Snowbird Lifestyle, Cuisine, Entertainment and Travel
How to Pack Your Vehicle Strategic Organization for a Successful Snowbird Road Trip The first season we became snowbirds, I made a huge mistake. I did not get involved in packing the vehicle, only the stuff that goes in the vehicle. I was naively happy …
Autumn Tour of Saugatuck on Lake Michigan’s Eastern Coastline A Nostalgic, Romantic, Artsy Waterfront Vacation Destination When my twin sister first announced she was coming home to the Midwest from Hawaii, she invited me to go on a “mini vacation within a vacation.” We have …
![The Covid-19 pandemic has forced a re-evaluation of metro vs. smaller populations for snowbirds and Zoombirds [Natchez Street, Seaside Florida]](https://midlifesnowbird.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/0_Natchez_St_6860-20200222-scaled.jpg "0_Natchez_St_6860 -20200222")
What are the latest snowbird destination trends? I was recently interviewed for an article, "Boca Raton, Florida, Takes the Crown as Best 2021 Snowbird Destination" by Maria Gatea that was published in January, 2021 on STORAGECafé blog. The StorageCafé blog is dedicated to the multi-billion dollar self-storage industry, as well as all things related to moving and storage.
The extensive article discusses the most popular destinations and trends for snowbirds and their new counterparts, known as "Zoombirds" because of their ability to work remotely via apps such as Zoom. Other topics covered include the cost differentials for snowbirds coming from various Northern states; an analysis of the concentration of area attractions, such as proximity to beaches, golf courses and parks as well as the dramatic decrease in Canadian snowbirds for 2021 due to the pandemic.
Statistics such as an area's average temps; proportional ratio of available vacant housing; cost of housing; safety-related indicators; the COVID-19 community vulnerability index; internet speed; availability of self storage and number of area attractions were compiled and evaluated. Ultimately, the StorageCafé article rated Boca Raton, Florida as the 2021 top destination of the "100 Best Cities for Snowbirds," which are published on the blog. As a whole, the state of Florida remains the quintessential destination for snowbirds, although Texas is noted for affordability and Arizona and California are popular for their area attractions and sunny climates.
The article also addresses the changing look of snowbirds as seasonal migration relates to the ongoing global Covid pandemic. Snowbirds used to primarily be retirees. Now, a new variation of snowbirds has evolved: "Zoombirds" are working remotely and their school-aged children are utilizing remote learning.
Recently, I was contacted by a reader who is a first-time snowbird who relocated from the Pacific Northwest to southern California and is considering a seasonal move to Florida next year. It's a major decision to choose a new winter location and looking at all options when choosing a warm weather home is an important step. Here are some of the top considerations based on the STORAGECafé blog article, as well as my own personal experience with temporarily moving our business from the Midwest to Northwest Florida for the past six years.
My husband and I recently moved into our southern home for the sixth time and already we have seen some dramatic changes in our beach community. We've noticed a lot more people on the beach and sidewalks than in previous years during this same time frame, which is the slowest season of the year. Quarantine fatigue is most certainly a defining factor.
A younger demographic is another change we've witnessed in 2021 with more families temporarily moving into the area. As an example, we took an evening stroll along the water and encountered a mom from Tennessee with her young son. They had completed remote learning for the day and were enjoying time at the ocean's edge. In prior years, that would be almost unheard of with the majority of children in school classrooms and parents at work.
Some migrants aren't necessarily moving to warm climates. Through social media, I discovered a high school classmate became a first-time solo Zoombird with a beautiful mountain home in Big Lake, Alaska that she found from an online travel site. She worked remotely and spent Christmas at North Pole, Alaska and also participated in amazing area attractions at Chena Hot Springs Resort including a visit to Aurora Ice Bar, a snow machine tour, mushing her own dog sled, an air taxi to Denali and an excursion to see the Northern Lights plus a tour of Aurora Ice Museum.
1. How will you get to your destination?
--If you fly, is a rental car in your budget?
