At a minimum I am surprised with the negativity and the tales of how bad Florida is.

I am in the next town north of Bonita Springs, Estero, and after 14 years I have not experienced the negatives that people have mentioned. Fleas? Haven't seen any. Smelly water? My tap water is great and it makes excellent ice cubes for cocktails!

Strip malls? Yes, there are areas with a concentration of commercial activity and most anything I need can be found within 10 miles of the house. At the Gilford house, the lake makes up for the fact that there is limited shopping for some items and a drive to Concord or Manchester may be necessary when I need something.

When I have company in Florida I take them to waterfront restaurants in Sanibel, Marco Island, and Fort Myers Beach. Many great places to go all within 20 to 40 minutes of the house. There are numerous beaches that are not too crowded, especially when you go by boat.

That is just what I have found in the winters I have spent in Florida, and any negatives are minimal.

I will stop writing now. It is 7:30, still light out, and the solar has the pool water temperature at 88 degrees. Time for a swim! :)

Lots of Space Left in Florida, But Be Aware...
 

To see a Sand Flea, you're gonna need your reading glasses. ;) (Also known as "Flying Jaws", sand flies, beach fleas, sand gnats, hop-a-longs, punkies, or the very appropriate "no-see-ums.) ;)

The Pensacola Panhandle also has a sand flea, but it's a harmless surf-loving crustacean.

My delightful neighbors (sadly) just moved away to assisted-living in Pompano, which was just listed as the highest crime rate in Florida, and the highest rate of Florida's Covid-19 cases. :eek:

Massachusetts readers will recognize the name, John "Zip" Connolly, the hero of the film "The Departed". Convicted of murder, he's just been released from a 40-year prison sentence on medical grounds, and has moved--yep--to Pompano! :rolleye1:

With all due respect to MeredithMan, his bites are likely due to [URL]Trombicula_alfreddugesihttps://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trombicula_alfreddugesi, found mostly among tall moist grasses.

Sand fleas usually bite at the ankles, but can be mistaken for a mosquito bite on any exposed skin. They're just as wary as mosquitoes, and hard to swat. Early mornings and dusk are favored party-time for sand fleas. (Most severe, logically, on the coasts).

Florida is only "guilty" of being in the middle of hurricane strikes. Ask the citizens of Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, the Carolinas, New Jersey, Long Island, Vermont, and even Ontario.

I see the present temperature difference between north- and south- Florida is 40 degrees! :eek2:

SW Florida had a groundwater emergency about 15 years ago. The US Navy hooked up a warship that delivered desalinated seawater to the area. Such desalination was later replaced by a permanent plant. About 10% of drinking water is desalinated.

Much of SW Florida's fresh water escapes to the sea through Florida's many canals. Municipal wells nearest Florida coasts suffer from saltwater intrusion, and are permanently capped.

As APS suggests sand fleas,flies, no-see-ums, etc are tiny. Generally speaking, the bites trigger an allergic reaction to them and Florida residents usually become immune and are not bothered by them. Newcomers can have severe reactions including large blisters.

It is also true that there is a geographic variation even in Florida and not all “sand fleas” are the same.

I had no idea Florida entomology was so fascinating in the Lakes Region.

Now, about duck itch and black flies....:):)

To be fair...
 

I know there are many many folks that love FL in the winter. My in-laws loved going there for more than 20 years. They were both avid golfers and they really enjoyed being in a golf community. They had many friends in their condo development and my father-in-law used to say, "every night is like New Year's Eve!" Like a lot of folks, they rented for a few years and then ultimately bought a place. I think the biggest take-away/learning experience from watching their situation over the years, is that when you get a retirement place, make sure it meets your needs not only now, but 20 years from now. My in-laws' condo was a 2nd floor unit, with two big stairways, (10 steps up, a landing, 10 more steps up). There was no elevator. This was not an issue when they were in their early 60's, but by the time they were in their 80's, it was a major problem.

I agree. The current Florida house is one level and it is an easy walk in from the garage with groceries Etc. That should definitely be a top priority when someone chooses to buy a retirement home, anywhere.

As we get older (and more forgetful) it is a lot easier to run from the car back into the house when you forget your sunglasses with a one level home! Sometimes when I am out on Winnipesaukee I notice the houses with very long stairways to the lake (Rattlesnake Island) and think how ticked off I would be if I hiked down to the boat and realized I forgot something at the house and needed to go back up.

I have friends who rented a third floor condo in Naples Florida for the month of February. Their biggest complaint is how difficult it is to bring suitcases and groceries from the parking garage, to the elevator, to the condo. They aren't making those cases of bottled water any lighter!

I've vacationed in N. Georgia a few times and I have to say if I was in the market for a winter or full time retirement location, that would be it. Within the Chattahoochee National Forest are Lakes Burton, Nottely and Chatuge as well as others. Very nice lakes for boating without the hazards we deal with here. The Smokey's aren't too far either for great hiking and even trout fishing. I found the area to be very "Lakes region" like except for the winter. The winters are typically in the 50 - 60 degree range but can also get into the 70's and some light snow is possible from time to time but doesn't hang around for long. Summers are beautiful but not nearly as humid as Atlanta. The state does have an income tax but does not tax social security earnings. Can't comment on the real estate as we haven't seriously looked into it but we've seen some beautiful waterfront homes similar to Winni. Unfortunately, the SC coast is 4 - 5 hours away but if you're looking for a Winni like area I would recommend having a look.

