Snowbird Lifestyle, Cuisine, Entertainment and Travel
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As I've said before, "The heart and soul of Southern culture that brings everyone together is food. Food is love. Food is tradition. Food is celebrated." In addition to gumbo, shrimp and grits are also one of the most beloved foods of the Gulf Coast. Northwest Florida's affection for shrimp and grits was completely evident with the debut of the region's very first Shrimp & Grits Festival, with $20,000 in profits raised and donated to benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast. The inaugural event sold out to more than one thousand attendees and was hosted at Destin Harbor in the heart of Destin.
Shrimp and grits may seem fairly straightforward; however, twelve local restaurants and chefs brought their best incarnations of the popular comfort food. Cheese, gravy, scallions, edible flowers, bacon, mushrooms, sausage, spices, sauces and more were prominently featured in the cuisine among a fierce competition for winning Judge's Choice and the coveted People's Choice awards. As usual, part of the fun involves trying to correctly guess who the winners will be. However, the best part of the festival is the inspiration and creativity that goes into each sample, not only the ingredients and cooking techniques, but presentation. Surprisingly, some of the simpler samples were amazing as well as the more elaborate ones, but the winning element is all about the flavor.
With the ongoing, relentless Covid-19 pandemic, nostalgia for the carefree days of large crowds that have gathered for celebrations, festivals and public events is appreciated now more than ever. Historically, in my Northern community huge outdoor festivals celebrating food, heritage, common interests and much more are very popular throughout the summer and into Autumn. The pandemic changed all of that. I am so grateful my husband and I chose to attend the first annual Shrimp & Grits Festival on February 29, 2020 in what turned out to be the last opportunity to attend a live public event for the entire year. For now, we relive the memories of that wonderful sunny Saturday overlooking Destin Harbor, sampling a wide range of presentations of a signature Southern dish.
Looking into the future, we will continue attending and supporting large and small local festivals, such as Destin's Shrimp & Grits Fest and the Sandestin Gumbo Fest when we are so fortunate to resume live events. Not only do they showcase local businesses, they are such an important part of our society for mind, body and soul.
Grits have a very long American history with origins dating back to the Muskogee tribe of Native Americans consuming them in the 16th century around the time the first settlers arrived from Europe. The name is derived from "grytt," an Old English word that means "coarse meal." References to grits can be traced to the 1800's as well as an American cookbook from 1930. Grits as we know them today evolved from a melting pot of many 
cultures, including Native American and African heritage.
Grits are made of stone ground "gritty" white or yellow corn kernels, which are then boiled in water, stock or milk to soften them. The ratio is always four parts liquid to one part grits. Stone ground grits require about 45 minutes of cooking time compared with "instant" grits that only take five to ten minutes to cook, yet are more processed and have less nutritional value.
Grits became a staple of low country coastal areas including North and South Carolina and the shorelines of Georgia. They were a readily available economical meal, especially during times of widespread poverty in the post bellum South. As time went on, grits featured additional ingredients such as cream, gravy and cooked greens such as kale, collard greens, chard.
Grits that have cooled and solidified can be sliced, coated in a crumb and egg mixture, then baked or pan fried into what is known as fried grits.
Mush is slightly different than grits because the cornmeal is more finely ground into a granulated powder consistency. Mush is also prepared with water or milk, then eaten as a creamy meal or allowed to firm up, cut into pieces and pan fried.
The Italian version of grits is known as polenta, which is often packaged pre-cooked in tube form in the United States. Polenta can also refer to ground beans, rice or other grain. It is commonly sliced into pieces, then baked, grilled or pan fried.
Cream of wheat, another historical breakfast porridge, is comprised of stone ground wheat kernels rather than corn. Cream of wheat, a Northern staple, originated in Grand Forks, North Dakota in 1893 while for centuries grits remain a popular Southern meal.
The fishermen of the North Carolina low country, as well as around Charleston, South Carolina ate meals of what they called "Breakfast Shrimp," "Fisherman's Grits" or "Seafood Grits." While out in the boats for up to 24 hours at a time harvesting shrimp from the shallow waters, a one-pot meal was quite practical. So the fishermen regularly cooked some of the catch in bacon grease or butter and ate them on top of their grits for the first meal of the day.