2. Who will be migrating with you?
--Spouse/partner
--Children
--Pet/s
--Others such as extended family or au pair
3. What is your budget?
--Housing
--Travel to/from
--Vehicle/fuel
--Food/meals
--Entertainment
--Airfare, if applicable
4. What are your housing/space requirements?
--Type of home: single family, low or high rise condo, town house, park model, RV
--Number of beds/baths
--Parking
--Features such as elevators/steps, in-unit laundry, decor, balcony/yard, gated community, assigned or covered parking, etc.
5. What other factors will affect your choice?
--Distance from home, average temps, population density, Covid statistics, cost of living adjustments, internet, safety, shipping, proximity to a part-time job, health care, etc.
6. What is most important to you?
--A view, beach, mountains, lake, river, desert, golf, parks, fishing, restaurants, shops, area attractions, amenities, pedestrian lifestyle, type/size of community, family/friends, kid-friendly, etc.
Once you answer these basic questions, you can start working out a plan. As an example, if you've always dreamed of being a snowbird in Hawaii, but have a dog, spouse and two or three kids, it probably isn't going to work out due to the mere fact of getting there by air. Shipping a dog is problematic enough, and then adding the expense for airfare per person, housing, car rental and transporting your personal items to and from is probably too much. The cost of living in Hawaii is higher than any other state in the nation, which means your standard of living is likely going to be less than where you came from. A better option is somewhere you can travel by vehicle.
Many snowbirds end up in destinations with their counterparts from their home states. For example, Gulf Shores, Alabama and Northwest Florida and further south along the Gulf Coast is full of Midwesterners; the entire East Coast of the Carolinas and the coastal regions of the entire state of Florida are typically popular with East Coast residents, West/Central Northern states tend to travel to Texas and the West Coast residents typically migrate to Arizona and Southern California. Much of this is related to the interstate highway systems. Many migrants choose to go the most direct route to get to their destination. For us, 14 hours travelling in our vehicle with our dog is stressful enough, there is not much chance we would ever consider adding another 8 to 10 hours of driving to go to Central or South Florida, not to mention the higher cost for beach rentals.
Canadian snowbirds are the only ones that can be definitively tracked due to data collected by the government. For 2021, the pandemic has severely affected Canadian snowbirds who have been unable or unwilling to travel south for the winter.
Some snowbirds choose their location based on proximity to friends or family in the area. Our Northern neighbors have been meeting up in the Orlando, Florida area because that is where their parents also wintered. Now, this second generation of Indiana and Michigan families all own park models in the same community. We've also become good friends with a group of snowbirds who are neighbors in Illinois and ended up being neighbors in their southern homes because of the original couple who spent 13 years here.
Choosing your snowbird destination is personal and unique to each person. By prioritizing what you really want, it can help eliminate places that aren't a good fit. When researching potential southern communities, we found a beautiful single family home directly on the beach near Alligator Point, Florida, but it wasn't pet friendly. Another one was an amazing second row beach house on Cape San Blas, a barrier island of Florida, but it would have been a two hour round trip to get to the nearest shipping terminal, which was not going to work for our business needs. The third option was what I thought was perfect: a pet friendly elevated home on the beach with the bedroom, bath, kitchen, living room and deck upstairs and parking and a second bedroom located under the house for guests. And then it hit me, no way could our aging and ill Golden Retriever make it up and down the stairs five or six times a day, nor could we carry her. It was then that I sought and found a rental with an elevator, which meant an oceanfront low rise condo and not a beach house like we originally imagined. We've been in the same building ever since and it remains the best choice for us now and then.
“Our number one criteria is to be oceanfront with plenty of space for ourselves, our Golden Retriever and our business. Because we chose oceanfront property, the rate for our southern home condo is about three to four times more expensive than our primary home, so we offset that with a shorter stay. We chose Miramar Beach, which is part of the greater Destin area in Northwest Florida because it is a relatively easy 12-hour drive and beachfront rentals are not as expensive as further south,” continued Lana Scherer.
