From Summit County to Wind Crest

Nearly four years ago, when Cap and Suzy Witzler moved to Wind Crest, the Erickson Senior Living community in Highlands Ranch, Colo., they were already familiar with the campus. After all, they had been there many times before.

The couple, who lived in Summit County at the time, would often visit Wind Crest. "In 2014, our very dear friends, Bob and Nancy Follett, moved here," says Cap. "We’ve stayed with them and traveled with them before. They were the first couple that we knew who moved here." 

Cap and Suzy were the second couple within their social circle from Summit County  to move to Wind Crest, with more were soon to follow. Right after they moved in, Suzy says, “Nine of our close friends scheduled a move—four couples and a single person. They moved here over a six-month period in 2018.”

Friendly ties

“Our circle of friends in Summit County really gave back to the community there, and that’s how we got to know them,” says Cap. They were all involved with the National Repertory Orchestra, the Lake Dillion Theatre, and the Keystone Science School, among others. 

The Witzlers also participated in couples’ bridge, weekly golf outings, international travel, cruises, motorcycle trips, and other engaging activities with fellow Summit County folks.

“After we moved to Wind Crest, we learned there were people from Summit County already here—or in the process of moving in—that we knew of or had some affiliation with,” says Suzy.

And they just keep coming. Suzy says they’ve now met more than 25 people who moved from Summit County to Wind Crest, located in beautiful Douglas County.

Every other month, community members from Summit County have a dinner gathering. In between, Suzy notes, “We move as small pieces within that group.”

When moving to Wind Crest, Cap and Suzy chose a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment home because they wanted to host large dinners for friends, especially at Thanksgiving and Christmas, as they did while living in Summit County. They especially appreciate the open living space.

“We have room for this big table that fits lots of people,” says Suzy. “That was important to us.”

So is participating in activities across campus. “I can’t think of a single Summit County family that has not gotten involved with the Wind Crest community,” says Cap.

Another couple originally from Summit County, Peg and Lee Henry, moved to Wind Crest nearly four years ago. Moving as a group, Peg says, wasn’t planned.

‘A good time to move’

“We all moved for different reasons—health, wanting to get away from the long winter—Wind Crest just seemed like a good idea to several of us at the same time,” Peg says. “It’s not that we had never talked about it, but we didn’t try to coordinate anything.”

Lee says that they love living at Wind Crest because it’s hassle-free. “We’ve got a nice apartment home to live in, lots of restaurants to choose from, great places to walk, fitness centers where we can exercise, and classes to attend each year. It’s also comforting to know that you’ve got a group of emergency responders about 50 yards from our front door, 24/7,” Lee explains.

For the Henrys, another significant benefit of living at Wind Crest is the ability leave town, knowing that everything at their apartment home is safe and taken care of. “We all travel a lot,” Lee says. “We can turn the key in the door and tell them we’re leaving—everything is fine when we get back.”

When they’re not spending time in the Walton, their two-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath apartment home, they may be together with friends. “We play cards, have dinner together, and go golfing with fellow Summit County residents,” says Peg.

For all the folks who once lived in Summit County, their circles continue to grow.

“A wonderful thing about this group is that everyone in it has met other interesting people and introduced us to them. It’s reciprocal. We’ve met new people and introduced them to our friends,” says Suzy. “People tell us that it’s unusual—that the terrific, close community we had in Summit County has just continued here. We’re pretty darn lucky.”

No matter where you move from, socializing is easy at Wind Crest. To learn more about this friendly, vibrant community, request a brochure or a visit now!