Eventually "Shrimp with Grits" now known as "Shrimp and Grits" became a popular low country Southern cuisine, where it was largely unknown in other areas of the United States. There are reports that Northerner's generally considered grits too bland while Southerner's preferred grits to oatmeal or cream of wheat.
Shrimp and grits expanded over time to include the original classic ingredients plus Parmesan cheese, Tabasco® pepper sauce, scallions, mushrooms, garlic, spices, sauces, bacon, andouille sausage, ham, Canadian bacon, lemon and so much more.
Evolution of Shrimp and GritsIt wasn't until Food Editor, Craig Claiborne from The New York Times newspaper spent time in North Carolina that shrimp and grits catapulted into becoming a nationally known Southern cuisine.
Mr. Claiborne visited the coastal low country in 1984 researching local BBQ restaurants and the sides they served, including Crook's Corner in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, which opened in 1982. Chef/owner Bill Neal had added his own "breakfast shrimp" to the menu. Neal's recipe includes white stone ground grits, large 26/30 count shrimp coated in flour, butter, sharp cheddar cheese, Tabasco® sauce, mushrooms, scallions, garlic, parsley plus a lemon wedge. The restaurant also featured Neal's recipes devoted to French and European cuisine and cooking techniques. Mr. Claiborne became friends with Chef Neal and encouraged him to change the focus to entirely showcase Southern cuisine in the restaurant, which is exactly what Bill Neal did.
Craig Claiborne was so impressed with Neal's breakfast shrimp, in 1985 he published an article about the young chef as well as his recipe for shrimp and grits in The New York Times. The article was so well received, it launched the entree from a regional Southern cuisine to a much wider national audience.
Crook's Corner restaurant is largely credited as the origin of modern shrimp and grits and is still operating 30+ years later, an award winning recipient of the prestigious James Beard Foundation. Eventually Chef Neal published several cookbooks embracing his Southern recipes until his untimely passing at age 41. Mr. Claiborne also authored many cookbooks, including a collection of 1,000 recipes that he originally published in The New York Times.
If you've never tried shrimp and grits before, I suggest first ordering them from a quality restaurant to get the feel for how they should be. Sure, you could follow the recipe and it would be fine, but knowing how it should or could taste is going to set the bar for your own concoctions. Unless, like me, you have them for the first time from renowned establishments such as Nashville, Tennesse's Wildhorse Saloon and the iconic Gaylord Hotel and then your standard will be quite high. But you will know where you need to be to become a connoiseur of shrimp and grits.
A few tips from experience:
--Use stone ground grits when possible
--Make your grits first, then keep warm while preparing the sauce/topping
--Try different combinations of traditional and new ingredients
--Crispy pieces of bacon, for me, is a superb flavor boost to shrimp and grits
--I prefer adding at least one smoky element to shrimp and grits, such as bacon, smoked paprika, Cajun seasoning, onion powder
--If the grits are too thick, add more liquid to loosen them up
--Leftover grits will always tighten up. They can be reheated with more liquid to loosen them or make them into pan fried grits
--Serve shrimp and grits for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner
-- Southern saying
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With the constant 24/7 coverage and ongoing far-reaching impact of the current historic COVID-19 pandemic, many, including myself, have made it a point to purposefully divert our energy and thoughts to a different time and place.
One hundred thirty-three years ago, another historically significant event changed the world of people with disabilities. Anne Sullivan spelled w-a-t-e-r into seven-year-old deaf and blind Helen Keller's hand as she held the other one under the now famous pump on April 5, 1887. After a month of attempts to teach words by association, young Helen finally correlated the letters with the cool substance flowing over her hand. The breakthrough of learning language not only changed the life of Helen Keller, it led to hope and help for others living with disabilities during a time when many handicapped children were institutionalized.
