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In a recent post Dick Quinn asked for help about buying a car. He was in a time crunch because he and his wife were heading to Florida in a few days, I presume to get out of the cold. I live about an hour south of Dick, and I can attest that it has been cold of late in the northeast. We’ve had single digit mornings, and feels like temperatures too low to mention.
I enjoy living in a location with distinct seasons. Fall and spring are my favorites. As a kid I loved sledding, and playing hockey on a nearby frozen lake. Yesterday I took a small walk along the Navesink river in Red Bank, NJ and watched ice boats gliding over the frozen surface. Very cool.
But I’m finding my tolerance for winter is ebbing. More importantly, my wife is somewhat susceptible to seasonal affected disorder, especially in the dark cold of February. We’ve done a few winter trips to somewhere warm, and we keep talking about making it a regular event, but for some reason we haven’t made it happen.
I’m asking the HD community for their guidance. What, if anything, do you do to get out of the cold for a few weeks? Where are some of the best places? It doesn’t have to be a beach, although we like beaches. We are not really “resort” people, but a few days at one wouldn’t be bad. Where would be a good place to rent a house big enough that our children and grandchildren (4 adults, 4 kids) would like to visit for a long weekend? Thanks in advance.
Practically speaking, it is easiest to rent a house for a month at a time. Lots of communities now have restrictions on shorter term rentals. Being someplace for a month gives you enough time to really experience that location, and spread out your visitors over a longer time letting them enjoy less crowded conditions. Typically, you can expect seasonal rentals in most warm locations. Just google the location using that term and you will find listings. However, you should think about this for next year as finding something on short notice might be tough.
Thanks. I think looking to next year now makes sense.
We began travelling to the Southwest in winter to escape the Midwestern cold. We eventually decided to stay at an RV resort in Tucson. THIS IS NOT a promotion by me. I have no affiliation with the resort, beyond living here and volunteering for certain activities. I’m simply offering an idea of what may be possible. Frequented by RVers in winter, and by full-timers over 50, this resort offers a hotel, various casita rentals and some owners also rent their Park Models and homes to winter visitors.
To discover this location we purchased a small RV (Type B – campervan type) in 2013 after an experiment in a rental. We trekked to various US locations, exploring each. We decided this location worked best for us. However, in January Tucson does drop into the 30s at night (high today 70F, usually in the 60s).
What convinced us to go the “resort” route was all of the activities both in the resort and the larger Tucson community. Hobbies, wood shop, painting and writing, etc. There are weekly concerts of various types for modest cost ($10 a ticket). However, we like the Midwest in summer so we return to a campground and live in a 30 ft. travel trailer (our “cabin) on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan.
We were living in a 40 Ft RV, but now own a home in the resort which is our “primary” residence.
I’ve included a couple of links 1) General info and 2) January newsletter (the Compass):
https://voyagerrv.com/recreation-lifestyle/
https://voyagerrv.com/wp-content/uploads/news-pdfs/voyager/Compass_January_2025.pdf
Norman, thanks for the tip. The amenities look amazing – the woodworking shop looks professional. We really need to experience the SW and the desert. It’s a big hole in our travel experience.
Well, I have the new car although it may take quite awhile to figure out the technology. The good news is for most things you need you just talk to it. Hey, Mercedes, I’m hot.
That may come in handy as we head south. For the last several years we have driven to and stay in Deerfield Beach, about a mile south of Boca. We have gotten used to the area although we have stayed around
Florida.
We usually rent a house through VRBO, but last year and this it didn’t work out so we are staying in an Embassy Suites on the water. And yes, vacation money has been saved over the last year, so I am not stressing over what we will spend.
We drive because it’s less stress, we can bring what we want with us and we take our time just like good senior citizens.
But for us it’s more. We explore on the way up and down. A day Charleston, the Biltmore Estate, St Augustine, Savanna, etc. it’s part of our travel adventure plans.
We also go to different places in Florida for dinner, meet friends. We usually pass Mar-a-Lago Club a few times. I had dinner there once, but I don’t think they will let me in now. Took a three day trip to Key West a couple of years ago. Nice place, interesting experience.
However, Rick, don’t count on too much warmth. It may not be in the teens, but last year it was so cool and windy we never got on the beach. So far this year the days are still till cool and mornings cold. Better than Jersey, but not like it used to be. 🍊
My weather app says highs in the 70s and 80s for the next 45 days here in Boca.
I hope you are right. Last year was terrible.
Whenever it gets really cold in NC, Florida may not be as cold, but it is not warm either. We have experienced this a couple of times when we tried to escape to warm, sunny Florida.
Ever consider the Auto Train? Lorton, VA, to Sanford, FL, overnight. Much easier on the posterior. We live in Key West 7 months of the year, so cold is not an issue, though the last week has been chilly!
Dick, it sounds you guys travel like we do. Take our time driving, stop at interesting places, explore new ones. When we were in Savannah last April we ran into several couples who were migrating back north after a winter in Fl.
