Hubby and I are going full-time in 2017 and we are thinking about where to spend our first winter. We thought we had it figured out - but now I am not so sure.
We live in the Midwest, and thought it would be best to find an RV park in Florida for the months of December 2017, January and February 2018. That way we could drive home for Christmas without too much trouble. Recently, I called the RV park that is at the top of our list and was told that they will not accept reservations for anything less than 4 months. They said we could call next April to see if there are any spots remaining. Needless to say, I was really bummed. It's hard for us to make a commitment to stay in one place for 3 months, let alone 4 months - especially to a place we have never been.
We are in our 60's and we are active - we like to hike, kayak, bike, etc. We enjoy state parks - but we don't want to move three times during the winter season. Additionally, we don't want to winter "out west". Over the years we have spent a lot of time in Arizona - and prefer not to go there. We like cool weather - think spring and fall in the Midwest. So we had our hearts set on FL - anywhere north of Orlando - in a park that has full hook ups.
It seems like getting a spot in a nice RV park is really competitive. What have your experiences been? Are there places beyond Florida that we should consider?
I would love to have your input.
Thanks,
Barb
Neil and Connie said
01:30 PM Aug 24, 2016
It's really a matter of how warm you want to be and how much you want to pay to be warm. You shouldn't have any trouble getting a place for 3 months up in the central Florida (Orlando/Tampa) area…but as you get further south from there the minimum stay goes up and the price goes up. We are wintering for the 5th consecutive winter at Seminole Campground in North Fort Myers, FL…their minimum stay is 4 months I think and it's like 1050 or 1100 a month. 6 month stays are cheaper. North Fort Myers means you'll need jeans and a long sleeve shirt 2-3 times during the winter. Farther south…it starts to get expensive.
Other full timers winter in southern Texas, Arizona, or southern California…at least in Texas the stay lengths when we looked into it were pretty similar but I have no info regarding AZ or SoCal…I do have a friend that winters at The Sands in Desert Hot Springs and they only stay 3 or 4 months max.
You're looking out at winter 17-18…so it's really probably too early to make reservations there and the recommendation to call in April is about right. Most parks down in our area of SW FL tend to open up reservations for returning people in Jan/Feb, new longer term (4 months in Seminole's case) people in Mar and will start taking shorter (3 months for Seminole) in April. What you'll typically find is that longer terms are both cheaper per month and you have more guarantee in your site…at Seminole you're not guaranteed a particular site unless you're there 5 months…shorter you can put in a request and if nobody longer term takes that one then you'll get it…but once you're in a spot (which may change up to the day of arrival unless you're one of the guaranteed site criteria people)…then generally you don't have to move. I know a couple of people (in 4 winters so far) that were basically forced to move because of a late bump…but not usually and they both did get some consideration for having to move.
Southern TX (Mission area) might work for a midwesterner as well…the rates are usually a little cheaper than southern FL…but caution before you go there. It's really windy…almost all of the time; and the road people in general don't clean up very well. We thought southern TX had about the most trash on the roads we've ever seen.
There's a place in Cedar Key that will take reservations down to a single month…you might give them a call. It's not Low Key Hideaway…they're booked up pretty much forever as they only have 3 sites…try Cedar Key RV Resort. We have friends that stay there for just a month…but don't know the rates and I'm pretty sure they're not taking reservations for winter 17-18 yet though.
If you want north of Orlando…there should be many parks in that area with space…although it's really not warm once you get that far north. No snow most years…but most definitely not flip-flop weather.
igotjam said
02:19 PM Aug 24, 2016
This is year 10 for fulltiming. South Florida can be a problem for stays of 1 or 2 months. Have had the same experience as you did. Texas, AZ or CA has been no problem staying a month at a time.....usually don't need to book more than a week ahead. You will likely be able to find south Florida bookings for a few days or a week but harder for 1-2 months.
RonC said
05:00 PM Aug 24, 2016
We will return to Texas for most winters. Normally to San Antonio as it is near family, but anywhere along the Gulf Coast is going to provide mild winters. Just be ready to run from hurricanes. While I doubt we'll spend winters in any desert ... one thing going for the desert is not much in the way of hurricanes or tornados to worry about. Summer's are likely to be in or near Colorado. Altitude equals cool temps, so any mountainous area would be good for beating the heat. Don't you love how many options we have!!
jayc said
08:30 PM Aug 24, 2016
We are both born and raised on the Gulf coast of Texas and after retirement, we have become winter Texans. spending much of the winter in south Texas in the Rio Grande valley, mostly in Mission. With a few exceptions, the January-March highs are in the 70's and 80's. There is very little chance of a hurricane in the winter months as the season ends in November.
Good luck with you choice of a winter destination.
