Florida/Snowbird advice
 

We recently moved from the West Coast to the Mid West so we plan to become snowbirds in the winter months. We would like to get advice from veteren snowbirds about what destinations they have found the most enjoyable and which they have tried but wouldn't recommend.
We appreciate any advice you can give us.
Bob

You might try posting this on the tripadvisor florida forum as well. A number of snowbirds post there.

Are you looking for sights to see or places to live?

Will you rent, own, or RV?

How long will you be there (Nov-April, for example)?

How much cold/heat are you willing to put up with? Ocala/Gainesville, for example, have frost and even freezes. You have to go south of the Peace River to be reliably [sic] warm every day.

More information from you will elicit better responses here.

We are looking to rent in a condo community during Jan. or Feb. We are looking for as much consistent warm weather as possible. Also within 20 minute drive of beaches.

Bob

If you're willing to drive 20 mins to the beach, you're going to find some good deals in FL, but exactly where you go depends greatly on what you're looking for.

We found an area perfect for us -- not touristy, no high rises, beach, laid back -- but what we like might not be what you like.

For starters, if you're looking for warm in Jan or Feb, then you sure need to stay south of West Palm or Tampa. Anything north of that or inland will be colder.

Mildest winter weather in Florida is on the southeast coast from Palm Beach on south. The warmest winter ocean water is there. Most of the condo rentals are on or near the ocean.

Hi Bob,
We return each year to the Florida Keys. The number of beaches is limited but there are some good ones - especially around Marathon. We've been very lucky with the weather. It has been our impression that folks who like golfing tend to go to mid Florida. Those who favor water activities like the Keys.

SW Florida, from Punta Gorda south, getting better the closer you get to Naples, has reliably warm air temperatures, a low number of chilly mornings, and much warmer water temperatures than the east coast, if you actually want to go in the water instead of just sit on the beach. I will be too hot by April or before November. You will have lots of choice if you are willing to be 20 minutes from the beach.

I like Naples, Vanderbilt Beach, and Bonita Beach best, though I no longer own property there. Lots to do, great beaches, great restaurants, great weather.

My in-laws from MA always rented in Deland for January. It has been cold, it has been hot....no telling really. It is a close distance to New Smyrna Beach and about 1/2 hour north of where we live. There are several state parks nearby if you like birding, hiking, watching the manatees. It is not your typical snowbird area...ie: not crazy crowded!

Ackislander, while the Naples area is pretty reliably mild in the winter, water temps. in the Gulf, even as far south as Naples are cooler in the winter than on the southeast coast, by at least 5-7 degrees. In summer the gulf is warmer.

I guess it's now been clarified, but yes the temperatures in Ft. Myers and south through Naples to Marco Island are usually warmer in winter than those on the Southeast coast (Ft. Lauderdale and Miami). But the water temperature is a cooler.

It's also interesting that living within a few blocks of the Gulf in Naples, I have not had an actual frost for something like 17 years! But frost is relatively common in the winter once you go even 5 or 10 miles inland. It's surprising what a difference those few miles make in even the daytime temperatures.

Hi. This will be our third winter in Naples. We love it. This area has everything we were looking for.

Great shops, restaurants, beaches, golf, tennis etc.

Can't think of a better place to spend the winter.