Back in Early November, the wife and I were discussing our "holiday" plans. We were headed to Galveston for Thanksgiving, and ... planning on putting up the Christmas tree. Well, this time last year got pretty cold down in Galveston ( it SNOWed one day!), and ... with her arthritis issues and all, she mentioned she wanted to be somewhere warmer this year. The previous year, we'd gone to Mexico over NYE, but we didnt' want to leave our Puggle behind... so ... the search was on. I've got family down in Ft Myers, FL, but have never visited. Talked about it numerous times, but never got off my ass and did anything about it. Well, a quick search on weather validated.. we needed to make it happen. A search on Google Maps gave me a good overview of the areas, though I was shooting in the dark. I could have picked up the phone and asked a few questions, but we decided to surprise folks. And finally, we were considering the possibility ... of purchasing a vacation home/condo. So, via a quick search on AirBnB, I located a hope that was centrally located in the mix, and the plan was in place!
Now, I've got to admit .... we dove in 'blindly'! We actually went at a less than optimum time due to Christmas and NYE, but that was our point. We wanted to spend the Holiday down there. But apparently, so does everyone else! The Holidays brought in a lot of folks, to the Ft Myers Beach area. Additionally, unknown to me at the time.... January through April, is the 'busy season!' I've always heard about folks heading down in the winter (Snowbirds) or folks retiring down there (Gray Hairs) .. but... never really thought about it past... watching the traffic for old ladies that can't drive and/or assumed Old Folks Homes are over populated in the area. I was wrong.
 |
| TRAFFIC!! |
 |
| Xmas Day! |
Snowbirds: I wasn't ready for the TRAFFIC onto Ft Myers Beach. Unfortunately, there is a single 2 lane bridge (one lane, each direction) onto and off the Island on the North side. This is the touristy side with the shop, bars and restaurants.. It's complete chaos! To validate that, as I type this at 2pm CST on a Thursday, look at the traffic flow! To go 12 miles from where I was staying, it takes over an F'ing HOUR! So, we went out of the way to come in on the south side, but that still took 45 minutes. Lesson learned! If you are headed on to the Island, South Route, or ... come in EARLY or LATE to avoid it. Painful! Now here is the kicker; I was quickly educated that this is a Snow Bird Problem. In the summer .. .it's quiet! Locals only! Too Hot for the beaches! WTF? In Texas, we pop up a 10x10, bring the cooler and chairs and it's game on! Now, come in before Christmas time frame.. no problemo' . Go Figure! Unknowingly, we rolled in the 23rd, headed to the beach on Christmas Eve .. and .. got blindsided. Never again! On the subject of 'snow birds', the housing area in North Ft Myers we were were staying in got active after NYE. Folks were rolling in with plates from Northern States. Across from me a truck pulling a bike trailer and a Jeep rolled in .. from MN. Across the way... another bike shows up. Within days, the 'dead' neighborhood was alive .. but... we were headed out. I always 'assumed' the snowbirds were retired folks rolling in, but some folks were doing exactly what I was doing there. Changing location where you work from for an extended period of time, or on a longer vaca' where it was truly warm at! When you look at the Winter weather patterns, South Florida becomes a no-brainer! Check out Christmas Day temps... though Galveston was looking pretty good, it was 80 degrees down further South. Every day we were there was up near 80 thru 85. That, is beach weather. That , is riding weather! On this trip, my definition of Snowbirds changed.... to include folks like myself. In fact , that is why we where there . .. to check out the possibility of acquiring a place down there to use during the colder times of the year that we experience in Texas.
 |
| My Cuz's crib on Pine Island |
Condo or Home? We've been scouring Zillow. Contacted a Real Estate agent and got access to their MLS listings. I quickly remember why I dislike condo's; HOA fees. But if you go the house path, you've got upkeep (yard, pool, garbage, etc). As I'm comparing, I come to the conclusion it's a wash. So then it comes down to area. This is the tough one. Near the water? Near a golf course? Near the bay? Or ... just a 'normal' basic house. What's driving our behavior is .. there are three of us. Wife, myself ..and.. the dog. So, the condo has to be pet friendly. Or a home, good for a pet. You'd be surprised what a pain in the ass this can become. Hell, we drove here for that reason instead of flying; so our dog could travel with us easily. Well, the longer we are here , the more 'confusing' it becomes. I've
got a family member that lives on Pine Island....15 minutes from the house we've rented. Very cool location. Close family friends reside on Ft Myers Beach which is basically an Island as well. Prices are all over the map depending on areas, and how close you are to the beach. My rental on this trip was a two bedroom home with a pool, centrally located. What I didn't expect was to come around
mentally to the thought process on Florida Rooms/Lanais. I've seen pictures where folks have their pools enclosed by a screened in cage of sorts and to be honest.... thought it was... senseless. I got the concept; keep out the bugs. But we've got our share of bugs in Texas and don't have these. But after being there for 10 days with one attached to the rear of the
home and enclosing the pool, I'm a fan! Why? Because if the temps are good, you can open up the entire home out back to the pool area and no issues. Even if the temps are high, close up the house but no flys , mosquitoes birds .. or even .. snakes and croc's on the back porch! I get it now. You get used to it quickly. After 10 days I'm thinking .... I could do this.. 3 bedroom, 2 bath home, pool ... screened in area ... 2 car garage.. this is doable! Lock it down with Security Systems, hire some local help to keep it up during the months I'm not there.. ... done.
