Ageing Snowbird Parks, Changing habits, preferences.

Scottiemom wrote:
We are just down the road from you pawatt. My DH calls our park "assisted living." My parents were among the first residents, before it was even totally built, some 30 years ago. They had a 5th wheel they hauled back and forth. Eventually they bought a park model. When we arrived and decided to spend our winters here to "eldersit" we were the youngest in the park. It is mostly park models now, but we still full time and live in our motorhome. We bought 2 lots behind Mom and Dad and put up a canopy, then a cart shed, then a 12 x 28 "Texas" room (actually an efficiency apartment). The older residents complain that the younger ones don't want to work and they lament what is going to happen to their park. This is not true. We will work just as hard, but we don't want to play shuffleboard, pitch horseshoes or bake cookies for a jam we don't attend because the singing is soooooooo bad. We are trying to get other activities, but get voted out every time by the old guard who have been doing the same things for 30 years and don't see why we need to change anything. But all that is changing. The "old guard" sadly is dying out. My dad is gone, my mother at 93 just quit going this year, so dozens of properties have sold in the last year. Younger people are moving in and things are changing. The crowd is younger and they all want to work, play and have fun. Still mostly park models and that won't change. The old guard is not Canadian friendly, but the younger crowd is, so things are looking up. At one point we had said when my folks were gone, we would sell. We are going to sell Mom's place this winter, but we are keeping ours for now.

On our way down there now. In Baton Rouge visiting family, then heading to the valley. Anxious to get there. This will be our first winter in 12 years we have been "free" to do as we please.

Dale

I couldn't agree more. Up until November 2017, I was working off and on in Texas high schools. It was convenient for me to stay in rv parks versus hotels for all the obvious reasons. It worked out well but I have to say, when we go full time, I'm not sitting in a 55 and older rv park, at least not for very long.

The rvers are nice enough as well as the employees who manage the parks. However, they don't take kindly to younger people, single people, or any other minority. If you're not a regular, good luck getting in on any of the activities, you'll pretty much be shunned because it takes a while for people to get to know you before you can get in.

The activities are okay but I'm not for a potluck, ice cream whatever, card games, shuffleboard, wood shop, etc. I want to get out and live. I figure if I'm going to be retired I want to suck as much life as I can out of the next hopefully 20 or so years.

We enjoy our time in the RGV and South Padre because it is very close to our home in Mexico and we plan on continuing to take advantage of the parks. We have met some wonderful people from all parts of the world there.