--published by STORAGECafé blog, January, 2021
-- Socrates, Ancient Greek Philosopher
Prior to unloading anything, take extra precautions to sanitize the air and surfaces of your hotel room while in transit to your destination Snowbird Travel Precautions During A Pandemic Guidelines to Consider Prior to Your Road Trip Many snowbirds depart for their southern homes after …
Before becoming an RV snowbird, there’s many considerations including expenses and type of recreational vehicle [Miramar Beach, Florida] RV Snowbirds 21 Considerations Before You Buy a Recreational Vehicle Travel in recreational vehicles, known as “RV’s,” has always been a big thing, but with the 2020 …
If you've never experienced Alys Beach on the Gulf Coast of Northwest Florida's panhandle in-between Panama City and Destin, I highly recommend it as a must-see while in the vicinity. Renowned as a New Urbanism planned development with amazing bright white geometrical architecture, Alys Beach is like no other place in the United States. It is as if you stepped into the perfection of another world influenced by a multitude of architectural styles. Alys Beach is upscale, artsy, modern and luxurious. Spanish, Moorish and Mediterranean features are on full display throughout the sophisticated community. With a modern Cape Dutch architectural vibe, the town also exhibits influences of historical colonial hallmarks from Bermuda's "butteries" and courtyards.
I discovered Alys Beach (pronounced "Alice") via social media and truly, it is awe-inspiring, not only in photos, but even more so in person. The community has been featured in publications including "Coastal Living" and "Southern Living" magazines and it was named as one of the top "50 Most Beautiful Small Towns in America" by Architectural Digest. A beautiful coffee table book features Alys Beach as one of nine coastal communities in "30A Living: Gracious Homes and Unique Communities Along the Gulf Coast" by local resident, Eleanor Lynn Nesmith with photographs by Jean Allsop.
Alys Beach is worth a visit just for the architecture, but if you can get there for a signature community event such as the annual five-day 30A Wine Festival or the one-of-a-kind Digital Graffiti at Alys Beach light show, it would be over-the-top memorable.
New Urbanism communities such as Alys Beach are planned and designed with the concept of featuring a compact, environmentally sustainable pedestrian lifestyle and accessible public spaces. The most common characteristics include being walkable traditional neighborhoods; quality architecture and design; connected; dense, diverse and mixed use housing and environmentally green due to a reduced need for transportation, energy, water for lawns/gardens and so forth.
The first and most well-known example of New Urbanism development is Seaside, Florida, founded in 1981 on 80 acres of land just seven miles west of Alys Beach on Highway 30A. Founded in 2003, Alys Beach spans 158 acres and will eventually be built to full capacity of 899 residences. Like Seaside, Alys Beach has few oceanfront homes, instead sharing access to the beach from private entry points.
Private open-air residential courtyards, promenades lined with drought-resistant succulent greens, fountains, sculptural works of art and the incredibly distinctive white stucco architecture with graceful details all define the timeless beauty of Alys Beach.
Pristine paved streets and shell walkways capture your attention, as well as stunningly simple, yet grand front entrances, archways, balconies and commanding rooftop decks and pergolas perched atop the massive homes. The walkable community's beautiful narrow streets and paths are perpendicular to the ocean to catch sea breezes.
Alys Beach promotes their community as influenced by British Colonial architecture, the style most often found in Bermuda and further south in the Caribbean including Antigua and Guatemala. Based on observation, I have identified prevalent recurring architectural elements in Alys Beach that can be traced to the following influences:
Colonial influences from Europe include incorporating classic elements of the mother country into architecture and structures in an overseas settlement or territory. Historically, this concept provides the perception of comfort to the colony while also exerting influence of the native country.
British Colonial architectural examples include rectangular structures; formal symmetry; multi-pane windows; shutters and multiple floors to house bedrooms.
Mediterranean Revival architecture incorporates Spanish Colonial, Spanish Renaissance, Italian Renaissance, Moorish Arabic Andalusian as well as other styles.
Features of Mediterranean homes include: texture such as brick or stucco, carved doors, raw iron and metal work on windows, balconies and front doors.
Moorish characteristics include courtyards, decorative tile work, domes, keyhole and ogee arches.
Spanish Revival architecture includes low pitched tile roofs, stucco walls, rounded arches, asymmetrical facades and rich decorative details.
Cape Dutch architecture is found mostly in the Western Cape of South Africa when Dutch colonial settlers dating back to the 17th century incorporated elements such as whitewashed walls, gables, large wooden sash cottage panes and exterior shutters.
