Heading to Florida

We are at Macdill AFB Campground for the winter now. The snowbirds are arriving slower this year than last. Last year the campground was packed on Octobor 1. But they had a rate increase this year and that could be why some arent returning.

Well, I guess it's a coin toss, thanks for the replies gents. Will be leaving SE MI first part of next week, weather permitting.

Many make them this time of year a year a head good luck with that. You may have to move every couple of weeks or so to stay for the season.

ThorMan wrote:
This is our first year snowbirding. We will be leaving MI next week, Florida is our first destination. Having not made any reservations yet, will I have trouble finding an RV park in the Panama City area? Would like to stay for a month, then head west to the Mississippi gulf coast area, then who knows where from there.

Is it necessary to make reservations in advance for wherever we head to? If so, how far in advance would be needed?

No. when I was new I too had this fear if you didn't have a reservation you would never have a place to stay! It is not so.

I NEVER made reservations when I went to Florida. But I didn't stay in the south though too many bugs and humidity, sardine CG's.

I stay in central Florida near all the beautiful historical crystal blue springs and rivers.

AND I NEVER stay at snowbird packed like sardine CG's which is where the majority go to.

There are a plethora of CG's in central Florida to pick from and they have nice enjoyable big sites with actual trees. And beautiful Forests and close to the Gulf for manatees and even more crystal blue rivers springs.

First I pull in and stay for the night in an area I like (all CG's have a row open just for the traveling RV'ers) If I like it I stay another night and ask the CG if they have any open sites for the month. Almost everyone I stayed at did have cancellations. And all I had to do is move to the long term section.

I did this for 4 years full timing to Florida. And was never without a place to stay and put down the levelers.

Google Rainbow River, Rainbow Springs, the towns of Dunnellon or Crystal River and include a 20 mile radius

Good luck have fun. Come on down we'll leave the light on for you! :B

You should not have a problem is you are heading down next week and plan to stay for a month.. I guess that means the month of November. The snowbirds won't be here in force that early in the season.

You're probably safe this time of year around Panama City. While that area will be warmer than MI, you'll more than likely get freezing weather there throughout the winter. In January, there's no place in the lower 48 states that's completely safe from freezing so get as far south as you can.

Years ago, I was in Florida City (20 minutes from Key Largo on the Florida Keys) when I looked out the window one morning to see frost on the roof of my car. It doesn't happen often but it can happen. The past few years we'll gone west to Quartzsite for RV Week (the last full week in January) and then on to the Palm Springs area. It's been running 10 degrees cooler than what they call normal. This winter we're headed to Brownsville, TX to see how we like it there. We made our reservations 6 months ago for Jan-Feb & Mar at the same park - we don't usually spend more than a month at a time in a park but prices in south Texas are pretty reasonable compared to Palm Springs and south Florida.

Safe and Happy Travels!

Most of us that winter in Florida made our reservations months ago. For shorter stays there's usually still some sites available, but it may take a number of phone calls to find them. For longer term stays, you'll likely be left with trying to catch a cancellation somewhere.

can't speak to florida but we head to AZ for 2-mos. i usually make those reservations a year in advance. this year we changed parks. i made them 8-mos in advance and was lucky to find the last spot at a park. i was able to relatively easily book 1-week stays on our way to AZ in LA, TX and NM. good luck.