Thursday, April 01, 2010

April 1st - The Snowbirds Are Leaving Florida

It's that time of year when a lot of the winter snowbirds (retirees from the cold northern US states and Canada) pack up and leave sunny Buttonwod Bay to go back home.

I've never been here for this RV exodus and it's been fun to see it this year. A few left in ones and twos over the last couple of days, maybe to get a head start or maybe just cause they were anxious to be home. The roads north will be pretty crowded with snowbirds leaving from all the other Florida parks and it's fun to look at the interstate traffic cams as the RVs going northbound are a sight to behold.

We went out on a golf cart ride early this morning (well early for me) to see friends and 'I know you by sight but we've not really met' doing their last minute chores, tidying up their lots, putting down their tv aerials and satellite dishes and finally hooking their mobile homes up to their cars...often with another car on the back ! It was quite a sight.






Motorhomes, 5th wheels and trailers were all heading out of the park and added to the normal golf carts and cars of those of us still here for a while longer and those who live here all year round, the park streets looked more like Formula 1 pit lanes than the streets of a sleepy retirement park in Florida.




Some weren't as ready to leave as others as the park doesn't really enforce the 11am leaving time as while many are leaving, few, if any, are arriving to take their place. Oh a few will come in, as this park can be used by any passing RV'er for one night or a week or even a month, but not many. After another few weeks, the only ones here will be the year rounders and they get to enjoy/suffer a Florida summer with the energy sapping humidity and the occasional hurricane threat.

It must be nice though as for one thing, the pools will be almost empty and there will be far fewer people at all the summer events.

This guy was up on his motorhome roof making last minute checks that all was safe and secure. No doubt the satellite dish will be lowered before he drives off ! I hope so.


I leave in another 3 weeks but my departure won't be so dramatic.

A simple drive to Orlando airport will be my way of leaving the park and then I'll be looking forward to my return next October as Buttonwood Bay's longest distance snowbird.

2 comments:

Jennytc said...

Let's hope the snow has gone by the time you get back, Ian. You think I'm joking???

Katie said...

I cant believe the size of those things! Its bad enough getting a 2 berth caravan around the UK - could you imagine driving one of those RVs down the lanes in Devon?

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