kcowan
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We did both. Prearranged in popular places like Key West and South Beach.
Exploring South FL
- Thread starter Scuba
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Hi Scuba, don’t worry about the possible cold weather here in Florida. Yes, last week we experienced highs in the 50’s and 60’s, but it was 20 degrees below normal. And that always coincides with a major snow, ice, blizzard up north with life-threatening conditions and days on end of being home bound. And one day it even rained
Typically in January and February it is very dry.That said, water temperatures are still cold. It takes a while for the big bodies of water to warm up. The Atlantic is colder than the Gulf this time of year. Maybe you are planning on a wet suit? You can of course find water temperatures on the internet. Heated pools are possible to find of course.
As far as staying places on the fly in Florida, I would say that is a little bit of a risk this time of year. As the winter drags on, even Red Roof Inn will start increasing their prices as desperate people try to escape the winter up north. But if you are willing to be flexible, you can always find something. You may just have to “commute” to the areas each day for your exploring.
But you are smart to pursue multiple areas, as there are a lot of differences in Florida for culture, price, traffic, and general vibe. Based on what you are looking for, I think Key Largo might be a good place to center your search.
Here’s a thought
Let’s set up an ER Home Exchange. Maybe you can find someone here willing to share there place – especially if your wife decides to move out of that Red Roof Inn If you are looking for sure warm weather and water , South Florida is the way to go. Keep in mind some beach bungalows have wall unit AC but NO heat. If the temps ever get chilly you can always use an extra blanket.
I think you are looking at the right geographical area for what you want.
This is our 3rd winter in Key Largo. We have worn shorts and swimsuits almost every day. However, the Keys don't have the endless beaches that you will find in other parts of Florida. Also, we haven't noticed many golf courses if that is important to you. We have always booked ahead as I am a planner and worry about getting stranded with our 75# dog. As mentioned in other posts, every time we have traveled to Miami we have found the traffic to be horrendous.
This is our 3rd winter in Key Largo. We have worn shorts and swimsuits almost every day. However, the Keys don't have the endless beaches that you will find in other parts of Florida. Also, we haven't noticed many golf courses if that is important to you. We have always booked ahead as I am a planner and worry about getting stranded with our 75# dog. As mentioned in other posts, every time we have traveled to Miami we have found the traffic to be horrendous.
Freedom56
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We just flew back to LAX last week from a 71/2 week stay at our condo in West Palm Beach. I would stick with South East Florida (Vero Beach to Miami South Beach). With the Brightline/Virgin Train you can get easy access to West Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, and Miami without driving. I would stay as close to the coast as possible. When you venture west of the I-95 or even the eastern railroad tracks that run north/south, it can get pretty nasty. Naples on the west coast is okay but pretty boring. With respect to rentals most of the better and more upscale high rise condos have restrictions on rentals and impose one year minimum leases. They do not allow owners to sublet, lend or rent through AirBNB or other intermediaries. The associations impose complete background checks of anyone renting or buying a unit which takes a few weeks. This is good for unit owners like us. Some Miami Beach condos don't impose the same restrictions. The older condos that are more inland also don't impose those restrictions but I wouldn't stay in those. Most seasonal renters in Palm Beach county tend to stay more inland or the one's with deeper pockets rent homes on the coast around Palm Beach which can cost around $45-$60K per month. Even many of those have 3 month minimums.
Interesting info about FL options, thank you all! I looked up water temps in Miami, Key Largo, Key West, USVI, and Hawaii, and even extreme South FL is borderline too cold for me. I wear a 5 ml wetsuit when I dive in the Caribbean. The water temp in Hawaii is much more consistent (76-81) vs S FL or USVI which vary from low 70’s to high 80’s. Hmmmm
Kroeran
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The weather in Southwest Florida is iffy mid Dec to mid Feb. a typical day is just warm enough for the pool mid afternoon, and weeks are broken up with hot periods and cold periods. Rain is rare in winter. Spring and fall are perfection, summer too hot for some.
Hurricane risk is mitigated by leasing rather than owning, moving inland, owning new construction under latest code, getting flood insurance or being elevated, concrete block to roofline. Owning along a power line connecting to a shelter or hospital is a plus for minimum power downtime.
Fort Myers Beach is more affordable due to brown water coming out of Calousahatchee occasionally. Water is much better towards Naples or Sarasota if that is important.
High season for tight rentals is Feb-March. You will pay more for lower quality going last minute.
If you like flat water boating, kayaking, Anglo mid western culture, and of course golf, tennis, Pickleball, lots of retirees to hang with, west coast Florida is better than east coast. East coast is attractive if you like busy, urban, more young people and New Yorkers about.
Naples is big huge large money mostly. Gets cheaper the more inland and the more north. Daniels Corridor Fort Myers is the edge of civilization until Sarasota, except right on the coast. Gasparilla is gentille big money. North of Sarasota and you start to catch more cold snaps.
Marco is seventies architecture looking like most of the East coast of Florida, but a stunning location for beach and boating. Sanibel is nice, Captiva is new big money.
We are in Daniels corridor, 10 minutes from the airport, and Marco up to Sarasota is our day trip play space. My hood, Paseo, unique, attracts California transplants. It’s a good base to start exploring from. We are close to Whole Foods.
Timing re traffic and restaurants is important in season.
Hurricane risk is mitigated by leasing rather than owning, moving inland, owning new construction under latest code, getting flood insurance or being elevated, concrete block to roofline. Owning along a power line connecting to a shelter or hospital is a plus for minimum power downtime.