Ms. Keller, the daughter of Confederate Army Captain Arthur Keller and his second wife, Kate, was born and raised at Ivy Green, the home her grandparents built in 1820, just one year after Alabama became the 22nd state of the US. Helen's dad was also the editor and publisher of a weekly newspaper, an attorney and farmer. He raised two boys, James and Simpson at Ivy Green with his first wife, before she passed.
Helen was healthy until almost age two when she was stricken with a high fever. When the fever broke, she was deaf and blind. As a child, she had limited communication abilities and was known to be coddled by her parents, unruly and isolated with wild tantrums.
Helen's mother read about the successful education of Laura Bridgman, the first deaf-blind American child to learn Braille and the manual alphabet fifty years earlier in 1837. This led Helen's parents to seek the help of an Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat doctor in Baltimore to see if her sight could be restored, but there was nothing that could be done. He referred them to Dr. Alexander Graham Bell, which led to hiring Anne Sullivan to be Helen's teacher. Ms. Sullivan, whose own vision was impaired, recently graduated from the Perkins Institute for the Blind and was age twenty when she came to live with the Keller's in March of 1887.
Ms. Sullivan quickly realized the best way to help Helen and her parents stay focused on her behavior and education was to separate her from the rest of the family. So they devised a ruse to make Helen believe she was moving to a new location. She was driven around in a horse-drawn buggy and then back to Ivy Green where she and Miss Sullivan moved into the plantation cottage. Her parents could periodically secretly check in on her and they were able to stop catering to her every whim. The plantation's two-room cottage adjacent to the main house originally served as the office where the books were kept, as well as a bridal suite for Captain and his second wife, Kate. Helen was born in this cottage June 27, 1880.
Ms. Keller eventually moved to the East Coast with her teacher, Anne Sullivan where she attended both the Perkins Institute for the Blind and Wright-Humason School for the Deaf. In 1904 Helen Keller graduated cum laude from Ivy League Radcliffe College of Harvard, the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. Ms. Keller wrote twelve books and became an international lecturer, fund raiser and political activist. She was a world-renowned champion of many causes including prevention of blindness and the education and awareness of the special problems of the blind.
Years ago I had collected several different brochures from the hotel lobby of our halfway point stopover in Athens, Alabama, including one promoting the birthplace of Helen Keller. I had no idea Ms. Keller was from Northwest Alabama nor that it was possible to tour her childhood home. Intrigued, I set a bucket list goal to visit, but it didn't happen until our journey home at the beginning of March, 2020.
The once 640 acre cotton plantation surrounding the main house, Ivy Green, is now ten acres, located at 300 West North Commons Street, Tuscumbia, Alabama. The 200 year-old main house is of Virginia Cottage style design, has four large rooms, a second floor with three rooms and a trunk room and a spacious cross hallway. The wood floors are original to the home and each room features an individual fireplace. The silver set on the sugar chest in the dining room is 250 years old. Because sugar only arrived twice a year, it was kept under lock and key in the chest. There was a now famous incident in the dining room when Helen flung a mug in anger and broke it, which eventually led to Kate seeking help with her wild and poorly behaved daughter.
The City of Tuscumbia acquired Ivy Green from the Helen Keller Property Board in 1951. Placed on the National Register of Historic places since 1954, the main home, plus the original life-changing well pump; cottage/plantation office and kitchen/cook's quarters is a well-preserved history of Ms. Keller's life and times. Newer additions include the ice house as well as a community building for the annual summer performance of The Miracle Worker play.
Hundreds of mementos including personal photos, furniture, family heirlooms, clothing and toys from Helen's childhood are on display. There is a museum room within Ivy Green containing Ms. Keller's personal Braille books, her first Braille typewriter and her Christening gown, plus many other photos, newspaper clippings and artifacts from her life. It is obvious the caretakers and guides truly care about telling her story. The admission price of seven dollars for adults is an incredible value. I am impressed that the placards describing the mementos are typed and hand-written, retaining the charm of the residents of a historical home.
Helen Keller's birthplace within the county seat of Colbert County is not far from the heart of the well-preserved downtown Tuscumbia, Alabama in the Tennessee River Valley. The area is located about an hour's drive from the major North-South I-65 corridor and two and a half hours' drive from Nashville or Memphis, Tennessee. It is truly a national treasure that is modestly promoted.
