Traveling Friends Start New Adventure at Trillium Woods
For more than 40 years, Ann Rock and Beth Gilbert have shared a friendship built on music, travel, laughter, and mutual support through life’s many chapters. Today, they are sharing another adventure together — life at Trillium Woods, the premier Life Plan Community in Plymouth, Minnesota.
Music, Laughter, Travel
Ann, a retired OB-GYN physician, practiced medicine in Duluth for 30 years. Beth spent more than three decades as a professor of music and piano at the University of Wisconsin-Superior. Their friendship began shortly after Beth moved to the area over four decades ago.
“I was looking for doctors and asked my department chair’s wife if there were any female gynecologists in the Twin Ports, and it turns out that was exactly one, and she just moved to the area,” Beth recalled with a laugh. “Luckily, everyone said wonderful things about Ann, and she was highly recommended.”
The two later connected through music when Ann began taking piano lessons from Beth.
“Her sister approached me — was playing principal keyboard and she was a horn player in the symphony,” Beth continues. “She wanted to know if I ever did private lessons in piano. She said her sister — that would be Ann — was an advanced pianist.”
The pair went for lunch and instantly hit it off. The lessons eventually dwindled due to Ann’s commitments as a physician, but the friendship did not fade at all. Over the years, the women traveled extensively with their husbands as a foursome, and after both were widowed, continued traveling together.
Over the years, they explored Ireland, England, Mexico, and much of Europe on river cruises along the Rhine, Danube, and Seine. One particularly memorable adventure involved learning to downhill ski together in Montana at age 40.
“We were getting off a chairlift and lost our footing,” Beth says. “They had told us that whatever you do when you get to the top, don’t grab onto each other. Of course, when we started to slip, the first thing we did was reach out for each other. Then we couldn’t get up, we were laughing so hard. The chairlift actually stopped because we were just sprawled on the ground.”
Choosing Trillium Woods
That sense of humor and easy companionship has carried into their move to Trillium Woods.
Though both women loved their homes in the Duluth-Superior area, they independently came to the same realization: they wanted a future that offered not only independence, but also security, community, and peace of mind. When they couldn’t find the right combination of service, amenities, lifestyle, and continuing care in their immediate area, they extended their search and discovered Trillium Woods.
“There was really no comparison,” Ann said.
For Beth, the appeal was multifaceted. Beyond the comfort of knowing a longtime friend would already be there, the location near Minneapolis-St. Paul’s thriving arts scene was especially meaningful.
“The Minnesota Orchestra, the opera, the Ordway — all of that really appealed to me,” Beth said. “And Trillium Woods takes residents to performances and events. That’s an incredible benefit.”
Ann appreciated the security and planning aspect of a Life Plan Community, particularly after losing her husband and recognizing the importance of preparing for the future as a single person.
“I didn’t want my siblings someday having to figure out who was going to take care of me,” she says, candidly.
They moved in a month apart and both have found a vibrant new chapter filled with friendship, opportunity, and connection.
Now settled into the community’s new expansion building, both women say they have been pleasantly surprised by how welcoming and social the transition has been.
“Everybody is extremely friendly,” Ann said. “I made it my job to meet two new people every day when I first moved in.”
That outgoing spirit quickly led to Ann being pulled into the newcomers committee, while Beth has enjoyed getting to know fellow residents over dinner conversations and social outings.
“The people here have had fascinating lives,” Beth said. “You sit around the dinner table and have wonderful conversations with people you never knew a year ago.”
Gateway Floorplan for Solo Agers
Both women chose one-bedroom Gateway apartments in the new building, finding the layouts ideal for independent living.
“The Gateway home is wonderful,” says Ann. “It fits everything I need to fit in it. I have a big bathroom, a nice-sized bedroom, a big closet, and a living room/kitchen area. And it’s perfect, in my opinion, for one person. It’s the perfect size for a single person.”
The Gateway also offers a den or study that is just the right size and layout for a cozy reading nook, a home office, a crafting studio, or other hobby spot, as well as a convenient powder room, and a balcony or a patio.
While the two friends both chose the same floorplan, there is a key difference in their homes.
“I love the Gateway too,” says Beth. “It’s perfect. It’s just perfect. Ann’s gateway faces east, and she’s an early riser, and she loves sunrises. And mine faces west, and I’m a night owl, and I love sunsets.”
Their kitchens are fully stocked, having brought their favorite cookware from home — but they admit they are not using their kitchens nearly as much as expected.
“The food here is unfortunately excellent,” Beth joked. “People laugh about the ‘freshman 15’ at Trillium Woods because everything tastes so good.”
An Active Lifestyle and Support When You Need It
Today, Ann stays active with exercise classes, biking, cards, Mahjong, excursions, and musical groups, while Beth is recovering from knee replacement surgery and has already experienced firsthand the value of Trillium Woods’ continuum of care through a short rehabilitation stay at The Birches health center.
“It was wonderful,” Beth said. “That’s one of the reasons you choose a place like this.”
Both women agree they have found exactly what they were looking for at Trillium Woods: friendship, support, intellectual connection, and a community that feels like home.
To discover if Trillium Woods is the right fit for you or a loved one, schedule a personal tour at https://www.trilliumwoodslcs.com or call 763-744-9440.
