Since moving into our rig last Summer we have stayed in Canada. Now we are planning our first six month snowbird excursion for Fall 2015-16 and are having some difficulties choosing where to stay. We had hoped to travel around mid to south Florida for the beaches, but finding available places to book is proving to be difficult and expensive. I have started to look at south Texas for the first time. How does this compare to Florida?
If we were to go without pre-booking, will it be possible to find decent places to stay or will we be living at Walmart?
Any advice is appreciated.
Tim
soos said
12:05 AM Feb 9, 2015
We did FL one winter- expensive, as you say, and you actually have to be pretty far south to get warm. We did south Texas one year and do head to TX in the fall most years. lots of great places there. We rarely book too far in advance , but we move a lot so only need a week, not a month someplace, and aren't too fussy about where we stay.
For the dead of winter we prefer AZ. affordable and warm, USUALLY. 86* today.
Sue
2riker2go said
06:25 AM Feb 9, 2015
We went to TX last winter for January to March. Maybe it was just last winter, but we found Galveston to be damp and foggy. Our favorite places were San Antonio and Port Aransas. Other than being cooler than we expected in January and February, the main thing we didn't like about Texas was that it was windy. I don't think we put our awning out once in three months.
bjoyce said
07:06 AM Feb 9, 2015
We have been cold in Arizona, cold in Florida, cold in Texas, but we have also been warm in all these places while the others are cold. Weather wise, each snowbird location can be colder or wetter than normal the year you go. Just like everywhere else. Two years ago it was colder in Arizona, last year it was great in Arizona, this year it was cold in December and January, but it is now warm. We are in Florida this year and it has been colder and wetter than normal. Three winters ago, our last stay, it was quite warm in Florida. We didn't find Texas to our liking, but others do and it is not windy everywhere.
You go and take your chances. It is almost guaranteed to be warmer than where you came from up north. How often you can be in shorts is up to question, but 60 degrees F is warmer than below freezing.
BiggarView said
08:19 AM Feb 9, 2015
Bill, I'd take cold in AZ, TX or FL over cold in IL any day.
Bobc said
08:32 AM Feb 9, 2015
I think right now Alaska would be better than MA. this year.
GET ME OUT OF HERE. MORE SNOW, MORE COLD, IT WONT STOP THIS YEAR
Snowing hard another foot on the ground this morning Temp is 12 and going down.
more snow for the weekend and temps below 0!!!! I give up get me out of here
we have had over 70" of snow in 2 weeks
Terry and Jo said
10:28 AM Feb 9, 2015
Bobc wrote:
I think right now Alaska would be better than MA. this year.
GET ME OUT OF HERE. MORE SNOW, MORE COLD, IT WONT STOP THIS YEAR
Snowing hard another foot on the ground this morning Temp is 12 and going down.
more snow for the weekend and temps below 0!!!! I give up get me out of here
we have had over 70" of snow in 2 weeks
So, Bob. Your signature says 18 months to go.....
.....would you happen to be thinking of "ramping up" the timetable?
I think I would. While winter here in Colorado (specifically at Mountaindale Cabins and RV Resort) has been somewhat cold, the images I have of Colorado in Winter are well worth it to me. And, coming from Oklahoma City, where the wind blows and the humidity is high, at the base of the mountain here, there is little wind and a lot lower humidity. Even the cold days can be pleasant when one gets rid of the "contributing factors."
Terry
Barbaraok said
10:57 AM Feb 9, 2015
Yuma is flirting with 90° today - mid 80s in the Phoenix area. Just in case those stuck in the snow wanted to know
Barb
K & E said
11:35 AM Feb 9, 2015
We've been in Texas, Gulf Shores area and Arizona. By far the best consistent warm and sunny weather has been in southern Arizona; Yuma and Phoenix area. Next year we want to try Florida, but I'm also having trouble finding an affordable place near the water in southern Florida. I'm thinking we'll give Florida a try for a winter and probably end up back in Arizona in future years.
Diana and Jim said
11:36 AM Feb 9, 2015
Peter over at Life Unscripted ( ppazucha.wordpress.com ) has been in S. Texas this winter. He and his wife have seen plenty of parks in their explorations, and report that reservations are not needed. You can go back through his posts and see for sure what he has to say about the subject.
Jim
bjoyce said
11:48 AM Feb 9, 2015
K & E wrote:
We've been in Texas, Gulf Shores area and Arizona. By far the best consistent warm and sunny weather has been in southern Arizona; Yuma and Phoenix area. Next year we want to try Florida, but I'm also having trouble finding an affordable place near the water in southern Florida. I'm thinking we'll give Florida a try for a winter and probably end up back in Arizona in future years.