RonC said
08:41 PM Aug 24, 2016
We've been to Mission many times ... how's your Espaniol?? We LOVE south Texas!!
bjoyce said
09:21 AM Aug 25, 2016
If you like cool weather than the panhandle of Florida or the Alabama Gulf Coast might work for you. The Escapees park in Summerdale AL is great, if you are an Escapees member. Not far from it is a nice campground a friend liked, Coastal Haven, http://www.rvparkreviews.com/regions/alabama/fairhope/coastal-haven-rv-resort. In both the Panhandle and Alabama Gulf Coast you will deal with days in the 50s and 60s, with some in the 70s. Not as warm as further south in Florida. It is also likely to be wetter, but that depends on the weather patterns that year.
Note that we moved around our first winters, staying 1 to 3 weeks at various spots in Florida, Alabama, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California during those years until we found places that worked for us. We stayed at places we did not like that others thought were the greatest, and others hate the places we really liked. You have to find what works for you.
We have met people who have wintered from Virginia Beach south, including Myrtle Beach SC and the Savannah GA area.
-- Edited by bjoyce on Thursday 25th of August 2016 10:07:11 AM
fun2travel said
04:26 PM Aug 26, 2016
We stayed in Rockport , TX this past winter. Right on the coast. Very reasonable monthly rates. We loved it and plan to return to the area one day. Going to try AZ this winter. Enjoy!
Camper Chronicles said
07:25 PM Aug 26, 2016
We did Tampa the first winter and I loved it but the traffic was pretty crazy and the cost was high. Last year we did partly in Quartzite, Arizona and partly in other parts of Arizona which I also really liked. We would like to try Texas at some point as well so we can compare the big three. There is quite a difference in the weather depending on how south you are, but the dry air of the desert seems to equalize that a bit. If you choose Florida I absolutely recommend making reservations early.
Tracy
legrandnormand said
07:34 PM Aug 26, 2016
The Florida "panhandle" like "Destin" is a great place to stay, I loved it going trough it in 2010-2011. Brunswick and Savannah in Georgia are great places also.
-- Edited by legrandnormand on Friday 26th of August 2016 07:36:29 PM
Dance Chick said
08:27 AM Aug 27, 2016
This might be of interest - on www.rvnetwork.com in the General RV info section there is a thread "SC State Parks 30 days 50%". There are 6 or so SPs listed that are offering this. You can move between the parks and stay 30 days at one and then 30 days at another. I have no idea about SC's weather. I know we were in Hilton Head over New Years weekend for a wedding, and the weather was great. But, that was only 3 days out of a whole winter, and I think last winter was a mild one compared to some others.
Barb and Frank said
08:28 AM Aug 27, 2016
Thank you all for providing so much great information. I will explore other parts of Florida, especially the Panhandle; we like cool weather so it sounds like it might be a good option. Will also look at Texas - maybe the eastern side of the state.
I love to plan - but it seems like I may be planning too far in advance. I'll wait a few more months to explore more rv parks in central and northern Florida.
You have all given me so much to think about - I sincerely appreciate your input.
Barb
Gannet said
07:15 PM Aug 28, 2016
If you're not allergic to some cooler weather you can open up your search to not just all of North Florida, but also southernmost Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. The weather is very similar, in practice, to Florida north of I-4. I think you will find there are many dozens of parks in these areas, and they are vastly cheaper and easier to book than Florida south of I-4.
This is a very useful link. You can use it to examine the climate in all these areas in considerable detail. www.ncdc.noaa.gov/climateatlas/
Barb and Frank said
05:21 AM Aug 29, 2016
Gannet,
Thanks for the information - I will do some research on these areas.
Barb
Ckerr said
01:50 PM Aug 29, 2016
We live fulltime in Mission TX since my hubby is still working here. Winters are mild as mentioned -- 70s and 80s for the most part and the humidity is lower than more coastal areas. We're far enough inland that we don't really have hurricanes and the winds are less than closer to the coast. At the same time we're only a 70 minute drive to the beach.
Lots of midwest Winter Texans and the locals really welcome the Winter Texans -- a bit different from what I hear about most places.
The particular community we live in is walking distance to a State Park with lots of hike/bike trails and a resaca for kyaking. PM me if you would like more info on particular parks.
Hubby and I are going full-time in 2017 and we are thinking about where to spend our first winter. We thought we had it figured out - but now I am not so sure.
We live in the Midwest, and thought it would be best to find an RV park in Florida for the months of December 2017, January and February 2018. That way we could drive home for Christmas without too much trouble. Recently, I called the RV park that is at the top of our list and was told that they will not accept reservations for anything less than 4 months. They said we could call next April to see if there are any spots remaining. Needless to say, I was really bummed. It's hard for us to make a commitment to stay in one place for 3 months, let alone 4 months - especially to a place we have never been.
We are in our 60's and we are active - we like to hike, kayak, bike, etc. We enjoy state parks - but we don't want to move three times during the winter season. Additionally, we don't want to winter "out west". Over the years we have spent a lot of time in Arizona - and prefer not to go there. We like cool weather - think spring and fall in the Midwest. So we had our hearts set on FL - anywhere north of Orlando - in a park that has full hook ups.