Bermuda's St George, founded in 1612, is the oldest English settlement in the New World and its distinctive British Colonial architecture inspiration is evident in Alys Beach. Alys Beaches' four steepled pillar "butteries" with characteristic high pyramid-shaped roofs pay tribute to Bermuda's historically free-standing butteries that were used to keep milk, butter and perishables cold. Elements of Bermuda's British Colonial influence include white roofs, popped shutters and (limestone) block construction.
Caribbean hallmarks include the many variations of fretwork X-shaped designs, especially in railings and gates; verandas; courtyards; iron and metal decorative enhancements; natural elements such as shells and hurricane-resistant concrete construction. Like Alys Beach, Caribbean architecture is a melting pot of many styles and colonial influences.
The use of towers connected to or entirely as a housing structure originated globally centuries ago, typically where shelter and protection against small-scale attacks from feuding neighbors was necessary. Modern residential towers, no longer needed for defense purposes emerged as a symbol of status and for their panoramic vantage points.
Pairs of Bermudan-style "butteries" welcome visitors traveling from either direction of Highway 30A, which connects fifteen neighboring beach communities. Route 30A slices through the middle of Alys Beach, creating North and South sections, plus the town center, which includes specialty shops and several restaurants, a tap room and a food truck.
In addition to the walkable pathways, there are ten compact park spaces, including a fun and unique child's play area; a spacious amphitheater green space; a lake and a 22 acre nature preserve with boardwalks nestled in the back of the community. Artwork, fountains and sculptures are found throughout the community.
Gulf Green with the duo of massive urns on top of the fish scale bath houses is, in my opinion, the signature space of Alys Beach with sweeping views of the ocean and coastline of the Emerald Coast.
Rentals are available from the Bike Shop during season. In addition to bikes, owners and guests may rent stand-up paddle boards catamarans and kayaks.
For homeowners and rental guests, Alys Beach features Caliza, a resort-style pool complex, ZUMA Wellness Center and of course the gorgeous white sugary sand beaches. Beach access points are private with restricted access.
The Beach Club, exclusively for property owners, overlooks the intense blue-green hues of the Gulf of Mexico. It is currently under construction and is projected to be completed in 2020 - 2021.
Several dining options in season range from very casual such as Raw and Juicy cafe; Piper's Food Kitchen and Charlie's Donut and Yogurt truck, but be sure to check hours of operation in the winter. NEAT Bottle Shop offers artisan beverages and also sells bar/house wares. The adjoining tasting room serves hand-crafted beverages that complement offerings in the Bottle Shop. Full service restaurants include George's and Caliza. Boutique shopping is available at Alys Shoppe, Mast and Ann Hartley at Alys Beach, with more future retail space expected.
Although there are no hotels in Alys Beach, rental homes are available, as well as traditional hotel lodging in neighboring communities.
Popular nearby coastal hot spots include Panama City, Florida, located a few miles East on Highway 98 and Destin is about 35 miles West on Highway 98, which can take an hour or more to reach by car.
Elton B. and Alys Stephens of Birmingham, Alabama, originally purchased the 158 acre tract for 1.2 million dollars from an auction "on a whim" while passing through the area in the late 1970's. They eventually decided on naming the property Alys Beach as a tribute to Mrs. Stephens.
The creator of two neighboring communities, Seaside, the original New Urbanism design and neo-classical Rosemary Beach, Florida was a natural choice to develop Alys Beach. Thus, Andrés Duany, a Miami-based architect, urban planner and champion of New Urbanism design was enlisted to create the overall 
legacy and vision for the community through a charrette, which is a design collaborative. Although not part of the original charette, architects Erik Vogt and Marieanne Khoury-Vogt, owners of Khoury Vogt Architects, joined the Alys Beach design efforts and became so entrenched in working with the clients and community, they became the first residents.
Every building is constructed to meet the highest levels of Florida's Sustainability and Fortified standards to protect against natural disasters, including hurricanes and floods. The sparkling residences with Bermuda-inspired white roofs are constructed of solid concrete/masonry reinforced with stucco, which is perfect for creating elegant curved arches and soaring twelve foot tall entryways.
Three residential options are available: the villa, which is most typical and the more special courtyard and compound homes.
