Exploring South FL

[Scuba]

We live in So CA but would like to consider spending winters somewhere with beautiful beaches and warm water. The only option in the continental US that is warm enough for us is South FL. We originally thought we’d rent a place and snowbird from one base, but then realized that we’d prefer to go from place to place. We’re thinking of checking out the Keys, the East Coast up to Vero Beach, and the West Coast around Naples.

Is it practical to find places to stay on the fly during the winter? We are willing to be flexible on location, views and amenities, as long as we can get around to all the areas we want to experience. I thought everything might be booked in advance but I looked on Airbnb, VRBO, and Trip Advisor today and surprisingly it seemed that places in many locations were available immediately. Maybe it’s easier to book for a few nights than a few months?

However, we don’t want to get stuck with nowhere to stay. I’d love to hear from others who have tried or done this how it has worked out for you. Thanks!

 

[donheff]

DW and I have done this. It can be hard to find nice places close to beaches but you can always find something. We found short term units that would accept our dogs at Courtneys in Key West on short notice. We also found a one week rental that came available at at The Truman Annex in Key West on short notice.

 

[Nick12]

You may want to do more research on Naples. Beautiful area with lots of old and new money. Hurricane Irma 2 years ago made landfall as a Cat 4 hurricane. Naples and especially Marco Island got wrecked.

 

[Aerides]

I was in Naples last summer, most everything looked fixed. 5th avenue was totally normal for dinner/shops. Botanic gardens might have been whacked a bit. Beaches fine.

OP I'm sure you'll find places on short notice, but not necessarily the nicest ones. Depends if you are looking for resort-y stays in walking-distance to key spots, or ok with more 3* ish.

 

[kcowan]

We spent a month doing the east coast and the next year another month doing the west coast after we retired. I recommend you do the same.

After doing home swaps into SoCal, we ended up buying in PV MX.

(We have friends from Chicago who own in Vero Beach who are going to buy in PV if they can sell their condo. Cost of living is their primary driver.)

 

[Scuba]

DW and I have done this. It can be hard to find nice places close to beaches but you can always find something. We found short term units that would accept our dogs at Courtneys in Key West on short notice. We also found a one week rental that came available at at The Truman Annex in Key West on short notice.

That’s good to hear. We had assumed we wouldn’t be able to take our dog as the supply of dog-friendly places is much smaller. If you were going to do this again, would you take your dogs? We will have to cut our trip shorter if we leave ours at home ... wouldn’t want to leave him for 2 months.

 

[Scuba]

I was in Naples last summer, most everything looked fixed. 5th avenue was totally normal for dinner/shops. Botanic gardens might have been whacked a bit. Beaches fine.

OP I'm sure you'll find places on short notice, but not necessarily the nicest ones. Depends if you are looking for resort-y stays in walking-distance to key spots, or ok with more 3* ish.

This is good to hear. Normally we prefer places in great locations but in this case we value flexibility more so we are willing to stay in less desirable locations.

 

[Scuba]

We spent a month doing the east coast and the next year another month doing the west coast after we retired. I recommend you do the same.



After doing home swaps into SoCal, we ended up buying in PV MX.



(We have friends from Chicago who own in Vero Beach who are going to buy in PV if they can sell their condo. Cost of living is their primary driver.)

Did you prearrange lodging or just move around spontaneously?
I think PV is beautiful but the beaches there are not like FL or the Caribbean.

 

[Ready]

I just got back from Fort Myers Beach last night. It’s about an hour drive from Naples. Nice area, but I left 80 degree weather in So Cal and ended up spending most of the week in Florida dealing with rain and weather in the 50’s and 60’s. It did warm up the last day we were there.

But the thing I noticed most is how horrible the traffic is down there. I’m told the snowbirds descend on the area and stay until around the first week of April. Everything was super crowded and it could take fifteen minutes just to drive a mile down the road. So I’m not sure I would enjoy being a Florida snowbird that much. Especially if I was coming from So Cal, where the weather may be just as nice as Florida.

 

[Jerry1]

I just got back from Fort Myers Beach last night. It’s about an hour drive from Naples. Nice area, but I left 80 degree weather in So Cal and ended up spending most of the week in Florida dealing with rain and weather in the 50’s and 60’s. It did warm up the last day we were there.

