(FORTUNE Magazine) – Cancel the flight south. Put away those Bermuda shorts. The rules of retirement have changed. For some inexplicable reason, spending six sun-scorched hours a day on the golf course and then lining up for La Bella Boca's early-bird buffet doesn't have quite the appeal it once did. "Florida is boring," says Ken Stern, author of several books on retirement destinations. "People are retiring younger, and are younger at heart, so they want a more active lifestyle. They're also looking for a fair deal, so cost of living is important. The North makes a lot of sense." Yes, the North. Here are eight hot--okay, cool--destinations that offer plenty of reasons to think about a change of direction.

Hooked YORK, MAINE Dave and Jean Lincoln

Many of the tiny towns that line the Maine coast are swarming with tourists during the summer but deserted come October. York (pop. 14,000) is an exception. It thrives year-round and has amenities other resort towns lack, including large retail stores and a hospital. (And Boston is just an hour to the south.) But its real draws are the three miles of sandy beaches, great striped bass fishing, and woods where you can escape civilization completely. The Lincolns moved up from Georgia six years ago after Dave retired from Kimberly-Clark. "I spent all of my summers in New England," he says. "We wanted a town that was close to a big city but with a rural feeling." Home is now a 1720s farmhouse--the first property the Lincolns visited in York on a rainy day in 1994--with a barn out back where Dave, 69, makes silver jewelry, and Jean, 68, keeps her gardening tools. "I run every morning," says Dave, who also volunteers building houses for Habitat for Humanity. "If I'm not running, I'm biking. I can be in the country in ten minutes."

The Cherry Orchard TRAVERSE CITY, MICH. Jerry and Evelyn Brandt

When the Brandts relocated from Midland, Mich., to bucolic Traverse City seven years ago, they moved onto 200 acres of land and took up a new hobby: cherry farming. Jerry, a retired Dow Chemical researcher, split rock for his fireplace, chopped wood from the property to use as trim inside his 2,700-square-foot home, and bulldozed his own driveway with a Caterpillar. "I'm not your ordinary 67-year-old," he says. "Golf is way too slow for me." Cherry trees now grow on 75 acres of the Brandts' spread overlooking Sutton's Bay on Lake Michigan, and the couple sell their harvest to the local co-op. Traverse City is booming, attracting more and more retirees like the Brandts and retailers to service them. Luckily there are still one-stoplight towns just 15 miles away.

Sportsman's Paradise COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. Jim and Beverly Price

Jim Price can see Pikes Peak from his front porch and makes a point of climbing the 14,100-foot mountain at least once a year. The 64-year-old retired Air Force chaplain also plays golf, fishes, and hunts in what he calls a "sportsman's paradise." Retirees in Colorado Springs are an eclectic group. Many, like Price, are former military personnel (there are four bases in the area), but an increasing number are "civilians," attracted by low sales and property taxes, relatively low housing prices, and the scenic location. "It's a very beautiful area," says Jim, who lived briefly in Colorado as a child and returned many times to visit with his wife, Beverly, 61. His last assignment, before he retired in 1995, was at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. "When we first came here, it was a small town. It has been growing rapidly, so it has all the amenities, but it still has that small-town feel. It's a community where people talk to each other on the street." The Prices' 3,000-square-foot home might seem large for two people, but they are thankful for the extra room. "We seem to run a sort of motel here," says Jim. "Everyone wants to visit us."

Stepping Up CLOVERDALE, CALIF. Cindy and Wayne Schwartz

The only things Cindy Schwartz sees when she gazes out her front windows are trees and a white gazebo. That's quite a change from San Jose, where the Schwartzes, who both worked in the defense industry--Cindy, 51, was a financial analyst for FMC Corp.; Wayne, 59, was a manager at Westinghouse--made their home. "The houses were right on top of each other," she says. "We wanted a quieter place." Cloverdale, on the banks of the Russian River, is in the heart of Sonoma County's wine country (there are 40 wineries within 15 minutes of their house), but it doesn't have the traffic that plagues Napa County to the east. It is close enough to San Francisco to access airports and medical facilities, but far enough from the Bay Area and Silicon Valley to escape the astronomical housing prices. More than 20% of the town is over the age of 55, but Cloverdale also attracts young families, something that the Schwartzes say makes for a vibrant community.

Small Town, Big Sky BOZEMAN, MONT. Bill and Janne Hayward

Bill Hayward, a retired CPA, lived in San Francisco for 33 years. His wife, Janne, had worked as a bookkeeper in Hawaii for 20 years. But when it came time to retire, the Haywards headed to Montana. "We wanted a much smaller town," says Bill, 70, who takes courses at Montana State University and does volunteer work preparing tax returns. The Haywards say they're seeing more retirees relocating from places like Santa Fe and Jackson Hole, Wyo., to escape the crowds and the rising cost of living. No wonder: The average price of a 2,000-square-foot home in Bozeman is $120,000, there's no state sales tax, and the beauty of the area is hard to beat. Yes, winters are long, but Montanans insist they're not as harsh as one might expect. And summers are virtually humidity-free.

The 19th Hole KETCHUM, IDAHO Sue and Bob Mendelsohn

Sun Valley, with its celebrities and million-dollar log cabins, is no doubt a great retirement destination. But just two miles away housing prices begin to drop. Homes in Ketchum start at about $250,000, and you're still plenty close to the slopes. Just ask Sue Mendelsohn, 72, a former teacher in Bellingham, Wash., who straps on her skis three times a week. Bob, 76, a retired clothing store owner, prefers golfing on the area's five courses. Retiring to Ketchum was a no-brainer; the couple had been vacationing in the area since 1950. When she's not skiing, Sue helps organize some of the cultural events that come to the area. There's plenty of shopping and restaurants, a new hospital is set to open in December, and with more flights to the area, residents don't have to travel to Boise, about 100 miles away, to get to an airport.

Rooted in The Berkshires PITTSFIELD, MASS. Bertha and Herbert Lawrence

Berkshire County, in western Massachusetts, has the culture of New York and Los Angeles without the bus fumes or the smog. It is home to Tanglewood, the Williamstown Theater, and a new modern art museum. There's also hiking, fishing, golf, and five ski areas nearby. In Pittsfield, the largest city in the region, houses average less than $180,000, and the quality of life is so good that the Lawrences, both 71, couldn't bring themselves to move after Herb retired from GE. "We did have some other plans," he says, "but the area is so attractive--with a wonderful spring, summer, and fall--that we couldn't leave."

Coasting BROOKINGS, ORE. John and Robin Bollman

Nestled between the Pacific coast and a redwood forest, Brookings is a retiree's Shangri-la. The weather is mild all year, property taxes are among the lowest in the state, and housing prices have remained relatively stable. No wonder more than half the town's 13,000 residents are retired. It was the climate--both meteorological and psychological--that drew the Bollmans here from Mesa, Ariz., in 1999, after they retired from careers in law enforcement. Their three-bedroom home is half a mile from town and close enough to the beach to hear the ocean. John, 53, and Robin, 41, leave their windows open year-round and never lock their car. They also keep up with the Brookings police blotter. "It's mostly ducks on the bridge and loose dogs," says Robin.