The street names of Alys Beach are noticeably unusual; for example, Featherbed Alley, Shinbone Court, Hogpenny Alley, Nonesuch Way, Sea Foam Alley, Sugar Lump Lane and Spice Berry Alley. This is yet another influence of the historical section of St George, Bermuda's British Colonial street names, which also include the original Featherbed Alley and Shinbone Alley, plus others such as Old Maid's Lane, Needle and Thread Alley and Pieces of Eight Lane.
Architects as well as their students and other industry professionals regularly travel to Alys Beach to photograph the residences and study the impressive designs. It truly is an inspiring, memorable and worthwhile place to visit, stay and return year after year.
Alys Beach hosts the annual five day 30A Wine Festival every February which benefits Children's Health Volunteer Network. Events include an "Oysters & Champagne," reception, "Bourbon, Beer and Butts," live music and a tasting featuring nationally known BBQ pitmasters, distillers and craft brewers, as well as the "Rosé & Croquet" tournament the final Sunday of the festival.
Digital Graffiti at Alys Beach is a popular family friendly art festival where international artists use the latest technology to project their original digital kaleidoscopes of color and vivid images onto the iconic white buildings each May. Of note, the 2020 event has been postponed to October 2 - 3, 2020 due to the current pandemic health crisis.
♦ Consider the time of year when planning your trip to Alys Beach. Spring break and summer are the busiest peak seasons, especially during summer holidays. Winter is the coolest with daytime temps at times being quite chilly. Because it's the off season, the amenities and services may be closed or reduced in January, February and the first part of March. 
♦ Alys Beach is designed as a walkable community of narrow streets and pedestrian paths. This means public street parking is not readily available, especially for busy weekends, festivals and the peak season. There are a few parking spaces near the restaurants, shops and amphitheater. During busy times, be prepared to take a driving tour of the community if no parking is available. Or consider parking in a public lot several miles away and hire a private transportation service to drop you off.
♦ Refer to a map when possible, because the parks, sculptures and other places of interest are not marked with signage directives to find them.
♦ Some areas of Alys Beach have ramp walkways to assist those with mobility issues, but there are also promenades with a series of steps and no ramp.
♦ Alys Beach is growing and therefore is under construction. Be prepared for construction noise, traffic and closed-off areas.
♦ Visitors do not have access to the renowned sugary quartz sands of the private beach and some of the amenities unless renting or owning a property. With the exception of the Gulf Green overlook, there is no way to easily view the gorgeous ocean from a public space. The sandy white beaches aren't visible from Gulf Green due to the steep slope of natural vegetation.
♦ For families with young children or teens, the private beach and Caliza pool are big attractions if you are renting a place on site. There are also bike and other water-types of rentals, plus the children's playground near Raw and Juicy. The 22 nature acre preserve is open to the public.
♦ Alys Beach's special events sell out quickly, so purchase your ticket/s well in advance.
♦ Bring a quality camera to capture the details, large and small.
♦ Allow enough time to look around, there's a lot to see. If you have only a few hours, park on West La Garza Lane near Charles Street (or anywhere close to Raw and Juicy) and start your tour with a visit to Gulf Green with the massive urns on Sea Foam Alley and the South portion of Alys Beach.
♦ There are many architectural moods and styles within Alys Beach because it was created during the past 17 years by various architectural firms. Styles range from contemporary and modern to classic traditional to outright eclectic. Don't assume that because you've seen one street or neighborhood that another will be the same, they are all unified yet quite different.
♦ Alys Beach, Florida is like no other place in the world. For me, it was love at first sight with an ongoing fascination as it continues to evolve. It is a great choice to bring your loved ones and guests for a super memorable day trip.
