Why One Place For A Whole Season?

[wildebill308]

Ok I have read a bunch of people who are looking for that one place to spend the winter season. My question is WHY? 

I just don't understand the fascination of going to one spot and spending the whole winter season in one spot when you have a "motorhome". 
I can understand back in the day when you rented a place for the season. When you drove your car South for the season.  Now you have the luxury of a mobile condo and you go set in one place.

Bill

 

[manholt]

I will not spend more than a month in one place, most times it's one week to 10 days.  Love the mountains in summer and fall.  Michael is right about Texas! 

Wayne, your right about going back...each time there is something new to see or do.

[manholt]

Bill.  Good shot...you grabbed that "Cat by the tail"!  Didn't you ?   Good question really and I would love some good realistic feed back!

[jleamont]

I don't get that either! DW and I talk about that all the time. We have friends that parked their trailer and skirted the bottom, now they stare at the same stuff all the time, other trailers with skirts . Worse for a motorhome in my opinion, I'm curious also, does it save money, thoughts...why?

[wayne77590]

The only thing it will save on is Diesel or Gasoline, other than that the monthly rates are the same.

I think a lot of people think that they have to keep moving. In my mind if you go from point A to point B to point C to point D in 3 nights you have filled up your tank 3 times. If you go to those same points and make it a week or more to get there you will most definitely save money by the time you get to point Z. 

Weekly rates are not bad and when you apply the different RV park discounts for GS, PPA,, etc., it is cheaper.  It also allows some time to see some of these United States.  We have come to the conclusion that you could spend a month in each State and never see all that that State has to offer.  we have been to the West Coast now 4 times and have yet to see it all. We typically leave here the end of May or first of June and don't get back home until the end of Sep. or beginning of Oct.

Earlene would never let me stay in one spot for months at a time....she'd climb the curtains.

[michaelhillhouse]

Last Year we went to Creede Colorado for the month of Aug. While it was beautiful I actually got bored staying in one place . The cost for the resort was expensive and it was basically the same site all month long. I do think if and when we go again we will spread the love to other areas and do more traveling Just so it's cooler than Texas .Of course just about anywhere is cooler than Texas . 

Edited August 21, 2017 by michaelhillhouse

[wayne77590]

A week to 10 days and once in a while 14 days is about it for us. 

Like I said, Earlene gets ants in her pants.

[hermanmullins]

Wayne, you need to caution Earlene as to where she sits.

Sorry, sometime I just can't help myself.

 

Herman

[jleamont]

3 hours ago, hermanmullins said:

Wayne, you need to caution Earlene as to where she sits.

Sorry, sometime I just can't help myself.

 

Herman

Herman, I actually had that happen once, wasn't a pleasant experience, they were red ants 

[rsbilledwards]

I will bet something else was red too.  B

[jleamont]

No one knew I could dance 

[rfsod48]

With my wife's disability it is easier for us to have longer stays. She doesn't travel well but is fine when we are at a place. I would travel more but want to keep her happy 😊 

[wildebill308]

1 hour ago, rfsod48 said:

With my wife's disability it is easier for us to have longer stays. She doesn't travel well but is fine when we are at a place. I would travel more but want to keep her happy 😊 

That's fine and I definitely understand having health concerns. But that is only a small number of people. 

I just don't see the point of having a mobile condo and staying put.

Bill

[casuall454]

Motorhome , this starts with motor. I choose to use option that to my advantage.

Sometimes its just better to leave when the weather is going to be less then desirable for an extended period of time. Of course moving to see new sites, food and make new friends are great benefits as well.

Maybe as my tenured status increases, my desire to drive will decrease. However at this time I choose to see Canada and America on the Motorhome plan.

[manholt]

casuall454.  Everyone ages differently.  Only difference in travel now as compared to 20 years ago, is the distance I can and will comfortably drive, also speed that I drive has decreased.   

[punxsyjumper]

Guilty as charged. Some very good points here and I guess we never thought about it. Still new to the whole thing and always learning as we go. That's why I come in here, to learn from you Folks. Took our first snowbird trip last fall and wound up in Pahrump NV. Stayed there for only 2 months though. Liked it so much, we came back to PA, tied up a few loose ends and getting ready to head back west next month. Going full time. We are planning to go back to Pahrump for the season. Even though we are going to be there for 5 or 6 months, I plan on hoisting anchor once a month for a weekend trip mainly to get the coaches juices flowing.

Now you guys have me thinking about moving around more. Like I said, still grasping the idea of all the bennies of full time RV'ing. We were just so happy to be away from western PA in the winter time, haha. Thanks. I owe you all a beer. Stay sharp.

