Snowbirds - East or West?

Living in Southeastern Quebec:

We considered snowbirding in the Southwest (extreme southwest corner of Arizona), and did a trial run to Northeastern Florida this February (not with the camper, but renting a condo); the following dictates our snowbirding location (in order of importance):

*a location without icing, sleet, or snowfall (however, occasional frost on the ground doesn't bother us)

*tied for 1st place: is being able to easily shoot back/forth between home and snowbirding locale (at least 3 times during November to April: 2x 11-hour days is very easy to Florida and back/forth several times; however, 2x 6.5 days to Phoenix several times during winter is completely and utterly out of the question-- and we don't and will never fly in winter locked into a commercial aircraft packed nto a sardine can with 250 potentially flu/rhino-virus infected people hacking away);

*less important is fuel prices (with our rig, south Quebec to Phoenix = $1500 return; southern Quebec to Orlando = $820 return).

So, to conclude: the distance/logistics to Southern Arizona is just WAY too time-consuming in/for our situation, unless we move to Canada's West Coast (an intermediate is the RGV, however this is a non starter with too many ice storms, freezes and "Polar Vortex" events, with the Rio Grand Valley in direct capture-target of central continental polar air movements-- events that will only get worse and more frequent in the near and middle future IMO). Everyone's situation and snowbirding criteria is different, so YMMV.

rockhillmanor wrote:
I just never could get over the fear of pulling thru the steep grades to get out west. Signed: trapped east of the Mississippi!

You wouldn't even know you crossed the continental divide on I40 if it wasn't for the sign.

Doesn't travel miles enter into the decision. We head for Florida instead of Arizona from Chicago and save about 700 miles (at 9 mpg that's $$$$) each way.

I just never could get over the fear of pulling thru the steep grades to get out west. Signed: trapped east of the Mississippi!

We lived in Florida our entire adult lives so it is natural that we now overwinter there.

Two years in a row, we went to Texas for the winter. We saw many Florida tags going to Texas, but the shock was many Texas tags were going to Florida!!

I guess we humans just have to see the other side of the fence.

We spend the winter in TX. Seems to fit our life style better.

It depends on fuel and how much you want to spend.

Hi,

I travel from Regina, SK, Canada to the Orlando, FL area each year.

We leave our home base in Reno early May for Wisconsin and will be in the Midwest until early August visiting family and friends.

Then we head back West, the Northern route, to arrive on the Oregon coast in September. Back to Reno mid October before going back to Casa Grande, AZ. before Xmas until mid April.

We tend to follow the 'good' weather....East, West, North and South. :C

I95, I75, I55, I35, and I5 most just get on the closet one and head south. At $4/gallon and 10mpg then the budget tells you how far east or west you can go after you hit I10.