I recommend allowing a minimum of 90 minutes for a tour of the Keller homestead, but ideally more time would be better for a more leisurely visit. Check the Helen Keller birthplace web site in advance, or even place a call to ensure the planned date and hours of your visit will be available.
Overall I can't say enough about my outstanding and memorable visit to a very special, spiritual place. I highly recommend the Northwest Alabama region for anyone who loves history, Helen Keller and charming small towns.
If you can make time, a walking and/or driving tour of downtown historic Tuscumbia and Spring Park, known for it's amazing natural spring is well worth visiting.
Tuscumbia is the county seat of Colbert County. French settlers originally settled in the area in the early 1700's, then it became a Chickasaw settlement. It was incorporated in 1820 and had several names. Two years later the name was changed to Tuscumbia in honor of the Chickasaw Indian Chief who lived there at the time.
The downtown area features the oldest commercial district in the entire state with buildings dating to 1840.
The stunning Colbert County courthouse, built in 1881 was chosen to represent the State of Alabama as a historic American courthouse. The courthouse was built in 1881 but was heavily damaged due to a fire and rebuilt in 1909, which is when the clock tower was added. The building was expanded with annexes in 1948 and the 1970's.
Spring Park was designed around a natural spring that pumps about four million gallons every day and supplies Tuscumbia's drinking water. The spring water flows over a beautiful waterfall, which is the world's largest man-made natural stone waterfall to be known in existence. It took 120 days to build and the largest stone weighs 77,000 pounds.
The natural spring feeds into a memorial lake basin in Spring Park where it eventually ends up flowing into the Tennessee River about a mile away. At night 51 fountain jets, choreographed to light and music, shoot water as high as 100 feet in the air in honor of Princess Im-Mi-Ah-Key the wife of Chief Tuscumbia.
Tuscumbia of today is a community of approximately 8,000 residents with a beautiful downtown shopping and district preserving it's architectural heritage. It is home to the Helen Keller Library, Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Alabama Music Hall of Fame, which offers tours. Nearby is the Helen Keller Memorial Hospital. We enjoyed the town so much, we plan to return again next year.
I found the entire region of the Shoals area in Northwest Alabama quite alluring with small towns and pastural rolling hills anchored by the modern city of Florence.
I wasn't familiar with the rich music history of the area, which is home of the famous FAME Recording Studios located since 1961 at 603 East Avalon Avenue in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Founded in 1959, internationally known artists including Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Otis Redding, Mac Davis, The Osmonds, Alabama, Kenny Chesney, Martina McBride, Sara Evans, Tim McGraw, Vince Gill and many more have recorded at the FAME studios, which is still operating and is easily recognized by the unchanged distinctive brown exterior of the era. An impressive list of songs have been written and published by FAME Publishing including, "I Swear," "I Like It, I Love It," and "There's No Getting Over Me."
Artists including The Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, George Michael, Willie Nelson, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Joe Cocker, Paul Simon, Bob Seger, Rod Stewart and Cat Stevens have all recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio located at 3614 Jackson Highway in Sheffield, Alabama. The studio, which is still operating was formed in 1969 by four session musicians who had left nearby FAME Recording Studios. Studio tours are offered for $15 per adult, but of course check online for current rates and hours of operation, especially because the public health crisis has all non-essential businesses closed to the public.
The only home designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright is located at 601 Riverview Drive in Florence, Alabama. It was constructed in 1940 for Stanley and Mildred Rosenbaum and is one of only 26 Wright Usonian pre-World War II homes in existence. In 1978 the Rosenbaum family donated the home to the City of Florence, who invested considerable money to restore the home with a museum. Tours are available, but as stated previously, check to ensure it is operating prior to your visit.
There are many more places to eat, visit and things to do. Additional suggestions include Cane Creek Canyon, a 700 acre privately owned nature preserve located south of Tuscumbia with scenic natural areas and camping, plus 15 miles of hiking trails. They recommend calling ahead to ensure the gate is unlocked before your visit.
