Azalea Trace Acts CCRC (9/18-20/2016)

Saturday, September 17, 2016
A nine-and-a-half hour-drive today to arrive in Mt Juliet, TN to stop at "cousin" Mary's "West Wing" for a visit and to stay at the adjoining "Bed & Breakfast" of her son-in-law, Al.
This trip was also to drop-off and pick-up items, and here we dropped off postcards for Mary's collection, and jigsaw puzzles for her enjoyment.

Mary J and Al W

Sunday, September 18, 2016
An eight hour-drive today to arrive at Azalea Trace to visit Mom & Dad S.

View from their 6th floor Midrise apartment, toward Escambia Bay

Azalea Trace is an ACTS Retirement-Life Community, and as members of the ACTS Future Residents Club, we have been checking out different facilities, first in the state of Delaware in June 2016. We are already pretty familiar with Azalea Trace! It was built in 1981 by the Baptist Hospital/Baptist Regional Health Care Services, and acquired by ACTS in 2003.

Azalea Trace main entrance

The immense lobby

A typical hallway in Midrise

Not all units have their own washers and dryers. In Midrise, there is a large room on every floor, each with a different use. Every other floor has the laundry facilities, and alternate floors have a cribbage room, and a sewing room.

Jigsaw puzzle in the Trace Room off the lobby

Dining room with table service and a large salad bar;
breakfast, lunch and dinner are served (depending on the meal plan
of each resident), with brunch and dinner on most Sundays

Azalea Trace has the largest library we have seen at an ACTS facility

Azalea Trace has a large auditorium that is used as the chapel, a sundries shop, fitness rooms, billiards/game room, and a well-equipped hobby shop. There is a basement store of second-hand items, called Traces Treasures.

Swimming pool

The themed display is changed seasonally or monthly,
using items from the residents

The hobby shop display with amazingly crafted items

An "oasis" near the dining room;
it is usually more colorful

Azalea Trace has a few garden cottages, three buildings of apartments, a building with Oakbridge assisted living units, and another with Willowbrooke Court, the skilled nursing facility, all connected by covered walkways and surrounding an open area of trees and gardens. As per the name, the surrounding area is covered with azaleas. There is a mini golf driving range and nature trails.
Azalea Trace is next to the University of West Florida, and the residents are allowed to audit courses for free. The nearest hospital is a couple miles down University Boulevard.

We had some errands to run and some chores to do to help out Mom & Dad S, before leaving on Tuesday, September 20, 2016 to head to Belleair Bluffs, FL to visit Donna & Mike S.

Sort of a modern sculpture cloud formation;
we had never seen a cloud with so many pointed ends

A dog cloud turned into an opossum
in Safety Harbor, FL (9/21/2016)

Thursday, September 22, 2016
Today was our shortest drive from Belleair Bluffs to New Smyrna Beach, FL, to visit Lorraine S and Ron N.

View from the New Smyrna Beach condo

Lorraine arranged dinner at the Grille at Riverview with four other Chofu High School alumni and their spouses. In addition to us and Lorraine and Ron, there were Bob F and his wife, Chuck K and his wife, Joe S and his wife, and Genie F and her husband. Afterwards there were drinks at Genie's home.