[punxsyjumper]

On a side note, on our first time out as snowbirds, we did run into a lot of crappy campgrounds. I blame it mainly on our inexperience and lack of knowledge. We weren't FMCA members then either. Didn't get my F# till Chandler this year. Anyway, when we finally did find Nevada Treasure in Pahrump, it was like a breath of fresh air. We would have been there longer than the 2 months if it hadn't of been for the permanents next to us and their yapping mutts. It really is a good RV park with many things going for it and we never got bored at all. We will def be back there this winter because we liked it so much.

That being said, we are definitely going to be considering moving around more often and seeing more things. Thanks again Folks.

[wayne77590]

On 8/22/2017 at 5:08 AM, manholt said:

casuall454.  Everyone ages differently.  Only difference in travel now as compared to 20 years ago, is the distance I can and will comfortably drive, also speed that I drive has decreased.   

...and I thought you were in the fast lane.

[wayne77590]

Joe,

I once asked a gentleman why he sat on a cactus. He replied, "Well, at the time I thought it was a good thing to do!"

[tbutler]

When we packed up and headed out to be full time, I imagined we would, at least for several years feel out different areas, moving from place to place throughout the winter.  It didn't turn out that way.  We spent Thanksgiving in the New Orleans area then moved on to the Houston area.  From there we moved west on I-10 to San Antonio.  We stayed a month.  New Year's Eve on the Riverwalk was great.  Dancing, fireworks and dinner outdoors on the Riverwalk made for a memorable evening.  However, we had lap blankets and a propane heater nearby to make dinner anywhere near comfortable. 

While we stayed in Houston one of the workers at the park asked if we had been to "the valley?"  She had to explain what "the valley" was and in doing so made it sound very nice so we decided to see if we could find weather a little (Louise said a lot) warmer.  When we pulled into Sandpipers Resort in Edinburg, we were warmly welcomed, by the staff, the residents and by the weather. 

We have taken trips, motor home, aviation and auto during the winter and it is always cold and unpleasant.  For years we spent the winter in the motor home, parked on a lot that we had an annual contract on so we could make a few improvements and to ensure we would have a place to stay next year.  Now we have a mobile home with the motor home parked in the driveway for the season.

We found friends and a host of interesting activities at Sandpipers.  Most of us are retired, similar in age and interest.  We have many Canadians in the park and even had European visitors almost every year. 

We play golf with friends all winter long.  We bowl in a league that starts and ends with the Winter Texan season.  There is a crew of tennis players in the park who will allow me to play with them.  I have certified as a Texas Master Naturalist and do a variety of nature oriented volunteer work including assisting with banding of birds.  I love birds and this gives me a chance to experience not only a bird in the bush but also a bird in the hand.  Can you imagine holding a Cardinal, a Green Jay, a Great Kiskadee or a House Wren in your hand?  The RGV is famous for its exotic birds, and they are just common birds where we stay all winter long.

Louise has established herself as a guest writer in the McAllen newspaper, The Monitor.  She writes opinion pieces and theme articles regularly including while we are on the road in the summer.  Louise has also been elected to the Texas Silver Haired Legislature and is taking leadership roles in the statewide organization.  Louise also loves playing cards and there are a number of card games going on in the park almost every day. 

So why would we leave this place?  Because we have a motor home.  But we're not leaving to head north in the winter.  Tried it, not fun.  When the temperature starts to push the 90's regularly, then, we're gone.  We love being out on our own on the road when the road is welcoming.  Are we permanently based in Edinburg for the winter?  Maybe.  Only time will tell.  In our travels we haven't seen a place that fits us better so we'll be back in Edinburg about October 23, 2017. 

 

[punxsyjumper]

Already looking at moving around more often. Will be going to the RV show in Quartzsite AZ Jan 17th and then back to Pahrump, NV.

[rossboyer]

We winter at Happy Trails RV Resort in Surprise, AZ. I like to make furniture and the woodworking shop is great there. My wife is a quilter and the quilt club there is great, too. There are 75 other clubs that offer opportunities. We are interested in some and not others, but there is more to do than we can attend. This is why we stay in one place for the winter. Not for everyone, but that is why we all have the opportunity to make different choices. 

[jimnorm]

Interesting. A few years ago things go tight so we parked our MH for 2 months at a local CG, DW and DD spent the summer, came home one day and night a week, I went out on Friday and drove to work on Monday morning. Would have been cheaper to stay home, but it was cheaper than trying to do 6 -8 weekends. As a rule we move after two-three days. I think that is too short and now that we have more time, we'll likely extend that. We've booked our first 9 day stay for next spring in Tennessee. It will tell us a lot about our preferences. There is a fair amount to see where we are headed so that will be good.

Not sure I would drive to say Arizona and park for 4 months in one place. I could see two weeks and move as an average.

 

[tbutler]

There is a real difference between a destination RV park and your run-of-the-mill short stop park.  Like rossboyer, our park offers a variety of activities, in the park, that are quite attractive if they fit your interests.  In addition, you get to know the rest of the people in the campground, they become a second family for you.  Some great friendships from all over the US and Canada.