But, I'm not down here just to home shop. We're down here to enjoy the temps. Just about every day we spend a few hours around the pool in the back yard. Spent a day on the beach in the South side of Ft Myers Beach while visiting family friends. Spent a lot of time around the canals and bays at restaurants every single day we there. For those that know me know..... know I love seafood. The Scallops and Shrimp I got down there were incredible. The Grouper, incredible. Several nights got my share of crab legs and lobsters. Hell, I'm shocked I didn't put on any weight down there; came back after being gone 13 days, the same weight that I left at which is a huge positive. As always, we didn't scratch the surface. Hell, three of the places we returned to for a second go around. But most importantly, this was shorts and short sleeve weather. On the first day, it was in the mid 70s during the day , chillier at night. Toughed that one out, then... temps rose as the days stretched in to the new year. The day we were packing, it was pushing past the mid 80s; didn't want to leave!
Most times we travel, I'm ready to get home. Not this time. Only thing we're missing is bicyles to ride. A motorcycle to putt around on. I could easily have hung out another week or two. Saw my Cuz a few times. Saw family friends (Larry and Carol) a few times. Had don't much cooking like I nomrally do. Hadn't explored the restarunt scene enough. After 10 days... I was just warming up! But, it was time to roll. What did we accomplish? Well, we had a great time with just the two ... I mean three .. of us. Got to see family and friends in their homes for the first time. We got to expeience Ft Myers finally. But, did we decide on a Condo or Home? No. In fact, we're not sure if we'll make the purchase. My cuz brought up some great points. Is it worth the cost for just a few more degrees of warmth compared to Galveston Island? I'm not sure. There are many other places further south (think Islands) that could be more desirable. But the Ft Myers thought process was based around keeping our dog with us. But... he's over 10 years old and won't be making that trek forever. So, we've decided to put the plan on hold for a year. In the meantime, I'm scouring the 'net for a home or condo to rent again, maybe for a month this time. Thirty days..... that must be enough time to figure out where all the best bars and beaches are?
got a family member that lives on Pine Island....15 minutes from the house we've rented. Very cool location. Close family friends reside on Ft Myers Beach which is basically an Island as well. Prices are all over the map depending on areas, and how close you are to the beach. My rental on this trip was a two bedroom home with a pool, centrally located. What I didn't expect was to come around 
mentally to the thought process on Florida Rooms/Lanais. I've seen pictures where folks have their pools enclosed by a screened in cage of sorts and to be honest.... thought it was... senseless. I got the concept; keep out the bugs. But we've got our share of bugs in Texas and don't have these. But after being there for 10 days with one attached to the rear of the 
home and enclosing the pool, I'm a fan! Why? Because if the temps are good, you can open up the entire home out back to the pool area and no issues. Even if the temps are high, close up the house but no flys , mosquitoes birds .. or even .. snakes and croc's on the back porch! I get it now. You get used to it quickly. After 10 days I'm thinking .... I could do this.. 3 bedroom, 2 bath home, pool ... screened in area ... 2 car garage.. this is doable! Lock it down with Security Systems, hire some local help to keep it up during the months I'm not there.. ... done. 
But, I'm not down here just to home shop. We're down here to enjoy the temps. Just about every day we spend a few hours around the pool in the back yard. Spent a day on the beach in the South side of Ft Myers Beach while visiting family friends. Spent a lot of time around the canals and bays at restaurants every single day we there. For those that know me know..... know I love seafood. The Scallops and Shrimp I got down there were incredible. The Grouper, incredible. Several nights got my share of crab legs and lobsters. Hell, I'm shocked I didn't put on any weight down there; came back after being gone 13 days, the same weight that I left at which is a huge positive. As always, we didn't scratch the surface. Hell, three of the places we returned to for a second go around. But most importantly, this was shorts and short sleeve weather. On the first day, it was in the mid 70s during the day , chillier at night. Toughed that one out, then... temps rose as the days stretched in to the new year. The day we were packing, it was pushing past the mid 80s; didn't want to leave!
Comments