With it's rich cultural heritage, Northwest Alabama is a fantastic destination for a weekend visit. I truly can't wait to return again.
-- Helen Adams Keller, Author, Activist, Lecturer
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Snowbirds have a dual goal prior to departure: not only packing, but prepping their home for an extended time away. Packing and prepping for departure is important, unavoidable and time consuming, but it is easily my least favorite aspect of being a snowbird. I like organization, structure and predictable outcomes; however, the timing of packing and prepping is tricky because there's so many variables that can affect even the most well-prepared snowbird.
You might think you're on target only to have a near-miss almost derail your plans. As an example, about a week before we departed our first season, the back yard started retaining alarming levels of water. We had to find and hire a company on short notice to trench our drainage tile further away from the house. Another year, water came out of the recessed ceiling light on the lower level and a plumber had to be called in to help us. The stress, expense and timing of unforeseen last minute issues is exactly why snowbirds need to offset by managing prep and packing as much as possible.
By setting up a four week timeline, it can help reduce the panic of overlooking essential items. If you pack too soon, the likelihood of duplicating items or fishing things back out increases, while packing at the eleventh hour, also known as "panic packing" greatly improves your chances of forgetting stuff. Sure, you can try to get a member of your home team to go over to your house, retrieve your eyeglasses, spare keys, wedding ring, medication, favorite shoes or whatever it is, then pack it up and ship it, but who wants to pile on that kind of added responsibility when you're already asking a lot as it is?
To reduce guesswork, I've outlined a basic four week timeline to aid with planning projects and assist with gauging where you generally need to be at each weekly interval. Weeks four and three have a much broader tone than the last two. The last two weeks ideally should be focused on minor tasks if at all possible and only the most essential social plans. Be prepared for hitting burnout around the two week mark. When it happens, and it will, acknowledge your feelings, take a break and double down when you are ready. Don't forget to give extra attention to your pet/s -- they sense and react to your stress and all of the changes. Help them feel safe and secure with extra love and nutritional supplements.
Lists are the lifeblood of snowbird packing prep. Without the basic framework of to-do's, how can anyone possibly know if they are on track? Make lists, post them in plain view on your bathroom mirror and refrigerator and assign who is doing what. Then start knocking them down line by line.
Snowbirds who depart after the December holidays need to be even more organized due to the rushed frenzy of decorating, entertaining, shopping and socializing only to tear it all down and pack it away to redirect energy for prepping, packing and departing. I prefer to remove all winter seasonal items and set up for the season we return, spring. I don't want to come home to a time capsule. Our Northern neighbors take the opposite approach so there's less stress prior to heading out the door. Either way, there's a mountain of work to do and separating tasks into many different lists is a good start.
How to decide what is the highest priority? What will be a major issue if it doesn't get done in advance of departure? Then work backwards from there. An example would be your security system. If you already have a monitored alarm service, but no cameras installed, then make sure it gets completed no later than four weeks ahead of departure. The same is true for installing devices such as automatic timers for your interior and exterior lights. Not only do you need time to schedule projects with third parties, you'll also want to thoroughly field test your new or existing systems. Restock batteries so your home team can easily replace them if needed.
[TEN LAYERS OF SNOWBIRD SECURITY]
Think about how your unoccupied home will appear to anyone from the exterior as well as from the interior. If you keep your curtains closed to retain heat and privacy, consider replacing lighter colored window treatments so they blend in better from the street view. Dark blinds and curtains draw less attention than treatments with a white liner.
If your home is occupied while you are away, window treatments that don't attract attention will help ease your mind whether open, closed or slightly askew.
From here, tackle your next highest priority projects. For me, this includes a major sweep of the house to declutter, shine and polish every surface, plus make cosmetic improvements. This year, we focused on installing new light fixtures in four areas of our home and took on a partial kitchen remodel -- a remodel that best case, will not be completed until a few hours before we leave. I do not recommend this at all. It is too much.
Tackle the largest, most essential projects to prep your home: repairs, painting, added security, deep cleaning, sorting and donating items to charity, etc.
