I've finally convinced my wife

travelnutz wrote:
Laman,

We are south and west of Gainesville and close to the warm Gulf Of Mexico so we get the warm west air off the Gulf. Will be about 34-36 F here tonight - mid March, 33-34 at Ocala and has been in the mid 30's for 6 or 7 nights so far since mid January. It's very bitter cold and feels 20 or more degrees colder than the same F reading back in Michigan. Our 4th year by the Gulf here. Spent about 6 weeks in a winter where US-192 dead ends at US-27 - was Bass Lake Resort on Lake Davenport and it's just as cold as where we are now.

Bro lives at Jupiter, FL and we've spent 4-5 weeks many years there and kept a boat there for 19 years when we had our place there. Had a membership since 1987 at Okeechobee Landings at Clewiston on the south side of Lake Okeechobee and stayed there many weeks in our RV's in winter. Not to mention our many times in the Keys in CG's and it's warmer but I don't have to mention the many drawbacks. Do many of these afore mentioned meet your "Central Florida" criteria?

It's often very cold in the center of the state at night in the winter. Seen ice on the ground and frozen spigots on a Christmas morning at Okeechobee Landings and that's even far south of you yet and have film pics at home to prove it!

Yes, there are nice warm days too but many cold fronts go thru every year in the winter and it's windy and bitterly cold as heck behind them. I agree that Central Florida and the little towns are a much nicer place to live and the people are much nicer than the on the coasts. The coasts are a total zoo and so crowded and a ripoff for everything plus so much crime. Sebring, Avon Park, Lake Wales, etc. Warm in Florida is so oversold unless for are far south and on the coasts or in the Keys. CG are very scarce in the far south and like parking lot slot camping with extremely high prices beyond most peoples reach and so is the food very high. The Keys are ridiculously expensive to stay the winter. We don't like being ripped off!

Just for what it's worth!

Ok your sensitive to anything below 50 degrees, I get it!:) You can always head further south to Cuba.

stickdog wrote:
Cold front rolled through tonight, we're looking at lows in the 50's.

Your co-ordinates of: "29.820224, 81.94542" place you in central Nepal.

If you change them to "N29.820224, W81.94542" or "29.820224, -81.94542", you'll be in Florida.

Laman,

We are south and west of Gainesville and close to the warm Gulf Of Mexico so we get the warm west air off the Gulf. Will be about 34-36 F here tonight - mid March, 33-34 at Ocala and has been in the mid 30's for 6 or 7 nights so far since mid January. It's very bitter cold and feels 20 or more degrees colder than the same F reading back in Michigan. Our 4th year by the Gulf here. Spent about 6 weeks in a winter where US-192 dead ends at US-27 - was Bass Lake Resort on Lake Davenport and it's just as cold as where we are now.

Bro lives at Jupiter, FL and we've spent 4-5 weeks many years there and kept a boat there for 19 years when we had our place there. Had a membership since 1987 at Okeechobee Landings at Clewiston on the south side of Lake Okeechobee and stayed there many weeks in our RV's in winter. Not to mention our many times in the Keys in CG's and it's warmer but I don't have to mention the many drawbacks. Do many of these afore mentioned meet your "Central Florida" criteria?

It's often very cold in the center of the state at night in the winter. Seen ice on the ground and frozen spigots on a Christmas morning at Okeechobee Landings and that's even far south of you yet and have film pics at home to prove it!

Yes, there are nice warm days too but many cold fronts go thru every year in the winter and it's windy and bitterly cold as heck behind them. I agree that Central Florida and the little towns are a much nicer place to live and the people are much nicer than the on the coasts. The coasts are a total zoo and so crowded and a ripoff for everything plus so much crime. Sebring, Avon Park, Lake Wales, etc. Warm in Florida is so oversold unless for are far south and on the coasts or in the Keys. CG are very scarce in the far south and like parking lot slot camping with extremely high prices beyond most peoples reach and so is the food very high. The Keys are ridiculously expensive to stay the winter. We don't like being ripped off!