Fort Myers Beach is more affordable due to brown water coming out of Calousahatchee occasionally. Water is much better towards Naples or Sarasota if that is important.
High season for tight rentals is Feb-March. You will pay more for lower quality going last minute.
If you like flat water boating, kayaking, Anglo mid western culture, and of course golf, tennis, Pickleball, lots of retirees to hang with, west coast Florida is better than east coast. East coast is attractive if you like busy, urban, more young people and New Yorkers about.
Naples is big huge large money mostly. Gets cheaper the more inland and the more north. Daniels Corridor Fort Myers is the edge of civilization until Sarasota, except right on the coast. Gasparilla is gentille big money. North of Sarasota and you start to catch more cold snaps.
Marco is seventies architecture looking like most of the East coast of Florida, but a stunning location for beach and boating. Sanibel is nice, Captiva is new big money.
We are in Daniels corridor, 10 minutes from the airport, and Marco up to Sarasota is our day trip play space. My hood, Paseo, unique, attracts California transplants. It’s a good base to start exploring from. We are close to Whole Foods.
Timing re traffic and restaurants is important in season.
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I need to spend more time on the West Coast of FL. Spent a huge amount of my life in Central and South Florida. It's true about the comparison of East vs West in Florida. Excellent write up. But you didn't mention about all the alligators?
Lewis Clark
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Far too many to write about. : )
My BIL is a cop in DelRay, and he lives in Boyton Beach on the SouthEast coast. We can hardly stand to visit him because of the Winter traffic. Tuesday/Wednesday morning at 10:00 am grid locked traffic on 4 laners, and the surface streets aren't much better. Lots of really slow moving New Yorkers with attitudes who park like they own the place.
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Given the choice, I would choose SW Florida.
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Given the choice, I would choose SW Florida.
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Visitors should know that during winter time that it feels like the world has descended to Florida to escape their colder climates. Small towns and even major cities populations significantly increase. Also visitors bring their $$$ to support Florida's economy and keep my property taxes low here in FL. The slower times to visit FL is Sept, Oct, and summer ( oppressive heat and hurricanes).
Dtail
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
It also depends if the area is a snowbird paradise. Here in New Tampa, there is no noticeable difference in winter population vs. anytime else.
It was one of the reasons of not moving to a 55+ Villages type community or right on the coast.
ShokWaveRider
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
We find North East Florida to be a compromise of all the goods and bads listed in this thread.
EarlyBirdly
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Mostly they are nice. Very docile. I like to fit them with party hats. Much like the bears and the bison when I visit Yellowstone, they are also fun to pet.
Try it.
They like it.
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There are many lovely small cities/towns on the west coast where eateries and shopping are walkable or bikeable (and even via legally licensed golf cart). Three of the most charming are (all within 30 minutes drive of Tampa Intl Airport)....Gulfport (own a home there); Safety Harbor and Dunedin. Here is a link to activities, etc. in Gulfport:
About Gulfport Florida | Gulfport Florida
About Gulfport Florida | Gulfport Florida
MRG
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
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Moose too, very docile. They like rubbed behind their ears.Mostly they are nice. Very docile. I like to fit them with party hats. Much like the bears and the bison when I visit Yellowstone, they are also fun to pet.
Try it.
They like it.
My DF had a pet alligator on the golf course behind their home. He'd scratch its head with his ball retriever..
Kroeran
Full time employment: Posting here.
Tampa /Ste Petes is a ideal area for normal family life.
Kroeran
Full time employment: Posting here.
Assume all fresh water has gators, but Gator attacks are as rare as east coast shark attacks. Dogs and kids in or near fresh water is the rare risk. Fire ants in grass are more of a concern.
Wild hogs, snakes in the “woods” or preserves are a perhaps unwarranted fear. There’s not a lot of action IN freshwater, on grass, within preserve land.
No kayaker has ever had a problem on the many excellent creeks and rivers, inland flat water. Preserve park paths are mostly elevated boardwalks.
brucethebroker
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Dunno....quick Google search "kayaker attacked by alligator in Florida" produced 443,000 results...
A little research on alligators can help out. Times of day to avoid, tall weeds near the water, etc.
Kroeran
Full time employment: Posting here.
This article kinda sums up the gator risk situation
Yankee recent resident was unsuccessfully attacked on kayak <but had small dog> on kayak
The one guy actually killed by a gator in an 8 year stretch had been swimming
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/horrifying-moment-man-kayak-attacked-7721069.amp
Yankee recent resident was unsuccessfully attacked on kayak <but had small dog> on kayak
The one guy actually killed by a gator in an 8 year stretch had been swimming
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/horrifying-moment-man-kayak-attacked-7721069.amp
ShokWaveRider
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
We are surrounded by retention Ponds (AKA Fla Lakes), we have not seen a gator in 10 years. Caught some nice large mouth Bass in them though. I would rate Noseeums higher on the to "try" to avoid scale rather than a gator. Makes me laugh when non locals worry about gators. The only gators to worry about here is the football team.
Good way to look at it until you seen one up close.. The locals FL rednecks have given a damn yankee like me, lot of advice on what to do or not to do when I come across one. It sure helped me when I moved to FL in the early 1990s. The best I like about it is deep fried gator bites, hot sauce and a cold beer.
I agree. My sister and BIL live there and we’ve visited many times. However it gets pretty chilly in the winter. Might be fine if you’re from the North or Midwest, but if you’re looking for somewhere you can enjoy the beach and swim in the water year-around, deep South FL is the only viable choice that I know of in the Continental US.