Twenty USA Party Lakes Mentioned...
 

Lake Kenowee, along with Lake Winnipesaukee, gets a mention here:

https://www-thrillist-com.cdn.amppro...ity-charlevoix

Top 20
 

Interesting reading Aps. But Wolfeboro got scr***d. Most other towns had nice pics of lakes and beaches. Wolfeboro got a pic of Main St. traffic, and not very good pic at that. And when is this "Lobster Day" they talk about? New to me.

They advertise it. It's not any special day that I know of.

Lobster Day at the 2 supermarkets is advertised in the Granite newspaper for the following week. I want to say it's in August, but it could be July.

I typically buy 4-6 lobsters for dinner and lobster rolls- they're no bigger than
1- 1 1/4 lbs and priced at around $5.80-$5.99/lb

The line can be long if you get there later than 11AM, but everyone is in a good mood with the lobstermen reaching into the crates and bagging them for sale.

Would've preferred a photo of the lake instead of downtown as well...

Thanks, and a request
 

Good info. Id be pl;eased if somebody here would post "Lobster Day" for those of us who don't always get the local info.

The South Carolina recon mission...
 

So we just did Thurs - Sun in South Carolina to see if we might like it for the winter months of the next phase of life. I think the answer is "no". We did two nights in Hilton Head and 1 night in Charleston. We found Hilton Head to be "Florida North". A main drag where people drive like crazy, (William Hilton Parkway), with gated communities that you can't get into to check out unless you're visiting someone or are going in with a realtor. We did visit some friends there in their development which was ok.

We also have friends in the Daniels Island section of Charleston, whom we saw on our 1 night there, but they were running late to meet up with us and we weren't able to see their house/neighborhood, so all we saw was 1 section of the city itself, which was underwhelming.

It didn't help that almost the entire time we were there, it was pouring and 47 degrees...it was warmer and nicer in NH this past weekend than it was in SC! The locals told us that that is typical January weather, so we thought might have to go the FL route after all to get shorts & t-shirt weather in Jan/Feb/Mar.

On to planning the next recon mission....

I searched other options to but I found North Carolina South Carolina even in Georgia the weather just isn’t that great in January and February so I did end up choosing Florida but on the West Coast I preferred much over the East Coast I think it’s a little more laid-back and relaxed


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Hilton Head Fun Fact....
 

....perhaps some of you that have been there before, or have played the Harbour Town golf course know this already, but....

For many years, I've watched the golf tournament, (I can't remember the name of it), on TV that is played at the Harbour Town golf course. The broadcast always shows the iconic Harbour Town lighthouse as the players walk up to the 18th green. We went to Harbour Town for lunch on one of the days and I was shocked to find that the lighthouse is in an area of tourist shops and not on the golf course itself. When I saw the lighthouse, I said to my wife, "where the hell is the 18th green?" And there it was...several hundred yards across the water and marina!

Now I know what Dorothy felt like when she learned that the Wizard of Oz was some old guy behind a curtain....:laugh::eek:

If the goal is nice weather during the winter you have two choices:

1) Go to Florida and just deal with the crowding that exists.

2) Buy something closer to the equator.

Pick your poison but winter sucks!

Couple of other choices. I have friends that love Arizona and San Diego for the winter.


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All that glitters isn’t gold…
 

Speaking of Arizona, our friends who retired there are quite unnerved now by their proximity to the southern border and the mayhem there. I would imagine that current circumstances might be hindering people from settling there.

I've also heard reports that when the snow birds arrive it's tough to get good medical care; many oldsters bring quite a few tanks of oxygen with them due to difficulty getting same.

My friends are more north near Gilbert and Scottsdale but you are correct especially down near Tucson


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I have had a winter home in Southwest Florida for many years. Although I occasionally go the the Miami area, the Fort Myers/Naples is much quieter and more "civilized". One thing that stands out as different than the lake area is more convenient access to any type of retail store you could want. Within 10 miles there is everything from car dealers to Publix, Target, Marshalls, and Costco. The biggest negative I see is Florida drivers. No signals, and tailgating constantly. A Florida Sheriff told me that over 90% of the car accidents are rear-end collisions.

In my opinion, if you are going to move because of weather there is no sense stopping in the Carolina's, you may as well continue south. It seems as if every day in Florida, from November through April, is sunny and in the 80's. Almost every day is a good boating day!

I am glad to have given up the snow shovel! I have friends who winter in Alabama and it looks like it is raining 50% of the time.