But the thing I noticed most is how horrible the traffic is down there. I’m told the snowbirds descend on the area and stay until around the first week of April. Everything was super crowded and it could take fifteen minutes just to drive a mile down the road. So I’m not sure I would enjoy being a Florida snowbird that much. Especially if I was coming from So Cal, where the weather may be just as nice as Florida.

Not sure of your age or driving abilities, but my ex boss, now retired, snowbirds to southern Florida. He says that if you want to beat traffic, go out after dark. Apparently, enough of the older drivers don’t like driving at night or are in bed early.

 

[JoeWras]

But the thing I noticed most is how horrible the traffic is down there. I’m told the snowbirds descend on the area and stay until around the first week of April. Everything was super crowded and it could take fifteen minutes just to drive a mile down the road. So I’m not sure I would enjoy being a Florida snowbird that much. Especially if I was coming from So Cal, where the weather may be just as nice as Florida.

When I lived in S FL, I liked the off season just for this reason.

Weather is tough in off season, though.

The suggestion for after dark is OK, but keep in mind other stuff like going to the grocery store or booking golf are crowded too during the season.

 

[kilgore]

Take a look at Sarasota area (Anna Maria Island, Longboat Key, Siesta Key). Lots to do. Quite beautiful. KG

 

[Moemg]

Take a look at Sarasota area (Anna Maria Island, Longboat Key, Siesta Key). Lots to do. Quite beautiful. KG

I would suggest Anna Marie Island or Bradenton Beach .I have lived in Florida for 22 years and January is our worst month weather wise .The traffic is terrible Jan, thru early April.If you are on Anna Marie Island or Bradenton Beach you can bike to everything plus they have a free trolley that covers the island .

 

[Cut-Throat]

I thought everything might be booked in advance but I looked on Airbnb, VRBO, and Trip Advisor today and surprisingly it seemed that places in many locations were available immediately.

Many VRBO owners DO NOT update their calendars, and when you try to book their property, you will often get a 'Sorry it's already rented'. This happens especially in South Florida, where their units are booked for the entire winter and they leave their listing there for bookings in the spring and summer and are too lazy to update the calendar.


But, you should have no trouble booking a hotel 'on the fly'.....

 

[Cut-Throat]

You may want to do more research on Naples. Beautiful area with lots of old and new money. Hurricane Irma 2 years ago made landfall as a Cat 4 hurricane. Naples and especially Marco Island got wrecked.

Hardly any damage from the hurricane.... Where did you get the information that Naples and especially Marco 'Got Wrecked'? --- There were warnings, but the hurricane pretty much dissipated when it got to shore.

 

[Nick12]

Hardly any damage from the hurricane.... Where did you get the information that Naples and especially Marco 'Got Wrecked'? --- There were warnings, but the hurricane pretty much dissipated when it got to shore.

Were you on Marco Island during Irma? Neighbor of mine condo was heavily damaged and flooding due to 130 mph winds.

 

[Nick12]

I just got back from Fort Myers Beach last night. It’s about an hour drive from Naples. Nice area, but I left 80 degree weather in So Cal and ended up spending most of the week in Florida dealing with rain and weather in the 50’s and 60’s. It did warm up the last day we were there.

But the thing I noticed most is how horrible the traffic is down there. I’m told the snowbirds descend on the area and stay until around the first week of April. Everything was super crowded and it could take fifteen minutes just to drive a mile down the road. So I’m not sure I would enjoy being a Florida snowbird that much. Especially if I was coming from So Cal, where the weather may be just as nice as Florida.

With many snowbirds that enjoy and support the local economy, they also bring their careful driving habits.

 

[Elbata]

I just got back from Fort Myers Beach last night. It’s about an hour drive from Naples. Nice area, but I left 80 degree weather in So Cal and ended up spending most of the week in Florida dealing with rain and weather in the 50’s and 60’s. It did warm up the last day we were there.

But the thing I noticed most is how horrible the traffic is down there. I’m told the snowbirds descend on the area and stay until around the first week of April. Everything was super crowded and it could take fifteen minutes just to drive a mile down the road. So I’m not sure I would enjoy being a Florida snowbird that much. Especially if I was coming from So Cal, where the weather may be just as nice as Florida.

