Snowbird Lifestyle, Cuisine, Entertainment and Travel
Take inventory of your refrigerator and freezer and focus on using those items up first during the last two to three weeks of your stay Snowbird Meal Planning In the past, I didn’t truly understand what the concept of meal planning entails. I had heard …
Social media is defined as the specific ability to share opinions, photos, places, events and so forth online in real-time. There are many apps that allow users to be able to "follow" specific entities online. As an example, Instagram® is the original and very popular photo sharing app that allows users to upload and share photos with their "followers." The use of hashtags is what helps filter photos by subject matter. And Instagram® helps users by recommending other accounts that may be of interest. Other social media platforms include social networking sites such as Facebook® and character-based apps such as Twitter®.
With the advancements of the Information Age, the internet and social media have become the new common denominator connecting users with like-minded interests. Travel is one of the largest categories of influence, along with cuisine, dining, lodging and entertainment. For many snowbirds, online photos are the single largest factor to find a community and lodging to consider for their warm weather home.
It can be daunting upon arrival in a new community. Snowbirds like me tend to slowly explore the area piece by piece. It starts with the obvious: grocery stores, fuel centers/car washes, super shopping centers and basic dining such as fast food and chain restaurants.
The second tier of exploration is a little more specialized -- chain retail stores; salons; local eateries; and practical needs such as veterinary care, walk in health care clinics, post office/shipping, pharmacies and auto mechanics.
And then comes the third tier of exploration of leisure pursuits -- specialty shops and restaurants; local attractions; marinas/boardwalks; entertainment such as movie theaters, golf, mini golf, go-carts, helicopter tours, boat tours, fishing charters, beach rentals and specialized activities such as local farmer's markets, open air markets, festivals and events.
It takes more than a season for most snowbirds to truly get acquainted with their warm weather home. When we drive through our snowbird community, it offers a visual reference to the businesses in our area. However, to learn more, we turn to the internet to research pricing, services, hours of operation and consumer reviews. The flaw with this is not every business is on a thoroughfare. Or if it is, it may not be noticed. And there's such a large area to cover, we don't necessarily venture to new areas until there's a specific need.
There's a lot of competition and so many options, it's not possible to frequent all the places on our to-do list. So, we are selective, checking out restaurants and activities based on personal referrals and online reviews and photos. We are considering price, location, ambiance, quality and overall value. An online presence is not only essential, it can make or break a place based on perceptions.
After our third snowbird season, I began using my local Instagram® connections as a form of research to find even more places to explore and visit for our fourth season. I started following local businesses and gradually expanded from there. Wow! I had no idea we were missing so much.
As an example, our second season, I hadn't even heard of Crab Island until we saw the name on a baseball cap in a gift shop. Curious as to where it is, we looked for it on a map, couldn't find it and discovered it isn't actually an island. It's a sandbar.
Thanks to social media, I now know visitors go to Crab Island to eat, drink, socialize, swim and float on rafts. It is very popular from April to Labor Day. Because of my social media influencers, I've learned you cannot safely get there unless by boat and pontoon boats are available to rent for $300 a day. Don't feel comfortable driving a pontoon or don't want the responsibility of abstaining? No problem, hire a captain for $300 more. Another less expensive option is you can take a water taxi to Crab Island. They will drop you off at picnic tables anchored in the water and you can bring your own cooler or purchase non-alcohol beverages plus snacks. There's live seasonal entertainment and restaurant boats as well -- essentially floating food trucks. Crab Island is an alluring seasonal attraction that is now on my to-do list because of social media.
ALYS BEACH, FL
There are entire beach communities that we are now planning a weekend visit. As an example, via my local social media connections, I saw a fantastic outdoor patio area for a coffee shop in Alys Beach, Florida. I don't drink coffee, but this season, we will be driving to that coffee shop so we can spend time on that beautiful patio.
Because of my social media account, I discovered Alys Beach is a newer, luxury planned resort community that is an amazing example of New Urbanism design. Per the Alys Beach website (alysbeach.com), their "architectural vision has its roots in the style of Bermuda architecture and in the courtyards of Antigua, Guatemala, the colonial capital of Central America." I will be making a visit to photograph the architecture a top priority. It looks amazing from the online video and photos.
Alys Beach Stunning Architectural Tour
ROSEMARY BEACH, FL
Another seaside community I found via social media and plan to explore is Rosemary Beach. Another idyllic master planned community with stunning architecture as well. The Summer Kitchen is a local Rosemary Beach cafe where celebrity Katie Holmes and her daughter were spotted per social media. Might as well check it out while there.
