Back to Florida?

You know you’re in Florida when …

This sign is at the intersection of

 routes  98 and 301 in Dade City.

We recently traveled to Dade City, Florida to visit the in-laws. I enjoy getting away from New England winter weather, and Florida in February is a viable option.

My in-laws live in a fifty-five-and-over community. Every time an ambulance enters the park my father-in-law exclaims, “Looks like another home is going to be available.” Which explains something I read (I don’t remember where) that says that Florida is God’s waiting room (though I’m fairly certain this statement would apply to a variety of locales).

I’ve written in previous posts that my bride and I are reaching that age where we’re beginning to entertain the possibility of downsizing, with an eye toward retirement. I just turned fifty-five and as my father-in-law so knowingly informed me, we could buy the trailer, excuse me, manufactured home, three doors down from them. However, as tempting as that might be, I’m not certain that Florida is a place I’d like to live year round.

Don’t get me wrong, the state has many enticing attractions and tourist destinations, such as Disney World and Universal Studios.  But as my brother told me when he retired to the Las Vegas area, “You have to remember you’re not a tourist anymore and budget accordingly.”

Castillo de San Marcos

Image Courtesy Google Images

To be fair, Florida isn’t all theme parks and roller coasters. In April, we took a trip to St. Augustine. Did you know that St. Augustine is the oldest city in the United States? I didn’t.  In 2014 they’re celebrating their 450th anniversary. Among the attractions is Ponce de Leon's Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park, Ripley’s Believe it or Not Museum and Castillo de San Marcos – the oldest remaining European fort in the United States.

And then there’s the “no state income tax” benefit. Florida is one of seven states that do not have an income tax. When you’re on a fixed income keeping every dime of your retirement benefit is huge.

But even that might not be enough to persuade us to move to Florida full time. We’ve toured the state on many occasions, but before we make a final decision, we owe it to ourselves to visit other locales to help us make an informed decision. Relocation is more than just escaping the snow and cold … it’s about finding a place we can call home.

Maybe we should do a partial snowbird and spend January through March in Florida (or some other warmer clime – say Hawaii). By doing that, we wouldn’t have to worry about maintaining two homes year round.

What do you think … Florida for an entire year, or October into April, or maybe some other time frame?