It seems like getting a spot in a nice RV park is really competitive. What have your experiences been? Are there places beyond Florida that we should consider?
I would love to have your input.
Thanks,
Barb
It's really a matter of how warm you want to be and how much you want to pay to be warm. You shouldn't have any trouble getting a place for 3 months up in the central Florida (Orlando/Tampa) area…but as you get further south from there the minimum stay goes up and the price goes up. We are wintering for the 5th consecutive winter at Seminole Campground in North Fort Myers, FL…their minimum stay is 4 months I think and it's like 1050 or 1100 a month. 6 month stays are cheaper. North Fort Myers means you'll need jeans and a long sleeve shirt 2-3 times during the winter. Farther south…it starts to get expensive.
Other full timers winter in southern Texas, Arizona, or southern California…at least in Texas the stay lengths when we looked into it were pretty similar but I have no info regarding AZ or SoCal…I do have a friend that winters at The Sands in Desert Hot Springs and they only stay 3 or 4 months max.
You're looking out at winter 17-18…so it's really probably too early to make reservations there and the recommendation to call in April is about right. Most parks down in our area of SW FL tend to open up reservations for returning people in Jan/Feb, new longer term (4 months in Seminole's case) people in Mar and will start taking shorter (3 months for Seminole) in April. What you'll typically find is that longer terms are both cheaper per month and you have more guarantee in your site…at Seminole you're not guaranteed a particular site unless you're there 5 months…shorter you can put in a request and if nobody longer term takes that one then you'll get it…but once you're in a spot (which may change up to the day of arrival unless you're one of the guaranteed site criteria people)…then generally you don't have to move. I know a couple of people (in 4 winters so far) that were basically forced to move because of a late bump…but not usually and they both did get some consideration for having to move.
Southern TX (Mission area) might work for a midwesterner as well…the rates are usually a little cheaper than southern FL…but caution before you go there. It's really windy…almost all of the time; and the road people in general don't clean up very well. We thought southern TX had about the most trash on the roads we've ever seen.
There's a place in Cedar Key that will take reservations down to a single month…you might give them a call. It's not Low Key Hideaway…they're booked up pretty much forever as they only have 3 sites…try Cedar Key RV Resort. We have friends that stay there for just a month…but don't know the rates and I'm pretty sure they're not taking reservations for winter 17-18 yet though.
If you want north of Orlando…there should be many parks in that area with space…although it's really not warm once you get that far north. No snow most years…but most definitely not flip-flop weather.
We are both born and raised on the Gulf coast of Texas and after retirement, we have become winter Texans. spending much of the winter in south Texas in the Rio Grande valley, mostly in Mission. With a few exceptions, the January-March highs are in the 70's and 80's. There is very little chance of a hurricane in the winter months as the season ends in November.
Good luck with you choice of a winter destination.
If you like cool weather than the panhandle of Florida or the Alabama Gulf Coast might work for you. The Escapees park in Summerdale AL is great, if you are an Escapees member. Not far from it is a nice campground a friend liked, Coastal Haven, http://www.rvparkreviews.com/regions/alabama/fairhope/coastal-haven-rv-resort. In both the Panhandle and Alabama Gulf Coast you will deal with days in the 50s and 60s, with some in the 70s. Not as warm as further south in Florida. It is also likely to be wetter, but that depends on the weather patterns that year.
Note that we moved around our first winters, staying 1 to 3 weeks at various spots in Florida, Alabama, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California during those years until we found places that worked for us. We stayed at places we did not like that others thought were the greatest, and others hate the places we really liked. You have to find what works for you.
We have met people who have wintered from Virginia Beach south, including Myrtle Beach SC and the Savannah GA area.
-- Edited by bjoyce on Thursday 25th of August 2016 10:07:11 AM
Tracy
The Florida "panhandle" like "Destin" is a great place to stay, I loved it going trough it in 2010-2011. Brunswick and Savannah in Georgia are great places also.
-- Edited by legrandnormand on Friday 26th of August 2016 07:36:29 PM
Thank you all for providing so much great information. I will explore other parts of Florida, especially the Panhandle; we like cool weather so it sounds like it might be a good option. Will also look at Texas - maybe the eastern side of the state.
I love to plan - but it seems like I may be planning too far in advance. I'll wait a few more months to explore more rv parks in central and northern Florida.
You have all given me so much to think about - I sincerely appreciate your input.
Barb
This is a very useful link. You can use it to examine the climate in all these areas in considerable detail. www.ncdc.noaa.gov/climateatlas/
Gannet,
Thanks for the information - I will do some research on these areas.
Barb
Lots of midwest Winter Texans and the locals really welcome the Winter Texans -- a bit different from what I hear about most places.
The particular community we live in is walking distance to a State Park with lots of hike/bike trails and a resaca for kyaking. PM me if you would like more info on particular parks.