Affordable and near the water is difficult in south Florida. Luckily the state is not that wide, so you can camp inland and get to the beaches on either coast in an hour to an hour and a half.
trimixdiving said
09:08 PM Feb 9, 2015
Thanks for the information. I agree that any place south of here will be better than our current deep freeze. With the wind chill it was -34 F this morning.
I have been to Florida several times over the years but never in an RV and have never visited the other southern States. I started researching Florida this past December and was a little surprised to find not a heck of a lot available almost a year out. That is why I am looing at other states.
I guess we will try central Florida until the end of December and then make our way to Arizona for the rest of the winter.
Our rig isn't set up for any extended boondocking yet but this will give us a chance to experience short stays before deciding to add solar.
TXRVr said
02:07 PM Feb 22, 2015
Last week when much of the US was under lots of snow it was in the 70s in San Antonio. This week when they are under lots more snow, it will be 40 or so in SA. Cold, but not miserable. And it will warm up quickly. There many things to do and see and within a 100 mile radius.
If you want the south Florida type weather then you have to go to what we call "the valley" which is Harlington/McAllen area. It's on about the same latitude as West Palm Beach, FL
For those not liking windy weather, it is best not to stay along the coast which is Port Aransas, Galveston, Corpus, etc. But that's probably true of any state that has a coast.
On your way to AZ stop and spend 3-4 days in San Antonio to see if you want to keep it on your list or not. I say that long because that will give you a chance to try the "many things to do and see" that I previously mentioned.
Since moving into our rig last Summer we have stayed in Canada. Now we are planning our first six month snowbird excursion for Fall 2015-16 and are having some difficulties choosing where to stay. We had hoped to travel around mid to south Florida for the beaches, but finding available places to book is proving to be difficult and expensive. I have started to look at south Texas for the first time. How does this compare to Florida?
If we were to go without pre-booking, will it be possible to find decent places to stay or will we be living at Walmart?
Any advice is appreciated.
Tim
For the dead of winter we prefer AZ. affordable and warm, USUALLY. 86* today.
Sue
You go and take your chances. It is almost guaranteed to be warmer than where you came from up north. How often you can be in shorts is up to question, but 60 degrees F is warmer than below freezing.
Bill, I'd take cold in AZ, TX or FL over cold in IL any day.
I think right now Alaska would be better than MA. this year.
GET ME OUT OF HERE. MORE SNOW, MORE COLD, IT WONT STOP THIS YEAR
Snowing hard another foot on the ground this morning Temp is 12 and going down.
more snow for the weekend and temps below 0!!!! I give up get me out of here
we have had over 70" of snow in 2 weeks
So, Bob. Your signature says 18 months to go.....
.....would you happen to be thinking of "ramping up" the timetable?
I think I would. While winter here in Colorado (specifically at Mountaindale Cabins and RV Resort) has been somewhat cold, the images I have of Colorado in Winter are well worth it to me. And, coming from Oklahoma City, where the wind blows and the humidity is high, at the base of the mountain here, there is little wind and a lot lower humidity. Even the cold days can be pleasant when one gets rid of the "contributing factors."
Terry
Yuma is flirting with 90° today - mid 80s in the Phoenix area. Just in case those stuck in the snow wanted to know
Barb
Jim
Affordable and near the water is difficult in south Florida. Luckily the state is not that wide, so you can camp inland and get to the beaches on either coast in an hour to an hour and a half.
Thanks for the information. I agree that any place south of here will be better than our current deep freeze. With the wind chill it was -34 F this morning.
I have been to Florida several times over the years but never in an RV and have never visited the other southern States. I started researching Florida this past December and was a little surprised to find not a heck of a lot available almost a year out. That is why I am looing at other states.
I guess we will try central Florida until the end of December and then make our way to Arizona for the rest of the winter.
Our rig isn't set up for any extended boondocking yet but this will give us a chance to experience short stays before deciding to add solar.
Last week when much of the US was under lots of snow it was in the 70s in San Antonio. This week when they are under lots more snow, it will be 40 or so in SA. Cold, but not miserable. And it will warm up quickly. There many things to do and see and within a 100 mile radius.
If you want the south Florida type weather then you have to go to what we call "the valley" which is Harlington/McAllen area. It's on about the same latitude as West Palm Beach, FL
For those not liking windy weather, it is best not to stay along the coast which is Port Aransas, Galveston, Corpus, etc. But that's probably true of any state that has a coast.
On your way to AZ stop and spend 3-4 days in San Antonio to see if you want to keep it on your list or not. I say that long because that will give you a chance to try the "many things to do and see" that I previously mentioned.