My brother and sister-in-law were in Florida last week. They also had a brand new car. Near Daytona they scrambled to find somewhere to protect the car from the damaging hail!
We were in Savanna on the way home last March as well.Ate in a nice English pub for lunch. I’m a history buff so Savannah and Charleston are great. Even picked some cotton on an old plantation. A bit of an eerie feeling.
When we drove to Charlotte to visit my sister in law from NH we make stops along the way. First trip in spring ‘21 after fully vaccinated stopped in Annapolis, Raleigh. On return trip stopped for a short tour of Appomattox for lunch and visited the courthouse, then to Gettysburg an Lititz, Pa (Rick Connor territory) to visit my aunt.
This past spring visited Freehold and Asbury Park NJ (some HDers will know why) then Philly. Also stoped in Richmond for quick look around. On return trip it was Monticello, Shenandoah National Park, Luray Virginia (if you haven’t, you should check out the caves, AMAZING), Antietam, Lititz, the home.
Still plenty of Civil war sites to explore on future trips, but only one each way maximum to allow my wife to maintain her sanity. It is however a great way to explore some small Virginia and Maryland towns along the way.
We visit Civil War fields too. Fredericksburg last year and Mary Washington’s home. History comes alive when you just absorb where you are standing. I live 15 minutes from Washington’s headquarters in Morristown and have visited often. More fun than a Taylor Swift concert 😎
To be able to see Thomas Jefferson’s riding boots at Monticello ❤️❤️❤️
David, all great stops. We currently live about 15 minutes from Asbury Park. I keep hoping for a random meetup. There is a grill in Freeport that i’ve been meaning to frequent that certain rock stars are known to frequent. I believe Ken Cutler wrote about a B&B in VA that was also a horse sanctuary. We might try that on our next trip to the Winston Salem area.
We also like the eastern shore of Md. Lots of cool little towns.
“We currently live about 15 minutes from Asbury Park. I keep hoping for a random meetup.” 🤞
Rick, I feel your cold bones. I was born in Florida, with roots in Georgia. I don’t want to spend a winter much farther north than where I presently live. Below is my somewhat random list of suggestions. As you know, in the East you’ll have to go to south Florida–like Marco Island– for warm winter weather. But if warm-er will do:
–The Georgia coast is nice. Check Savannah and points south. A chilly beach is still pretty and a nice walk.
–In NE Florida, there’s Fernandina Beach/Amelia Island. Resort accommodations, beach houses or big, old houses in the historic downtown. The couple that owned Elizabeth Point Lodge also owned a number of rentals all over the island. I don’t know if the business is still theirs. They had sunny weather in the high 50s today.
The beach communities between Jacksonville and Daytona: St. Augustine, Crescent Beach, Flagler Beach. I first saw St.Augustine no a fourth-grade field trip and have returned many times.
–On the Florida Gulf coast, there are many little spots. Check out Fort George Island. My cousin loves Perdido Key.
–Heading north of me, but still a good bit south of you, is Chattanooga. Tourist -friendly for families, with a number of small attractions.
All these suggestions are laid-back and uncrowded.
Edmund, thanks for a lot of great suggestions. We visited Savannah last sporing and loved it. My brother has done St. Augustine and that sounds interesting. I spent a number of months in Cocoa Beach and the surrounding area for a few launches. Lots of great choices.
On a side note regarding S.A.D., has your wife tried blue light therapy panels? I’ve used a unit for about 10 years, made by Philips. I approached that purchase with much skepticism but for me, it really does help alleviate the winter gray-day blues, especially as we approach February in West Michigan.
Thanks for the tip. Good to know.
Las Vegas isn’t a bad location. In the winter the days are nice and you’re within a 6 hour drive of a wide variety of locations from S. Calif, Arizona, and Utah. Day trips from Vegas include Death Valley National Park (only doable in the winter), Grand Canyon, and Zion NP. Overnight trips include Arches NP, Bryce NP, and Great Basin NP. Plus there’s a wide range of hiking options within 90 minutes of Vegas in the local Mt Charleston, Spring Mountains, and Valley of Fire areas. Plus plenty of entertainment in Vegas itself.
I have a friend who lives west of Vegas, in the foothills. He and his wife moved there to hike tour all the parks you reference. Great advice,
It’s been pretty chilly here in central North Carolina this week, too. We even had enough snow to count. But I really like having seasons, although I could do with less heat and humidity in the summer.
Does your destination have to be in the US, with family visits? I believe quite a few people head for Mexico. Back in the late 1800s well off Brits used to spend the winter in Nice or Pau in France, Nice is an especially good destination and you should be able to rent an apartment easily enough. And of course, it’s summer in the Southern Hemisphere.
There is snow on the ground on Hilton Head.
Thanks Kathy. I have several nieces and nephews in the Raleigh area, so I’m kept aware of the weather there. We also have in-laws in Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Charlotte, and Asheville. It’s a much bigger state than many realize, and with a wide variety of climates.