Surprisingly, that was my takeaway after recently visiting the Miami area. The traffic in SoCal can be bad, but in the Miami area, it's broke. Never thought it would be such a negative, but it was.

 

[Cut-Throat]

Were you on Marco Island during Irma? Neighbor of mine condo was heavily damaged and flooding due to 130 mph winds.

While there was certainly some damage to the area, to say that Naples and Marco island 'got Wrecked', and that it should change travel plans, it overstating the damage... I've got countless friends in the area that own homes and the hurricane did not affect them at all.


Naples and Marco island are 'Open' for Business.

 

[omni550]

You may want to do more research on Naples. Beautiful area with lots of old and new money. Hurricane Irma 2 years ago made landfall as a Cat 4 hurricane. Naples and especially Marco Island got wrecked.

You'd be hard-pressed to know that this area (Naples/Marco) was hit by Irma. The only clue is a few blue tarps on roofs (usually due to a lack of tiles and/or labor.) Other than that, it's "all systems are go." C'mon down.

omni

 

[RAE]

But the thing I noticed most is how horrible the traffic is down there. I’m told the snowbirds descend on the area and stay until around the first week of April. Everything was super crowded and it could take fifteen minutes just to drive a mile down the road. So I’m not sure I would enjoy being a Florida snowbird that much. Especially if I was coming from So Cal, where the weather may be just as nice as Florida.

+1. We are spending the winter about 80 miles north of Tampa, and that is about as far south in Florida as I can handle these days. Sure, the weather further south may be a bit warmer, but the traffic and congestion is getting really, really bad. We were in Tampa the other day to pick up someone at the airport, and even Tampa traffic is pretty crazy. Maybe it is just me, but I don't enjoy fighting traffic even just to go a couple miles down the road to the grocery store. Where we are, it's not bad (yet), but I'm afraid it is going to get bad within a few years or so

 

[imoldernu]

Scuba...
I think you've got the right idea about doing the coastal circuit, but if you're looking to spend winters in Fl, you might consider keeping your options open. If you're looking for beaches, at least consider using a Central Florida base to allow for day or short term trips to different beaches on either coast
It's what we did for more than 20 years. Our active Lake Griffin Harbor home allowed us the lower cost, less traffic, still on the water and central to everything including the coasts. Absolute center of the state, so an hour and ten minutes to either coast (like to Daytona or Homosassa) 20 minutes to The Villages and about 45 minutes to Orlando.

It's on the Chain of Lakes, in Leesburg Fl. 212 miles of freshwater shoreline, and great boating, all the way up to Jacksonville. A nice low traffic town.

Even if you don't go, take a look at it on the Florida map. I think we averaged two days a week just roaming the beaches, with a great place to come back to.

 

[Sunset]

Not sure of your age or driving abilities, but my ex boss, now retired, snowbirds to southern Florida. He says that if you want to beat traffic, go out after dark. Apparently, enough of the older drivers don’t like driving at night or are in bed early.

Plus you won't have to fight for beach chairs.

 

[Scuba]

I just got back from Fort Myers Beach last night. It’s about an hour drive from Naples. Nice area, but I left 80 degree weather in So Cal and ended up spending most of the week in Florida dealing with rain and weather in the 50’s and 60’s. It did warm up the last day we were there.



But the thing I noticed most is how horrible the traffic is down there. I’m told the snowbirds descend on the area and stay until around the first week of April. Everything was super crowded and it could take fifteen minutes just to drive a mile down the road. So I’m not sure I would enjoy being a Florida snowbird that much. Especially if I was coming from So Cal, where the weather may be just as nice as Florida.

Except for a couple of unseasonably warm days where temps hit the low 70’s at the beach, most of 2019 so far where we live in So CA has been in the 50’s and 60’s with lots of rain. I definitely wouldn’t want to spend a lot of time in bad traffic though. LA is horrible but luckily I don’t have to deal with traffic that often since ER.

 

[Scuba]

Thanks to those who suggested areas outside of S FL, but for us the entire motivation for winter outside of So CA is going somewhere we can wear swimsuits and shorts every day and get in the water comfortably. Anything in central FL or north of that won’t offer that.