Check your home's major systems, such as furnace, sump pump, security, etc. Schedule maintenance or repairs as necessary.
Connect with your home team to make sure they are still on board.
Working snowbirds have the added huge responsibility of prepping their contact lists and files, computers, inventory, parts, vendors, shipping/receiving and so much more. Good organization and communication of who is doing what and when is essential. Use lists, double check and cross check. There's no shortcuts here, stay ahead of your self-determined deadlines as much as humanly possible.
Let your snowbird friends know of your travel timeline.
Book your hotel for the trip down, if it's not already done.
Clean and spiff up your guest rooms and any infrequently used areas of your home that you want to sparkle. Nobody wants to leave an unkempt house, but prepping guest rooms is the very last priority as you're flying out the door, which is why it should be done far in advance.
Decide if you are turning your water off. Most long term snowbirds with vacant homes do, but there's pros and cons if you're away for weeks vs. months.
Pack your pet's travel bag: There's typically no reason your pet's bag can't be packed four weeks in advance with the caveat that the last minute items will wait until the days prior to departing. Everything your dog needs while away should be packed and ready: medical paperwork, canned food, new and favorite toys, treats, heart worm and other meds, flashlight/s, bandanas, brushes, vitamins, etc. Of course, dog bowls, food, bedding and leashes will need to wait until the last minute.
With three weeks to go, continue knocking down items on every list and re-evaluate what is realistic to accomplish prior to departure. Order anything that needs to arrive before departing.
Now is the time to start staging the items that need to travel with you. Start by selecting things you know you won't need to use prior to leaving. As an example, I pull beach towels, warm weather clothes and shoes from my closet, inspect them for any issues, then place them together so I can get a visual check of what is or isn't on deck.
Wash, iron and take articles of clothing to the dry cleaners if needed.
Start staging your kitchen, bathroom, office and laundry items that need to travel with you.
Stop purchasing any unnecessary perishable refrigerator or pantry items. This is the time to be consuming or weeding out your fridge/s, freezer/s and cupboards, not adding to your inventory. It won't taste any fresher when you return, so eat it up.
Complete all necessary appointments prior to or during the three week window. An example, salon and hair appointments plus anything else such as appointments with your financial planner, legal or tax advisers.
Schedule your pet's grooming appointment.
Order anything that needs to arrive prior to departure.
Clean the refrigerator/s.
Clean the garage.
Clean all hard floor surfaces.
Wipe down your baseboards.
Repair items and paint as needed.
Schedule your vehicle's check-up if not already completed.
Pack your cash and any gift cards you plan to use while away.
The majority of your social engagements should be completed during the last two to three weeks prior to departure.
With two weeks to go, a significant amount of your lists and projects should be completed, but of course there's still a ton to do. Every day should be dedicated to crossing off more items from the lists because new ones will inevitably pop up. It's unavoidable. If you're like me, 50% of your tasks won't even be on the lists, which adds to the emotional pile. With two weeks to go, some projects will need to be postponed or be put into the "on the bubble" category. Recognize that you and your spouse or partner will be more irritable and short-fused with the stress of everything. It's part of the departure process and bound to happen. Avoid being around anyone who is coughing or outright sick. Wash your hands frequently, don't touch anything you don't have to and use plenty of hand sanitizer, especially if in public places.
Only purchase fresh vegetables and perishable items you plan to consume prior to leaving.
Try to use up as much meat from your freezer/s as possible in case the power goes out while away. Nobody wants to lose expensive frozen meat if they don't have to.
Pick up your dry cleaning, last minute prescriptions or anything else that can be done in advance.
Update your lists of passwords, contacts and other important information, then put them with your staged office files.
Take your pet to be groomed.
Make copies of everything in you and your spouse or partner's wallets: driver's license, credit cards, membership cards, etc. Weed out and leave behind anything non-critical that is taking up space. Why tote your merchant loyalty cards around if those businesses are not located in your southern community?
Drop off charity donations.
Deliver smaller plants to your home team care giver.
Bring your vehicle in for service to be checked over.