Before following local businesses on social media, I never knew there are places in our area to go "glamping," which is glamorous camping in fully furnished, beautiful tents. Glamping is not an activity I have personally experienced, but now that I know it's available, I will recommend it to a camping enthusiast friend.
Last, but certainly not least, I've discovered new local restaurants to try and "hungry / happy" hour specials to check out. Plus retail shops and businesses that I'd like to visit. There's every kind of spa and cosmetic procedures in our area to which I now feel more personally connected. We already have a local realtor friend we're working with, but if we ever need to hire another real estate professional or attorney, I'll consider my social media connections. There's plenty of things to do I wasn't aware of before. Who knew there are some tantalizing festivals going on during our stay such as the 30A Wine Tasting Festival, the Sandestin Gumbo Festival and Taste of the Race with Emeril Lagasse. Count me in!
--Ritu Ghatourey, Indian Writer
The beautiful Champagne Poinsettia is lighter, easy to make and perfect for a festive holiday party or brunch Snowbird Style Four Classic Holiday Beverages Snowbird holidays, whether in your Northern or Southern home, are extra special with the following four classic holiday beverages. Nothing says …
Snowbirds are notorious for lacking storage space in their warm climate homes, not only for everyday items, but especially for limited use Christmas and holiday decorations. Savvy snowbirds who are away for the holidays must get creative by maximizing their decor with colorful, big impact, multi-functioning items that can either be discarded or become compact when not displayed. The goal is to embrace the limitations of your snowbird home to bring out the best of your home. Likewise, snowbirds who don't migrate south until after the holidays can apply these same principles. After all, it's already stressful to decorate and host December holidays in your northern home, then pack up not only your holiday decorations, but your household so you can move into your Southern abode. Make your life easier by simplifying your holiday decor, wherever you happen to be located.
--Choose one hard working multi-use color to make a big impact. Red is an excellent choice for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Eve and Valentine's Day. Blue works well for Hanukkah and New Year's Eve. Silver or gold are all purpose choices for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year's Eve and Valentine's Day.
--If you want to add a second color to switch it up a bit, do it. Silver candle holders paired with an Earthy deep orange color scheme would look gorgeous for Thanksgiving and then switch to silver and burgundy for Christmas; silver and black for New Year's Eve and silver with red for Valentine's Day.
--Your color/s should be combined in various hues, shades, textures and finishes. As an example, choose velvet, satin, metallics and both pale and rich variations of your color/s.
--Determine your home's focal points and then place your most attention-worthy items on/near them. Your focal points are likely the dining room table, coffee table, kitchen and bathroom counter tops, a fireplace mantle, plus any areas of interest such as a nice view out the window.
--Feature the color/s of your choice to draw attention to your dining room table scape. Continue the color with your paper or cloth napkins, plates and cups, table runner or table cloth. It is acceptable to mix one all purpose cloth table runner with paper products. If you have enough space to bring / store cloth napkins too, even better.
--Place your color-coordinated gift bags and festively wrapped items so they become a featured decoration -- put them on end tables, in the middle of your table or under your Christmas tree (if you have one.)
--Repeat the featured color throughout the main living areas with compact or disposable items such as ribbons, helium balloons and candles.
--Bring clippings indoors of evergreens, palm leaves and any green foliage as a living accent to your holiday decorations. Evergreens will drip sap from the cut end, so avoid placing the ends directly on the furniture.
--Flowing ribbons from the craft store can be added to the greenery as part of your table scape and placed on mantles, tables, book shelves, on the powder room vanity and anywhere you group holiday decor.
--Silk rose petals are a romantic touch for Valentine's Day, wedding anniversaries and New Year's Eve. Place them on your bed, dressers, night stands and in a bathtub filled with water. Silk petals are inexpensive and easily fit into a small plastic bag for storage.
--Colored or white lights on a string add a lot of festivity without a lot of bulk. Many snowbirds string lights around the railings of their balconies and patios. They can also be strung on the interior of your snowbird home if you can avoid using nails or anything permanent to hang them up.
--Purchase or make a living floral centerpiece for your coffee table, hall table and dining room table. Repeat the central color you chose for your theme.
--Inexpensive potted seasonal flowers from the nearest grocery or super center are beautiful for any occasion. Group them together for more impact.