Just for what it's worth!

Just remember - Florida is not the only place to try and escape the cold and it hasn't been good in Florida this year. You can't count on the current weather patterns. Every year is different in every state but you can find states that aren't so extreme for both summer and winter.

Quite possibly you might even like a state that has four seasons - but mild ones, unlike Michigan. Tennessee or Arkansas comes to mind and there are wonderful retirement communities in each. Good luck in finding your spot!

P.S. We've lived in Michigan so understand your feelings. :)

travelnutz wrote:
et2,

As a fellow Michigan, West Michigander of over 72 years and having spent so much time in Florida and owned a place for 19 years and kept a boat there 12 months a year:

Don't be fooled about it being so warm in Florida most of the time in winter. No snow? yes, but warm most of the time, no! Unless you are way south in Florida, West Palm Beach latitude or south and be prepared for the shock of food and GC prices or the cost of living as it's about double where you live so bring lots of money or live in Northern Florida. Only 1-1/4 times the cost where you live. Also be prepared to live in a concrete jungle ripe with constant crime and stiffling traffic and living on a postage stamp sized piece of land if in South Florida. Parking lot/slot type CG's are the norm and ridiculous monthly fees within 20+ miles of either coast is South Florida. Cheaper living towards the center of the state but it gets much colder at night when the sun goes down. Freeloaders, drifters, drugsv, and theft is rampid in South Florida. Even Ocala is now having big issues with crime now and is why 2 families n owclose to us have now moved north and away from Ocala. South Florida is very different today than it was only 20 years ago.

We have lots of family down here and have been coming here for 10 days to 2-1/2 months in winter to visit family and owned a place in South Florida for 19 years. So we are not talking thru our hats as we are in Florida presently and have been since mid January!

The 34 degrees in Florida that was mentioned feels like 10 degrees or lower where you live. It's a very bitter cold here! Has to be over 70 here before you take a sweater of jacket off. Then conversely, at 85 degrees it's steamy hot and humid and you can't take enough off when outside without being arrested.

Don't get me wrong as there are some very nice days in North Florida but it comes with many cold days too. The difference between north and South Florida is very distinct.

Lots of open land, small communties, very friendly residents, safe to walk anywhere any time, so much to do anytime, and very resonable living costs/food etc in North Florida

VS

Crowded roads, crowded living, very narrow parking spaces, rampid crime, much more snooty people and guarded/gated residential areas abound, very high cost of living and food prices, like living confined, bugs or you name it, etc in South Florida.

Depends on what floats you and your's boat. The grass always looks greener on the other side until you actually get there!

After about 40 years and the undesireable changes that have occurred in South Florida and getting worse each year, we'd had more than enough and only stay in Northern Florida to stay away from that area now other than day trips to visit family & friends. Money is not an issue for us but living in a friendly, safe, unconfined, spacious area and CG is important to us. Usually 60+ feet wide by 80 to 200+ foot long sites are normal up here.

BTW, our Family in Florida, now mostly retired, were land developers, 6 subdivision developments, 2 shopping centers, 7 CG's, and 4 mobilehome parks owners, one marina and they are going to move north now. They don't like what South Florida has become either and believe me, money is no object to them either.

While I will agree with you wholeheartedly on living in the cities of South Florida and also agree that some days in North Florida can be cold, you completely skipped over a very large part of the state, the central! That part of the state from Gainesville south to Sebring really does have for the most part temperate winter weather, if it does get into the 30-40 it is only for one or two days. Believe me I have a lot more short pants than I do long! Lots of small towns and cities with low crime rates and laid back life style but of course I am not including Orando area. There must be something to the central part of the state as all of our local rv parks are full of snowbirds every year. Now summer is another matter!

hey there ,,,yep its snowing . we spent the last 3 days buying all our things for our new to us rv . sewer hose , kitchenware , filter system , well you get the picture . yep , i got sucked in with the 50 degree temps the past 3 days ,,, and BAM ,,a balmy 14 degrees this morning ,,and inch of snow so far ,,,windy as all get go ,,, and after what this winter has brought us up here in new england , im about ready to scream . see , we are going full time for the 1st time . may 1st is our date . will someone who knows someone ,,,tell them please stop winter . at least enough so i can go out and play with our new toy .

littlemo wrote:
What is this topic about?