Replace the hand sanitizer in your vehicle's drink holder or console with a full bottle.
Detail the interior of your vehicle. Go over anything that still needs to be done to prep it for travel.
Ensure you have all the parts and cords for your radar detector, GPS device, phone quick charger and multi-socket cigarette lighter splitter.
Don't forget to pack maps and directions. Like us, you may travel through back country or areas where there is no cell service to call for directions or use your GPS.
Give your loved ones an itinerary and contact information in case they need to reach you.
If hosting a farewell social event, keep it as simple as possible. If your staged items are covering your entire dining room table, figure out where to put them while you are hosting your guests.
With just one week to departure, 75% or more of your lists and projects should be completed, but for every item knocked off, be ready for a new one to appear. It would be wise at this point to decide what isn't going to get done and postpone it for your return. Remember, burn out is likely to happen around this time, so be prepared to combat it with some "me" time. You may also feel less able to remember things and concentrate. Take extra care of yourself. This is not the time to get sick, but every snowbird worries about being unable to make the trip due to themselves, their loved ones and/or their pets. The emotional undertones are what add to snowbird stress levels.
Personally, I don't think this isn't the time to be working on projects such as painting your master bathroom. However, I am guilty of it with less than a week to go. Why? Because by keeping very busy, I am attempting to take my mind off everything that has or can go wrong.
Be prepared for last minute social invitations. Maybe you can squeeze it in or maybe not. If you're on the fence about a last-minute offer, politely decline and say it isn't going to work before departing. Be realistic about not taking on too much and if you must turn down an invitation, make solid plans with those person/s for your return.
Don't try to host anything. Instead, have loved ones drop by your home to say farewell, but don't extend offers of a meal. We prepared a home-cooked family luncheon mere days before departing our first season, but I now view that as a rookie mistake. It's too much work.
Only attempt essential minor shopping during the last week. This isn't the time to go on a major spree to overhaul your wardrobe. Save it for your warm weather destination.
Double check that you packed your passwords, keys and paperwork to get into your snowbird home or rental.
Finish all laundry, including clothes for your trip, bed linens and bed spreads.
Take photos of each of your vehicle's odometers.
Photograph and/or video record your favorite, most valuable and/or key possessions, then put them away out of sight.
Ensure your home team knows when and what they are doing, how to get into your home and how to contact you should a problem occur.
Start the process of acclimating to the time change in your snowbird destination. For us, there's a one hour difference, which doesn't seem like that big of a deal. Yet every year in our southern home we eat on Central Time, but we struggle to adjust our sleep patterns from Eastern Time. This means we rise at the crack of dawn and can't stay awake past 10 pm. Well, frankly, we don't actually ever fully adjust to the time change, but we do try.
Confirm your hotel reservation.
Clean high profile windows and glass on doors.
Make sure you are on track with your trash and recycling schedule to minimize anything that will sit in your garage while away.
Consume the majority of your fridge's perishables.
Finish the rest of your social plans and farewells.
Vacuum and clean the floors and surfaces of your home's main areas, such as the kitchen, living and bath rooms.
Wipe down any remaining smudges on windows.
Fill your fuel tank and run the vehicle through the car wash.
Prep portions of your pet's dry food into baggies and pack into the travel bag.
Lay out your clothing for the trip to your destination.
Prepare your hotel duffel bag/s and toiletries so they can be packed the morning of departure. This is key. No one wants to make the mistake of arriving at the hotel only to realize they have to dig out their sleepwear or any misplaced items from the fully loaded vehicle.
Toss out remaining perishables from the refrigerator.
Run your final load in the dishwasher, then unload it.
Wipe down all mirrors, counter tops and last minute surfaces.
Determine when you're turning the water off OR prop all exterior sink cabinet doors open
Ensure you have your wallet/s, identification, passports (if applicable), jewelry, airfare, blank checks, phones, chargers, computer devices and so forth staged or packed.
Close blinds/window treatments as necessary.
Adjust the thermostat.
Load your vehicle except for the last minute items.
Try to get a good night's rest and travel safely!
-- Margaret Thatcher, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
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