Where do you winter, and why, because....

jfxg wrote:

2gypsies wrote:
Sequim is the small town on the Olympic Peninsula that flaunts being in the 'banana belt'. It's just west of Port Townsend. It's a neat little town.

NO!! Don't go there! That whole northeast section of the Olympic Peninsula is just awful. We wintered there last winter, and it was so bad we stayed an extra month. Port Townsend has so many little restaurants and boutiques its just terrible. Nobody else should go there. Stay away!! And the scenery from Forts Worden and Flagler, on the bluffs overlooking the straight and Admiralty Inlet, is soooo boring, and we had to look at every day, for endless hours! Just to confirm our conclusions, we're going back this coming winter. But beware!! Its not a place you want to try. We'll let you know just how awful it is!! ;-0

Does this mean we should cancel our future plans? Sounds like an awful place!! :)

We've been in most of the winter spots from Arizona to Quartzite to Rio Grande Valley to Florida. After do it all we have settled on Williston Crossing neat Gainesville, Fl. It's in the middle of horse country Florida, still cheap because it's some what off the path but still close to all of Florida. Alan runs a real nice CG which expanded last year from around 100 to over 300 sites and all of them are nice concrete pads, with full hook ups and lots to do if you don't want to leave the park. Nearby is Gainesville with U of Fl. and hundreds of restaurants, etc. Then you can drop down on a morning jaunt to The Villages, Orlando, Tampa or Naples. We just love it there.

If distance is a factor, then you could winter on the West side of the Cascades in the PacNW. Very few snow days. I think we only had 1 big snow even when we lived on the WA Coast. But you'll encounter lots of rain and that may not be an enjoyable winter.

Most of the NW Snowbirds we knew, would head to AZ. TX is also an option. We kind of like the Hill Country and may return there after retirement.

We left the PacNW for GA some years ago. Then before going fulltiming, we tried living in FL. It is expensive and it isn't really as pretty as the SW. But for us, I think I'd rather winter in So GA with rockhillmanor.

2gypsies wrote:
Sequim is the small town on the Olympic Peninsula that flaunts being in the 'banana belt'. It's just west of Port Townsend. It's a neat little town.

NO!! Don't go there! That whole northeast section of the Olympic Peninsula is just awful. We wintered there last winter, and it was so bad we stayed an extra month. Port Townsend has so many little restaurants and boutiques its just terrible. Nobody else should go there. Stay away!! And the scenery from Forts Worden and Flagler, on the bluffs overlooking the straight and Admiralty Inlet, is soooo boring, and we had to look at every day, for endless hours! Just to confirm our conclusions, we're going back this coming winter. But beware!! Its not a place you want to try. We'll let you know just how awful it is!! ;-0

Sequim is the small town on the Olympic Peninsula that flaunts being in the 'banana belt'. It's just west of Port Townsend. It's a neat little town.

There's a part of the Olympia peninsula that is in the "rain shadow". Keeps you from getting all the rain. You can research that. If you stay about 40 miles in from the Pacific coast (along the I5 corridor) you'll avoid the worst of the winter storms in the NW as far as wind goes.

It's not warm to live in the NW over the winter but if you want to live close to Alaska so you can go there easily in the summer.... the NW is very liveable year round.

You've probably talked to a lot of people up there who came to visit and stayed! :) Yes, it's a beautiful place, for sure. Have you ever considered just moving there?

If you really want to winter in the lower 48 and you're from Massachusetts, do you think you'd like the eastern states or would you consider the western states (where it would be a shorter drive for your next trip to Haines)?

This is how we started our full-timing lifestyle 16 years ago. One just knows after spending a season in an RV if full-timing is for you or not. Now you know.

We, too, like the more quiet spots and countrysides. We easily find our spots in the western states at public parks - national forest, national parks, etc. We have also volunteered in these parks and what a neat experience to actually be able to live in say, Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park. :) That might be something you'd consider doing. Overall, we love the deserts of Arizona, Utah or the open country of Idaho, Montana. Then there's the coastal areas of Washington's Olympic Peninsula or Oregon's coast where we've given lighthouse tours.

Bottom line, you have many options. Just sell your house and stuff and get moving on it! Good luck.

Hi Lonny and Diane - Yes, we are staying at the Hitch-up in Haines, AK.
It is a good thing we did not stop here on our way into Alaska, or we never would have seen the rest of the state. We will have been in Haines about 7 1/2 weeks by the time we leave on August 1st, and leaving will be sad to say the least. We will have to start our journey back to Massachusetts and back to reality.
Thanks for the info you provided.

When I went full time it was Florida every winter. The one thing you can say about Florida is they do have wonderful winter weather. But, because it IS the go to state the monthly CG rates are sky high no matter what the CG looks like.

I was shocked. I hung out in S. Georgia for several months before heading to Florida for the first time and I found drop dead gorgeous, tucked into the woods, yet close to a sleepy old fashion towns, CG's all over for 200 to 250 a month 'electric included. I stayed in and around Watkinsville, and Athens, GA

THEN I headed south and crossed the state line into Florida. CG rates doubled and electric was extra and you were all parked in like sardines! I was really disappointed.

I digress, took me three years, I am slow learner I guess, but if you stay around the Ocala area as mentioned above IMHO the scenery is nicer like seeing real grass and real trees instead of sand and scruffy ground palms and you can find reasonable priced CG's tucked into real wooded areas.

I'm staying by the Rainbow Springs area and it's beautiful here. The state park springs water is so blue it looks fake! Being from the Midwest is most likely why I like this are better than further south.

Good luck on whatever you decide, jump into the world of full timing the water is fine.:C

Another park in Florida is Williston Crossings, Williston, Florida. We're there now. They have monthly and seasonal sites. Just expanded. Williston is a small friendly town with a grocery store, pharmacy, McDonalds (for coffee!), and a couple of restaurants. 20 miles to larger towns of Ocala and Gainesville. http://willistoncrossingrv.com/ Average temps in January 66 high 41 low.
Feb 67-44. March 72-48.