Ameno, Mission Viejo

As a divorced father of two kids, the Mediterranean-like village of Mallorca on the Lake in Mission Viejo was a fabulous place to live. Viewed from Lake Mission Viejo, it really does have the look and feel of group of white-washed, hillside villas that might have been built on the Costa del Sol shore in Spain. For me, the spacious two-bedroom, third floor condo offered plenty of room for my bachelorhood during the week and didn't seem a bit smaller during my kid's weekend visits.

Just driving through the front gates gave me sense of getting away and the slow and winding drive up the hill to my condo was great for decompressing after a hard day. Each evening I was treated to magnificent views of Saddleback Mountain from the large wrap-around balcony. For the kids, each weekend was like a short vacation getaway, especially during the warm summer and autumn, when much of our time was spent at the beach (Lake Misson Viejo) or one of two large community pools.

It seemed as though most of the residents were kidless, however, the number of kids did seem to bulge on the weekends as evidenced by the action at the pools and the beach. Built against a hill, the streets of Mallorca are not exactly kid friendly but offered great challenges for all of us bike riders.

Convenience was a major factor in the decision to move there. Two of my passions were satisfied with a short walk or ride to the shopping center at the foot of the complex - Taco Tuesdays at Tortilla Flats and a solid workout at the 19 Fitness center. All of my banking and dry cleaning was done there as well. I loved that I could ride my bike to Henry's, my favorite health food and produce store. In fact, Mallorca is a great launching point for a bike ride to just about anywhere in Mission Viejo.