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Car Free Snowbirding Destinations
01-14-2016, 11:44 AM
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#1
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Bedford, NS
Posts: 155
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Car Free Snowbirding Destinations
The recent car free posts had me thinking about Car Free Snowbirding Destinations.
Last winter we spent time in Myrtle Beach. There are a few areas there where you could enjoy a car free lifestyle, particularly in the area of Town Commons.
The community is walking distance to the airport, as well as all the shops and conveniences. Market Common MB - Home - Market Common, Myrtle Beach, SC
The owners of the next townhome to our rental lived in NYC, and when commuting to MB, would just walk from the airport to their townhome. Probably a 30 minute walk.
Soooo, this got me thinking. Are there any other similar enclaves in the sunbelt?
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01-14-2016, 05:09 PM
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#2
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 956
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Charleston, SC? You can walk a lot there. A little chilly, but similar to Myrtle Beach.
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01-14-2016, 05:19 PM
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#3
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Sarasota, FL & Vermont
Posts: 36,363
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How about Miami? Or Sydney or Melbourne if you are more adventurous.
https://www.walkscore.com/cities-and-neighborhoods/
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01-14-2016, 05:46 PM
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#4
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Bedford, NS
Posts: 155
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pb4uski
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hmm, Miami might be nice, but I can't remember any transit options when we visited. I do remember that the light rail/bus transit in Phoenix was surprisingly good....
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01-14-2016, 06:09 PM
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#5
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 3,229
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Quote:
Originally Posted by superdave
I do remember that the light rail/bus transit in Phoenix was surprisingly good....
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Phoenix is so spread out that you are very limited on where you can go using the light rail. Using the bus system in combination with the light rail will allow you to spread out but I'm sure most residents would still consider a vehicle in Phoenix a necessity. I certainly would.
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01-14-2016, 06:35 PM
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#6
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Northern Illinois
Posts: 16,599
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zinger1457
Phoenix is so spread out that you are very limited on where you can go using the light rail. Using the bus system in combination with the light rail will allow you to spread out but I'm sure most residents would still consider a vehicle in Phoenix a necessity. I certainly would.
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I agree. Look into Sun City, az for possible carless snowbirding or maybe Rio Verde if you're into golf and want to be out of town
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01-14-2016, 06:57 PM
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#7
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 337
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Although rapid transit in Phoenix isn't perfect, you can get by with a motor scooter plus public transit easily
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01-15-2016, 04:42 AM
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#8
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Bedford, NS
Posts: 155
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What I think I am looking for is locations where there is a microcosm area where you could do 90% of what you would like to do, but have access to transit when necessary.
When we visited Phoenix a couple years ago, we found that rental cars were much cheaper when renting at Scottsdale airport as opposed to the big intrernational airport. We used a combination of light rail and busses to get to scottsdale, and found the scottsdale area itself to be reasonably car free friendly. Obviously, you can't golf like 10 different courses, this would require a car, but you could easily catch a spring training ball game, shop, get groceries, etc in Scottsdale without requiring a car.
What I am thinking about is snowbirding in the south from Canada, but being able to snowbird without a car.
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01-15-2016, 06:17 AM
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#9
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 11,327
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Key West if you have a few bucks.
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Idleness is fatal only to the mediocre -- Albert Camus
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01-15-2016, 06:30 AM
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#10
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Northern Illinois
Posts: 16,599
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It makes it easier if you can find a rental car company to pick you up. We were at our snowbird condo, and needed a rental car. We called Enterprise. They picked us up at the condo, drove us to their facility, we did the paperwork and drove off with the car. I suppose other companies do pickups as well.
Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum
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01-15-2016, 08:35 AM
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#11
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gone traveling
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 62
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North American culture is not designed to live car free really other than downtown in a city. Not exactly my idea of a 'snowbird' location to spend a winter in.
It also depends on your interests and what you want to do with your time. If you're happy doing nothing but sitting in the shade and taking the odd walk to the store to buy groceries, then car free is easier to contemplate. But if you want to do much more than that, it's a lot harder.
One of my favourite winter getaway locations is Borrego Springs, California. But we go there for the desert hiking, not bright lights and action. It's actually California's only International Dark Sky Community. So great star-gazing.
