Finding an apartment or rental for 2-4 months at reasonable prices

[FreeBear]

Good thoughts. And for the most part, probably stateside as I really don't like to fly. And as ivinsfan alluded to, having your own car is always nice.

And yes, we are in Iowa, making flying harder (costlier flying out of the DSM airport) but really driving most places in the continental U.S. is quite doable.

.....

Texas somewhere, Arizona, South Carolina area seem to be the leading candidates. Florida would be nice, but it looks like it is similar to California...out of my price range for lodging. Although I haven't looked at extended stays there, still need to do that. too.

We're also in the frozen north and also miss the sunlight during what seems like half the year. I haven't flown since I retired 4 years ago.

We usually drive avoid the tight schedules and airport drama. We also "need" to bring all our outdoors toys and, well, seemingly tons of other crap in our car. We vacate for about 2-4 weeks, including drive time during the cold, dark months.

Honestly, southern AZ seems much warmer than the Gulf Coast or SC in Jan and Feb. We're talking sunny and 70, not 50-60 something. We love the desert mountains; a big change from the midwest! Amazing hiking and biking!

Parting thought: Las Cruces, NM. It's the gateway to the beautiful and accessible Organ Pipe Mountains. Not as warm as southern AZ due to the elevation, but seemed relatively inexpensive. A smaller city vibe, much saner than say Tucson. Met a mixed bunch of locals and northern snowbirds, all friendly. Seemed like they enjoyed the low cost of living, esp. relative to AZ, let alone coastal FL or CA.

 

[Bamaman]

I understand from friends that Myrtle Beach is pretty affordable in the off-season.

And Myrtle Beach is also pretty cold in the winter months. It is a golf heaven, however, with more courses per capita than anywhere.

You might do better to stick to the Gulf Coast from Pensacola and South Alabama over to Corpus Christi. Many resort cities have an incredible number of rental condos available in the offseason. It does get moderately cold along the coast, however their Spring and Fall seasons are relatively long.