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You know you’re in Florida when …
This sign is at the intersection of
routes 98 and
301 in Dade City.
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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.
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.”
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Castillo
de San Marcos
Image Courtesy Google
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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?