You could stay there and get around without a car but it would be very limiting. We do day trips to Delmar and La Jolla on the coast or up to Julien in the mountains or over to Palm Springs to see how the plastic people live or to the Salton Sea to see the folly of that 'retirement oasis' that flopped so spectacularly.
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01-15-2016, 08:49 AM
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#12
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 2,985
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Quote:
Originally Posted by donheff
Key West if you have a few bucks.
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The first place that came to my mind. A condo/rental near N Roosevelt is still convenient and considerably cheaper than the high priced old town area.
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Took SS at 62 and hope I live long enough to regret the decision.
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01-15-2016, 08:53 AM
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#13
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Gone but not forgotten
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Sarasota,fl.
Posts: 11,447
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Anna Marie Island has a trolley that travels from the beach to other destinations . There are lots of restaurants , a nice beach & some shopping . Publix delivers groceries so basically you could go car less or rent a bike .The trolley combines with regular bus transportation so you would be able to go to spring training , movies & other events .
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01-17-2016, 06:12 AM
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#14
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Humble
Posts: 188
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Condo/Apartment in Woodlands (TX) Waterway. Same in downtown Austin.
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01-17-2016, 06:58 AM
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#15
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Bradenton
Posts: 270
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Moemg
Anna Marie Island has a trolley that travels from the beach to other destinations . There are lots of restaurants , a nice beach & some shopping . Publix delivers groceries so basically you could go car less or rent a bike .The trolley combines with regular bus transportation so you would be able to go to spring training , movies & other events .
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Anna Maria Island (Bradenton, Florida) Trolley is FREE. And it connects you to the bus services that go into Bradenton or Sarasota.
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01-17-2016, 08:07 AM
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#16
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 11,327
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I have stayed in Bradenton Beach a few times and highly recommend it and Anna Maria.
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Idleness is fatal only to the mediocre -- Albert Camus
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01-17-2016, 05:05 PM
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#17
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 969
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My personal favorite snowbird destination is the Yucatan south of Cancun. Cancun is relatively cheap and easy to fly into from most anywhere; and, public transportation between towns is cheap and efficient once you are there. Taxis are a viable option for shorter distances as long as you avoid them within the touristy areas and the airport where I consider them to be significantly overpriced.
I definitely need to add the Anna Maria Island (Bradenton, Florida) area to my domestic travel considerations; it looks quite nice.
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01-17-2016, 05:43 PM
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#18
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Bedford, NS
Posts: 155
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Interesting replies.
We have been to Key West and loved the vibe. Verrry expensive. I remember a couple campgrounds where you couldn't open your RV door without hitting the rig parked next door
Have also spent time in Cancun and relied on buses with no issues at all. Taxis have a local and tourist rate.
Austin TX would be interesting.... Spent a week there during SXSW. Downtown, ya you wouldn't need a car there...
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01-17-2016, 06:37 PM
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#19
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Dryer sheet aficionado
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Alberta / SoCal
Posts: 34
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Quote:
Originally Posted by OldPro
One of my favourite winter getaway locations is Borrego Springs, California. But we go there for the desert hiking, not bright lights and action. It's actually California's only International Dark Sky Community. So great star-gazing.
You could stay there and get around without a car but it would be very limiting. We do day trips to Delmar and La Jolla on the coast or up to Julien in the mountains or over to Palm Springs to see how the plastic people live or to the Salton Sea to see the folly of that 'retirement oasis' that flopped so spectacularly.
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Shhhh, we want to keep Borrego a secret . Even the snowbird season is quiet. Our villa is in the center of town and we can walk to restaurants and the grocery store. Hiking & biking in the state park is fantastic and there's lots of 4x4 trails as well. We love the dry desert heat, better than shoveling snow back home
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01-19-2016, 08:05 AM
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#20
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gone traveling
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 62
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I first found Borrego over 30 years ago JTOrt. It's claim to fame then was no traffic light at all, just Christmas Circle. It's claim to fame today is the same. There are not many places where you can say something like that about.
What fascinates me about the place is how many major developers have attempted to try to turn it into anther Palm Springs and every one of them has failed. It stays pretty much the same decade after decade. It's almost as if you don't have to 'shhh, keep it secret', it's immune to change.
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