Fish or cut bait!

I too thought about and thought about and thought about going full time.

The year we had 4 ft snow storms one after another as I was digging out the driveway and snow drifts from the MH.......I put a for sale sign on the house, dug out the MH and headed south.

After this horrific winter weather in the Midwest and East? I bet we will see 10X the Snowbirds and Full Timers hitting the road in their RV's! The North will be a ghost town next year when the snow starts to fly!!:B

et2,

As a fellow Michigan, West Michigander of over 72 years and having spent so much time in Florida and owned a place for 19 years and kept a boat there 12 months a year:

Don't be fooled about it being so warm in Florida most of the time in winter. No snow? yes, but warm most of the time, no! Unless you are way south in Florida, West Palm Beach latitude or south and be prepared for the shock of food and GC prices or the cost of living as it's about double where you live so bring lots of money or live in Northern Florida. Only 1-1/4 times the cost where you live. Also be prepared to live in a concrete jungle ripe with constant crime and stiffling traffic and living on a postage stamp sized piece of land if in South Florida. Parking lot/slot type CG's are the norm and ridiculous monthly fees within 20+ miles of either coast is South Florida. Cheaper living towards the center of the state but it gets much colder at night when the sun goes down. Freeloaders, drifters, drugsv, and theft is rampid in South Florida. Even Ocala is now having big issues with crime now and is why 2 families n owclose to us have now moved north and away from Ocala. South Florida is very different today than it was only 20 years ago.

We have lots of family down here and have been coming here for 10 days to 2-1/2 months in winter to visit family and owned a place in South Florida for 19 years. So we are not talking thru our hats as we are in Florida presently and have been since mid January!

The 34 degrees in Florida that was mentioned feels like 10 degrees or lower where you live. It's a very bitter cold here! Has to be over 70 here before you take a sweater of jacket off. Then conversely, at 85 degrees it's steamy hot and humid and you can't take enough off when outside without being arrested.

Don't get me wrong as there are some very nice days in North Florida but it comes with many cold days too. The difference between north and South Florida is very distinct.

Lots of open land, small communties, very friendly residents, safe to walk anywhere any time, so much to do anytime, and very resonable living costs/food etc in North Florida

VS

Crowded roads, crowded living, very narrow parking spaces, rampid crime, much more snooty people and guarded/gated residential areas abound, very high cost of living and food prices, like living confined, bugs or you name it, etc in South Florida.

Depends on what floats you and your's boat. The grass always looks greener on the other side until you actually get there!

After about 40 years and the undesireable changes that have occurred in South Florida and getting worse each year, we'd had more than enough and only stay in Northern Florida to stay away from that area now other than day trips to visit family & friends. Money is not an issue for us but living in a friendly, safe, unconfined, spacious area and CG is important to us. Usually 60+ feet wide by 80 to 200+ foot long sites are normal up here.

BTW, our Family in Florida, now mostly retired, were land developers, 6 subdivision developments, 2 shopping centers, 7 CG's, and 4 mobilehome parks owners, one marina and they are going to move north now. They don't like what South Florida has become either and believe me, money is no object to them either.

No matter what you guys feel about California and our weird politics and customs, middle of winter and we surf in the morning and ski at lunch and pick wildflowers in the desert in the afternoon. "All Year Long".

Sorry about that, I actually like the changing seasons. We have been know to go North for A Week or Two in the winter. Good luck on your plans and like fla-gypsy said go further south than Jacksonville or Flagler Beach.

Sounds like a plan to me. Heck I live in north Florida and I am considering going further south when I retire. Getting to crowded here in Jacksonville.