--If you don't have a glass flower vase available in your rental unit (most don't), get creative and improvise with a colorful disposable cup or cut the top portion off a two-liter plastic soda bottle. It's easy to peel the label off, wrap it with a ribbon to disguise it and it will hold a significant amount of cut flowers without leaking. Use a rubber stamp and ink pad from the craft store to imprint your cup with a semi- custom design.
--Generally snowbirds who own their second homes may have space to store an artificial Christmas tree and wreath, but most snowbirds in an RV or rental home do not. Find other ways to mimic a Christmas tree without actually having one. Put lights, garland and a few favorite ornaments on a table sized tree or carefully decorate a potted plant instead. Clip branches that can be brought indoors, placed in a vase or vessel and decorated with small ornaments, garland and lights.
--Have fun with regional flair to make your holiday space feel distinctively different than your Northern home.
--If you have palm trees, a nearby beach, boat, lake, river or bay, add natural elements such as sea shells, sand dollars, sand, native plants, plus miniature boat anchors, rope and anything else unique from your area.
-- Should your winter home be in an area with cactus, bring that element into your holiday decor.
--Locations anywhere near the Big Easy can reflect that in your decor with musical notes, saxophones, trombones, beads and fleur-de-lys.
--Western style hats, boots, bandanas, silver jewelry and turquoise stones and accessories are terrific for Texan and Southwestern style regional decor.
--Luminaries are a beautiful and festive way to bring the holiday spirit into your snowbird community. If your area doesn't already do so, approach the neighbors and / or HOA or community management about starting a new tradition. Be mindful of safe practices and fire codes if you use traditional candles. Battery operated candles are always a great alternative to traditional candles.
--Unknown
Snowbird meals are generally much simpler due to necessity from using fewer ingredients and a very limited selection of cooking appliances SNOWBIRD KITCHEN APPLIANCES, GADGETS You’re spending your first week in your snowbird rental and have an incredible list of meals you plan to create …
Ramp training was essential for Bodie to access our vehicle Snowbird Pet Prep As the leaves turn vibrant colors and the weather changes, your pet’s preparations are likely in the advanced stages of completion. Every snowbird season the needs of your pet should be reassessed …
Road trips and summer are a perfect pair. And it only gets better when visiting snowbird friends in their Northern homes. So we set off on a four and a half hour cross country drive to meet up in the "belt buckle" of Illinois on a holiday weekend. Our summer road trip took us through 32 small towns -- there are primarily two lane roads connecting our river cities, which are surprisingly similar in size/population, but also very different in many ways. Midwestern hospitality is always a common thread.
One of the best surprises of our road trip was crossing the iconic Route 66, which originates in Chicago and concludes in California. We discovered many people, both international and domestic, fly to Chicago, rent Harley motorcycles and drive the entire historic Route 66.
Illinois was our most logical choice to meet up with snowbird friends who reside in the Midwest: Missouri, Wisconsin and Indiana. Best of all, two of the snowbird couples are next door neighbors, so we easily visited both of their homes in Central Illinois. It's one thing to be neighbors in your warm weather climate, but meeting up in the summer is a great way to come full circle. Not only do you have the opportunity to see your friends' primary home and local community, you also meet their family and neighbors who aren't otherwise part of your Southern home. We had a fantastic weekend and look forward until we meet again for another reunion.
10:00 am - depart for Illinois
3:30 pm - Arrive at hotel (1 hour time change)
5:30 pm - Dinner downtown
7:30 pm - Steamboat river cruise*
Return for house tour and socializing
10:00 am - Sunday brunch
Noon - Garden tour, socializing
Afternoon - Driving tour of the city
Evening - Cookout on the grill
9:00 am - breakfast at the hotel
10:00 am - depart for home
* The steamboat cruise schedule changed because of the holiday, so we made it a priority to take the cruise the following year
--Coffee, water and orange juice
--Cinnamon rolls
--Fresh fruit with dipping sauce
--Sausage, egg and cheese casserole
--Fresh sliced heirloom tomatoes
--Cheesy potatoes
--Biscuits and gravy
--Cheese and crackers
--Chips and salsa
--Salad
--Steaks on the grill
--Dinner rolls
--Green beans
--Pies from the local bakery
--Anonymous
Provide fresh fruit/nuts/snacks within easy reach for guests Snowbird Hospitality Snowbirds who choose to host guests for a stay in their warm climate homes generally are great hosts and hostesses. Whether hosting guests for a day or a week, allow yourself enough time to be …