The people, climate, wealth of activities and easy access to quality medical care all make the Tri-Cities an attractive place to live said three Kennewick retirees.

Gale Metcalf,

Gale Metcalf, who was in grade school when his family moved to Kennewick said that, for him, the memories are most important.

“I have memories of picnics, of shooting baskets with my friends, of going to the movies at the old Roxy, Pasco, Benton and Uptown theaters,” he said. “I remember playing baseball and football in high school with my schoolmates before graduating from Kennewick High School in 1962.”

Metcalf served in the Army and worked in Las Vegas for several years, but always called the Tri-Cities home.

He has adult memories too, and said, as a retiree, he’s still intent on making more right here in the Tri-Cities.

Gloria Space,

“Sure, I could go someplace else and be happy, but why?” he asked.

The Tri-Cities’ temperate climate is also a factor in why many retirees choose to live here.

“I love the weather here even if it is windy sometimes,” said Gloria Space, also of Kennewick. “It doesn’t last long and we don’t get tornados or hurricanes or hail the size of baseballs like other places do.”

She and her late husband, Bob, who grew up in Idaho, enjoyed the mild winters.

“We get some snow here, but it doesn’t usually last long and we were close enough to the mountains that we could still ski,” she said.

Virginia Sather,

Virginia Sather, agreed, saying her family also enjoyed winter sports.

Another plus to living in the Tri-Cities is an abundance of low-income and senior housing, Sather said, and a lot of community activities and active volunteer groups in the community.

Space, who grew up in Mexico, taught conversational Spanish for years at various senior centers in the Tri-Cities. Now that she’s retired, the senior centers provide her with a variety of activities and are an important part of her social life.

“That’s important when you have kids and grandkids and there’s plenty of places to play golf too,” she said, laughing.

The area’s three rivers also draw retirees to the Tri-Cities.

“They’re probably my number one reason to live here,” Space said.

They’re part of what Metcalf enjoys too. He often visits Sacajawea State Park in the early evening, while it’s still light, to watch the deer come out of the brush.

“The Yakima in this area is free flowing. You can walk along it or take out a boat and enjoy the purity of nature, the fullness of the moment. The wildlife here is something to behold,” he said.