-- Thomas Jefferson, Founding Father and Third President of the United States
Ivy Green Anne Sullivan and Helen Keller Master Bedroom The famous well pump The plantation’s cottage The cottage’s main room 150 year old gardens, the brown community building and the kitchen The Kitchen and Cook’s Quarters The Kitchen Museum room Ms. Keller’s first Braille typewriter …
Oakwood Resort is a gorgeous Midwestern lakefront resort, an hour’s drive from our home, has beautiful spacious rooms and is dog friendly WEEKEND LAKE GETAWAY For us, there’s a long gap from the winter snowbird season until we begin again, so weekend getaways are an …
It's easy to get swept up in your winter home, after all it's what you're working towards up to half of the year. But don't overlook opportunities to embrace your primary home and region during the off season. Make plans to do things you
know you can't do at your winter home. Participate in local classes, events, shows or activities that maybe you've taken for granted. Grow a garden, meet friends for lunch, visit a museum or festival. This summer, I accomplished a bucket list goal to make an Amtrak trip to Chicago and was it ever memorable. Other side trips included Indy, Michigan and visits to local vineyards, including Two EE's, voted 2017 "Best Wine Tasting Room" by readers of USA Today.
Snowbirds have to be super organized to plan for and maintain two residences, even if one is a rental. Anything overlooked or forgotten is not so easily remedied without help, time and/or expense.
I use the off season to tackle projects that I know I cannot work on while away. It might be organizing boxes of greeting cards or photos, cleaning a closet, storage area or weeding things out to give to charity.
If there is a project you plan to work on while away, get it organized as well. For me, a few of my coin collection books are easy to bring along to "home sweet home 2". Working on my cloud-based files, such as ancestry.com while away is another ongoing project easily accomplished no matter where I am.
Another big one is organizing your personal files. Examples include financial, banking, investments, passwords, address books, corporate accounts, medical/health files for you and your pet, contracts, auto shipments, legal stuff, recipe files and anything else that may be affected while you are away.
COUNTDOWN TO DEPARTURE: PET PREP
I also anticipate the upcoming season -- what is going to need handled? In preparation for our milestone anniversary that we celebrated during our first time being snowbirds, I brought small mementos and photos from our wedding to our winter destination. It was important to me to celebrate with special items from our day.
If there's other milestones occurring during your time away, plan ahead so it's not a last minute scramble to find that meaningful photo, recipe, address, card, gift or special item.
Clean the oven, fridge, freezer, washer/dryer, windows, cobwebs, drawers, cabinets, nooks and crannies. Repair loose shingles, stain the deck, store or give away your unneeded or out of season stuff. It's better to tackle it here and there during the off season than let it go until the last minute when you're about to embark on your trip. We already had plenty of pressure getting ready for our first time as snowbirds when we realized the drainage tile in our backyard had become plugged and needed replaced at the eleventh hour during an especially freezing cold week in January. The last thing we wanted was a flood, but the extra expense and timing made it extra stressful.
It's not necessary to create a sterile model home while you're away, but you'll feel much better leaving a clean home behind and returning to one. If someone is staying in your home, they need to make sure it's as good or in better condition by the time you get back. If your home is unoccupied, it will look presentable when visitors occasionally check in.
Loved ones are typically a major part of any snowbird's existence. When at home during the off season, snowbirds must make an effort to seek out, reconnect with their loved ones and make plans to spend meaningful time together. Snowbirds who are away for a longer extended time find that it's especially important to resume the normalcy of seeing their children, parents, grandchildren and friends.
Many snowbirds visit each other during the off season. Our snowbird friends live in Wisconsin, Western Indiana and Illinois. They visit each other's homes to stay in touch, tour their primary homes/hometowns, and meet each others' loved ones. Snowbirds spend a lot of time together at their winter homes and it's important to stay connected during the off season.
My husband and I enjoy attending annual family reunions during the off season. We feel connected to our family because we've developed genuine friendships with them over the years. When we were aspiring snowbirds, we learned more about the lifestyle from multi-generational family snowbirds who shared their experiences with us.
About six months prior to our second year as snowbirds, we invited extended family to visit us in Destin. Beth and Alan are seasoned snowbirds who spend time in Gulf Shores, Alabama and they had never been to Destin. So they visited us at the start of their snowbird season and then a few days later, at the end of our snowbird season, we drove to Gulf Shores to stay with them. It was a fantastic experience, because not only did we get better acquainted, we each had personal tour guides to show us new and different regions.
Not only do your guests need time to budget and plan, so do you. The off season is a wonderful opportunity to invite loved ones to enjoy your winter home with you. And it gives you both something to look forward to!
--Dr. Wayne Dyer, American author, motivational speaker