We live in AZ most of the year ( Scottsdale ) and the border issues are what we see on tv. The weather is desert vs more tropical in Florida. I like it better but biggest difference to those in Nh is distance

Vote for SWFL
 

Just arrived in Bonita Springs for the first ever full snow bird season for us. After a couple of years of research this is where we landed. In a golf community but easy ride and access to the beaches. Anything north of Tampa (we're 2 hrs south) is not guaranteed warm weather. We like to visit the Carolinas but would not spend the winters there - too iffy temperature wise

"The biggest negative I see is Florida drivers. No signals, and tailgating constantly."

This practice is often seen in a state close by...

I’m with you. I’ve had a place on Marco for 4 years but capitalized on the boom and sold for a great price. Now building in a community just east of Jolly Bridge. Get all the amenities without being too far from Marco and our beach club is on Marco. Best of both worlds.


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Rental?
 

Enlighten me, please. I'm under the impression that there is a better summer rental market on the NC/SC coast. South Florida is great in the winter, but who wants to vacation there in the summer? So, if I want warmer(than NH) for the winter, and want to rent out my place in the summer, isn't NC/SC the place to be? I don't need to be able to spend time sitting on the beach in January.

It's a crossroads. Yes the rental market in SC/NC in the summer is excellent but if you're looking for warm weather in the winter the Carolina's are no bargain. No snow but a lot of rain and temps depending on the location really dont go above 65. Check out the weather history for the areas in SC/NC you are interested in and you will see.


I can tell you that I had my home on Marco for 5 summers and was able to rent the home every year in the "off" season

Although most locals attribute this to Mass drivers, my wife has noted, and commented, consistently lately that Maine drivers are even more erratic.

Mainiacs! :D

Not to the extent that they do in Floriduh.

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Central Florida is busy in the summer. Only quiet times are September and January.


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Not even a " real " lighthouse...pretty though! The tournament is the Heritage.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...3616353b1b.jpg

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Roots
 

Roots is another consideration in the snowbird vs year round decision. You will grow deeper roots if you are year round. Summers are fun and crazy but community activities ramp up off season. Your circle of friends will likely increase when you get to know others that are year-round residents. Snowbirds can be out of sight, out of mind in the winter. Roots aren't everything, especially if you don't like Lakes Region winters, but being a deeper part of a community has value when weighing the options.

NH Vs FL drivers
 

As a cyclist I think I can speak with some authority on this subject. Live on Long Island here and Naples in FL. FL drivers are consistently more rude and in considerate-especially with cyclists. Vast majority up here the opposite. Of course there is the occasional ass who feels like it's his right to scare the crap out of you by passing within a foot but fortunately quite rare.

FL has a combination of "older" drivers who are oblivious and younger drivers who are pissed off by the older ones!

As a fifty year resident of Florida and an 18 year summer resident of NH I can speak with authority. Also no moving violation in 60 years.

No question that NH drivers are generally courteous and civil.

But you Snowbirds just don’t seem to understand the different traffic rules in FL or, more specifically, South Florida.

First, as a South Florida resident, we resent the Snowbirds who invade us each year and attempt to bring their NH rules to our state. We love their money, just don’t like them and the driving civility they attempt to impose on our residents. They refuse to accept our rules in our state.

Specifically, in Florida we stop at red lights. We make right turns after stopping. BUT, if the light is red and no one seems around, then it is permissible to make a left,right, or go straight if you can get away with it. Speed limits are suggestions not rules and no one pays attention. There are express lanes costing money to use unless you can squeeze through the flimsy dividers without getting broadsided. It usually works. FL drivers do not tailgate…they are super friendly…just getting up close and personal.

There are no Florida residents who are old and drive too slowly…these are all from northern states or Canada.

Just remember don’t come to OUR state and try to make it yours. Keep civility in NH where it belongs. Just bring your cash.

I do hope you take the above in the manner in which it was intended. And do drive safely wherever you are.
:):):)

This has been a test of the ESHS (Emergency Sarcastic Humor System).

Had this been a real emergency... :D

FL is all about where you are in FL.
I lived there 30 years and, if you’re in the right area, it’s a great and free state, has minimal systemic issues and it’s not a hassle to live there.

The only thing that sucks is the absolutely relentless heat and humidity. I can tolerate the climate from Dec-early March, then I have to get the hell out of there.

I moved to NH full time, but will probably get a 2nd place back in FL for the 3 months that suck here.


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My wife's family has a condo in the Bonita Beach Club on Big Hickory Island...doesn't matter what time of year ( winter months only ) I've been down there, the weather's been beautiful. Went down for Thanksgiving a few years ago...80s and beautiful...i love it there!

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It's not perfect. Look: A chance of a stray shower on Saturday. No problem, we will go boating on Sunday! The struggle is real!

Big deal...I will be boating as well![emoji6]

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First person I thought of on this response :)

After living in FL year round, but also spending significant time here, I actually prefer seasonal activities. You end up doing the activities more when it’s perceived in short supply:

I boat more here than I EVER did in FL.
In FL, it was always there, never short in supply and went less appreciated . I ended up boating far less days per year than I do here.
Not to mention, we don’t have gators or brain-eating amoeba: You can just jump in the water and get out without smelling like a frog.


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I'm sure the Florida boating is equally as picturesque![emoji6]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...dd86c093b0.jpg

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