks to the gaming industry, we get lots of big-name music and shows that a town this size otherwise wouldn't get." Gina Pogol

Seattle, Wash. "It has the Puget Sound on one side and Lake Washington on the other. We take the grandchildren to the zoo, go down to Alki Beach, and go up to Mount Rainier." Perry Frumkin

Tyler, Texas "There is a great civic theater, two different concert series each year, a four-year college, an excellent two-year college, lakes, and hunting. The two colleges both have plays and other entertainment." Jerry Bellis

Wilmington, Del. "The University of Delaware offers a good program at its Academy of Lifelong Learning.... Courses are given by volunteer members in a broad range of subjects, with frequent talks by University of Delaware professors, organized trips, and University of Delaware theater programs.... Wilmington also has the well-known Winterthur Museum and Country Estate.... In addition, Delaware does not have a sales tax." Paul Steyermark

Think of it as retirement reinvented. As Americans live longer and in better health, all those old retirement clichés seem evermore removed from reality. Long walks on the beach? Hitting the links? Fiddling around the house? Nope, modern retirement can be so much more than that, from triathlons to deep-sea fishing. (OK, and maybe a little golf.)

Of course, to make the most of this next stage of life, you have to be healthy. And whether you practice yoga to heighten your mental acuteness and flexibility, soak up the panoramic views at the highest peak of a hiking trail, or get a rush when a gust of wind hits the sails, where you spend your later years can make all the difference.

To help you get started on the process of finding the healthiest spots to retire (assuming that such a thing is still possible despite the dismal stock market), U.S. News traveled the country and selected 10 editors' picks. These are places way ahead of the healthy living curve—they provide numerous places to exercise, promote strong social support, and encourage healthy lifestyle habits. And each has a little something extra, too.

Between Maine's forest-blanketed mountains and rugged coast lies Portland, with its seemingly endless hiking-and-biking trails and an island-studded Casco Bay, perfect for outdoor enthusiasts. Traverse through the desert and you'll find Green Valley, Ariz., which boasts 12 local recreation centers offering a litany of recreational activities, from woodworking shops and computer labs, to tennis, swimming, and bocce ball. For something a bit lighter, Walnut Creek, Calif., might be more your speed, where retirees come together through a love gardening and socializing. Those who beckon to a retirement of boating and world-class game fishing will probably fancy Punta Gorda, Fla.

But our list is just the beginning. Want to search for the retirement spot that best fits your needs? Just go to our 2008 version of our Best Places to Retire search tool. It allows you to sort through more than 2,000 locations throughout the United States according to the criteria that are most important to you, including climate, access to healthcare, cost of living, and recreational choices. You'll end up with a customized list of places with detailed information about each city or town. You can also find more editors' picks of the greenest, brainiest, and outdoorsiest places to retire. We've even got something for golf nuts and the most fanatical of football fans. Finally, we've included favorites submitted by readers, who describe what they find special about their retirement havens.

Now it's no secret that healthy folks tend to live longer, get fewer colds and flues, experience less aches and pains while aging, recover fast from an illness, and are happier mentally and emotionally. "The three prerequisites for well being in the later years are good health, financial security, and social integration," says Victor Marshall, director of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Institute on Aging. "You want to move to a community that is set up to make it easier for people to get out and walk." Marshall recommends three, 45-minute periods of brisk walking a week. But other activities like yoga, gardening, biking, or even raking leaves can count toward that total.

When Ashish Gadnis was laid off from his position as president of a Minnesota software development company, he managed to launch his new life before even leaving the parking lot. On the way to his car, he ran into the vice president of operations who had also been let go, and the two decided to start their own business.

The week Jason Wonacott lost his job as director of corporate communications for a Los Angeles online game publisher, he became his own boss and signed on his former employer as his first client.

When news of the Wall Street crash hit every U.S. household, Christine Marchuska felt the effects directly. Working in Manhattan at a major U.S. investment bank, Marchuska saw her layoff as a sign that it was time to become an entrepreneur.

"People look around at the economy, and what they thought were safe and secure positions are no longer safe or secure," says George Solomon, associate professor of management and director of the Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence at The George Washington University. Solomon saw the number of startups increase during the recessions of 1983 and 2001 and predicts they'll increase in the current economy as well.

So if you've just been laid off or think you're about to, get inspired by these entrepreneurs who turned their pink slips into a green light to start businesses.

Attitude is Key

No time is ever a good time for a layoff, but for Gadnis, it couldn't have been a worse time. With a new home and a new baby, losing his job was definitely not part of the plan. However, after receiving the news, Gadnis soon found a business partner, thought up a business name, Forward Hindsight Inc., and registered his new strategy and risk management consulting business all before the day was over.

That was in 2004. Today, Forward Hindsight boasts an impressive list of clients, including Northwest Airlines, and has even expanded into the Middle East and India. In 2008, the Minneapolis-based company made about $3 million in sales, and Gadnis aims to increase that number in the next couple of years.

With extensive experience as former director at United Health Group and head of software development for an e-learning company, Gadnis was equipped with contacts and know-how, but his attitude was the key to getting back on his feet so quickly. Instead of feeling frustrated or incompetent, Gadnis kept his ego in check. "In the past four years, I've learned that in addition to a zero basis for fear, you have to have a zero basis for ego," says Gadnis, 39. "If you have no ego, you can get through any difficult moments." Now, with a successful business under way, Gadnis has set his sights on a much bigger goal: He wants to be working to solve world hunger full time by the time he's 45.

Exit Strategy

When Wonacott lost his job in April 2007, he was prepared. He had caught wind of possible cuts and, having been through a layoff before, wanted to be in the driver's seat this time. He prepared a proposal and, when the fateful day arrived, approached the company's CEO and vice president of marketing with a deal they couldn't refuse: He would continue doing their PR work but wouldn't require the salary or benefits of an employee. They agreed and not only became his first client, but also leveraged their networks to win him two other clients. "I have never professionally been so scared," admits Wonacott, 36, who, thanks to his courage and a good severance package, was able to walk away from the layoff with the beginning phases of Wonacott Communications LLC, a full-service PR and integrated communications practice in Los Angeles.

After holding several PR positions, Wonacott knew the industry well, but wasn't so familiar with owning a business. "Going into a position where you don't have someone else paying you every two weeks, you have to change the way you think," he says. He had also long relied on having the assistance of IT specialists, HR experts and office managers at his fingertips, but when he went out on his own, those responsibilities fell on his shoulders. To cope, he turned to his network, where he found a friend of a friend who could offer tech support when needed. He also found his business accountant and attorney and got business leads for the first six months.