We are open to international sites, and the south of France is very intriguing. The complication is whether we want to be close enough so our kids can visit for a long weekend. FL makes an other of sense since they live in the NYC area. The last winter family trip was to Marco Island. But we’ve had 3 more grandsons since then, so a house mass more sense than a hotel at this point. My son and daughter-in-law are currently in Melbourne, Australia, so we’ve been discussing NZ and Australia also.
Should be plenty of houses to rent on the North Carolina beaches, which would split the driving. My preference is Wrightsville, which is an easy drive from the Triangle, and is close to Wilmington, which is worth a visit on its own. A lot of people prefer the Outer Banks, though. Lots of choice. The coast got more snow than the Triangle this time, but that’s really unusual.
I agree there are lots of great choices on the NC coast. We’ve spent a lot of time in the Nags Head area, and have visited Sunset Beach, where my brother and sister-in-law have a condo. I talked to him this afternoon and he said it was brutally cold there last week.
The coast of NC had more snow than Raleigh. Very unusual. It was cold in SC, too, but Charleston, Hilton Head, or Savannah are usually very nice.
Being from California, I don’t have advice about getting out of the cold, but we have parallel issues in the summer. We live inland, and our weather in July and August is closer to Phoenix than it is to the California coast. I grow very weary of it, and my best life in the future is going to involve being out of town as much as possible in the middle of summer.
Dana,
I understand your thoughts. I spent a lot of time in Sunnyvale, Ca. I remember a Saturday in June when it was 94 deg. I left work at 1 PM and drove to Half Moon Bay, where it was 60 deg. I’m always amazed at the variability of weather in CA, especially around the Central Coast and SF.
You’re right—we only have to drive 1-2 hours west to get a substantial break from triple digits in the summer…or 2-3 hours north and east to get to Tahoe.
Puerto Rico 🙂
We spent a few days there at a resort almost 30 years ago. It was very nice but I know we missed a lot of the beauty of the island.
The Texas gulf coast has numerous options, from beaches to hiking and outdoor sports, to bird watching. Galveston is fun for kids. South Padre Island, Corpus Christi/Port Aransas, and Matagorda Island are warmer with lots to do. Finally, it is the perfect time of year to explore Big Bend National Park (west Texas).
I’m with you on Big Bend NP, a truly great park to visit. Also, not too far from there are some really interesting towns such as Marfa. I happen to have spent a few days in Ft. Davis, just up the road from Marfa, and the McDonald Observatory has some great star viewing programs and other public programs that are really fun and interesting. The locals out there are super nice. It’s my favorite part of Texas.
Ft. Davis is indeed nice and the surrounding mountains (yes, we actually have mountains in Texas!) are beautiful. The Hotel Limpia is a wonderful old hotel, although I confess it’s been some years since we stayed there.
While I’m sure it’s nice in the winter (although West Texas can get pretty cold then) we’ve always been in the summer, and the weather is surprising. It’s the only place in Texas I’ve ever been in the summer where you can sleep comfortably at night with no AC, just the cool breeze!
Thanks Jeff. I worked with a guy who was from Galveston and he always recommended it. I’ve been amazed at the winter weather the past week in Texas.
I’m not sure how far you want to travel, but I highly recommend Arizona in the winter.
I spent the first 55 years of my life living above the 45th parallel north. Most of that time was in Oregon. The older I got, the more irritated I became with the rain, fog, snow and grey skies that dominate the weather 9 months out of the year.
Arizona in the summer is brutal, but the winters are truly lovely. Cold in the morning (it was 35 degrees yesterday in the Phoenix area), but sunny and warm in the afternoons (65 degrees).
There are lots of places to stay. Some of the homes in our community are short-term rentals. Of course, winter is prime time here so it’s more expensive to rent then.
My buddy and I live in the midwest and we will be golfing in Tucson in early
February. I think the desert is beautiful when seen up close. And there are many interesting places to visit besides golf courses.
Thanks Kristine. Arizona is definitely on the list. Amazingly, neither of us has visited AZ. What would be a good base for day trips, hikes, … We are not golfers.
Sedona would have to be on that list.
Phoenix area of course is the most popular place. I like to visit Tucson, which is comparatively slower paced with much less traffic. Besides golf, day trips either driving up Mount Lemon or Kitt Peak National Observatory were fun. The towns of Tombstone and Bisbee are nearby. Saguaro National Park is great for day hikes or simply driving through.
We have relatives in Phoenix and visited them one year in January. It was great. We went to Saguaro National Park and it was beautiful. Definitely research AZ, Rick. Chris
St. George, UT is also worth a look. A great base for hiking in Zion, NP, off season, day trip up to Bryce Canyon, 2 hours from Vegas for some glitz and glitter, and so much else to see.
We love St. George! It was one of the locations on our initial ‘retirement relocation radar’. Unfortunately, by the time we were ready to buy, we were priced out of the market. But it’s such a charming city and so close to so many amazing recreational areas.