Exploring South FL

[folivier]

Look at Bonaire, excellent and easy shore diving. There are a few nice beaches for laying out. Nice VRBO rentals, good restaurants, good grocery stores. Not a lot of other things to do though. But it can be a fun place to just dive and bum around for a month or more. The dive shops are set up for weekly unlimited tank rentals but if you ask some of them will sell you a punch card. Better deal if you won't be diving every day. Nitrox is plentiful also. Rent a truck and hit the water!
We found the grocery stores to have a better supply than other islands since lots of stuff comes in frequently from Holland.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

Unfortunately the USVI and UKVI appear to get a major storm of some kind a year. Tat is too much for us and we spent a few years cruising the Eastern Caribbean from 2002 onwards. We left for the summers and returned in the winters.

 

[Scuba]

Look at Bonaire, excellent and easy shore diving. There are a few nice beaches for laying out. Nice VRBO rentals, good restaurants, good grocery stores. Not a lot of other things to do though. But it can be a fun place to just dive and bum around for a month or more. The dive shops are set up for weekly unlimited tank rentals but if you ask some of them will sell you a punch card. Better deal if you won't be diving every day. Nitrox is plentiful also. Rent a truck and hit the water!
We found the grocery stores to have a better supply than other islands since lots of stuff comes in frequently from Holland.

We’ve been there on vacation and really liked Bonaire. Nice diving, clean, safe and great restaurants. Your posts reminds me we should do another trip there.

 

[Scuba]

Unfortunately the USVI and UKVI appear to get a major storm of some kind a year. Tat is too much for us and we spent a few years cruising the Eastern Caribbean from 2002 onwards. We left for the summers and returned in the winters.

Yes, the ideal situation for us weather-wise would be the Caribbean from Dec-June and Southern CA July-November. Then we could avoid the worst of the tropical hurricane season and enjoy the best of So CA weather. However leaving our So CA condo vacant for that long would be an expensive lifestyle. We are thinking about putting our things in storage, renting our condo out for a few years, and exploring. That way we’d still have a beachfront condo to come back to if we decide that’s what we want long-term, and we can try out other places to see if there is anywhere we like better. We can rent our condo out and be cash flow positive.

 

[Splash]

We wintered in the Bahamas for 3 years

This is our 3rd winter in Key Largo, Fl. We love it but miss the sense of adventure that comes with exploring new places. We have vacationed extensively in the Caribbean but have never been to the Bahamas. I'd be interested in where you stayed and any key learnings you're willing to share.

 

[Cut-Throat]

This is our 3rd winter in Key Largo, Fl. We love it but miss the sense of adventure that comes with exploring new places. We have vacationed extensively in the Caribbean but have never been to the Bahamas. I'd be interested in where you stayed and any key learnings you're willing to share.

We stayed on Grand Bahama Island in the Small City of Freeport..... Only 75 Miles from Ft. Lauderdale, but a 'World' away. We wanted a city that had some conviences as most of the Bahamas has very small populations and not much for Grocery shopping or other services.... We did not look at Nassau, as that is too much of a tourist Zoo for us. In fact we're ready to go back to the Bahamas as we are in Maui now and there are just too many tourists for us...



The Bahamas has probably the prettiest water in the World, due to its extensive shallow water areas and varying depths, gives the water color all shades and hues of Blue and green... Great snorkeling and Fishing.



We wintered in South Florida for 4 years before moving to the Bahamas.... Bahamas has a little better weather, as it is surrounded by Water and not subject to the Cold Fronts that Florida has.


All Food, Gas, paper products are twice as much as the U.S. Restaurants are similar priced. -- True island time as things slow down compared to Florida... No traffic to speak of, and you drive on the left, so it makes you think a bit. --- U.S. Dollar is on par with the Bahamanian Dollar. And the U.S. Dollar is accepted as local currency...


If you Like Conch and Lobster - that is one of the few deals in the Bahamas.. You can buy from the Local Fisherman.... $2 a Conch and $5 a Lobster Tail .... You can eat it till you tired of it....


Ask any specifics and I'll be glad to answer.

 

[Splash]

^^^^Thanks for the info Cut-Throat.

 

[RAE]

This is our 3rd winter in Key Largo, Fl. We love it but miss the sense of adventure that comes with exploring new places. We have vacationed extensively in the Caribbean but have never been to the Bahamas. I'd be interested in where you stayed and any key learnings you're willing to share.

If you are looking for an adventure and can live with fewer amenities, consider the out-islands of the Bahamas. We've been to Eleuthera three times now, and absolutely loved it. Uncrowded beaches, great snorkeling and fishing, great weather, nice people. Yes, it costs a lot more than Florida for things like food, car rental, etc., but it is a world away from the Florida experience, so to us it is worth it. Our next trip to the Bahamas will probably be to Cat Island......even fewer people than Eleuthera, and the beaches and coral reefs are supposed to be even better. As Cut-Throat mentioned, the color of the water in the Bahamas is absolutely stunning.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

For those looking, and do not mind looking a little further North of South Florida, we did the tour of Plantation Bay G&CC yesterday in Ormond Beach. It is very nice, if a little out of the way.

https://plantationbaygolf.com/

Here is my summary, it is our (DW's & mine) opinion, which is probably biased. I will do it in Bullet form so as not to bore you…. too much.

1) The Clubhouses are small, as is the Fitness center compared to others we have seen, but would be adequate I am sure for most, us included. Less resort looking but functional. We have seen a few that resemble all-inclusive resorts in Cancun and Puerto Vallarta. The cost of membership is also on the higher side, but not exorbitant.
2) The development is BIG! It will not be totally built out for 25 years so resale homes will not gain much equity as there are so many new ones available and being built.
3) Lot sizes go from 60’ to 90’ estate lots, we liked the 90’ lots, but they came at a premium, there are not many water to preserve lots that we saw.
4) The area is relatively undeveloped, which has it’s good and bad points. You could not live there without a car, not that you would want to.
5) It was a long way to get a good variety daily items such as groceries, home maintenance parts from home depot and other essentials.
6) To get out of the development is 2 miles minimum, they are building other gates but who knows when.
7) Homes are VERY well built by ICI, have good curb appeal once you get into the larger lots sizes, and all are custom to the buyers tastes, at least the new ones. They are not in a flood or evacuation zone. They are well laid out and 2,500 – 2,900 square feet give you a nice floorplan.
8) Home taxes are a little high in comparison to other developments that are available. Probably because of the 45 holes of golf that are available, they have CDDs. These are used to build the infrastructure.
9) The HOA is reasonable for what you get but does not include yard maintenance, that is a must as we have a 365 day growing season.

All in all great for golfers who do not want to leave their environment. A little too far from a nice beach for us, that general area has a poor coastline that gets wacked every year by even small storms. Also a little too far from services and external amenities; 2 hours to Costco (unless you go to Orlando, then it will still take you forever because of the traffic). Most services are in Daytona (1 hour) Palm Coast (30 mins) or Orlando (1 hour). Too far for our liking as we are used to having everything within a 3-5 mile radius with the exception of Costco that is 30 – 40 minutes north of us.