I've been trying to explore options to not be struck indoors with cabin feaver, depressed for months at a time. Exploring options to get away from Indianapolis in January and February. If it goes well we may sell our condo in Indy and relocate. It's important to me to go where marijuana is legal. I look at prices of vacation websites and it's very expensive. It appears from a very brief browsing around that getting a travel trailer may cost more than renting vacation rentals. I'm totally ignorant here and hoping someone can perhaps offer some broad stroke thoughts to help me narrow the search. I know the obvious...where it's legal. Lol Thanks for those willing to share your experiences, etc.
@Terry A Moore Welcome to the forum, Terry! First, let me say my wife was born and raised a hundred or so miles north of you, and grew up in and around Churubusco, 10 miles N.W. of ft. Wayne. I met her while working for Dana Corp. in 'Busco. So, we know danged well about the winters back there. We left IN in '79, married, lived in the Phoenix area 20 years, enjoying the fine winters and slogging through the summer heat (it's a "dry heat"!). In 2010, living in Missouri, we decided to "Snowbird" the Laughlin, NV/ Bullhead City, AZ area we had often visited while in PHX. Rented a nice condo for four months, liked it so well, we rented it again winter 2011- 2012. That Spring we pulled up stakes and moved permanently to the Laughlin area, choosing a place just south of Bullhead City, in the County, unincorporated. We had, by then, learned BHC has a very high percentage of retirees living here, I'll guess ~ 30%. In winter, many Northerners arrive in RV's. BHC, relatively new, incorporated late in 1984, grew up in the Desert as a result of construction in early 1950s of Davis Dam, 2 miles north. Hoover Dam lies 100 miles north. BHC has the lowest overall cost of living rate in the state. Town population grew from 20,000 to 40,000 between 2000 and 2010! Winters are very mild, summers very hot. Marijuana is legal medically in AZ, recreationally in NV. I welcome any questions you may have! We will never be moving again. Frank Below, a gathering summer storm, taken from within the tower of Tropicana Hotel, looking eastward. The resort hotels visible are, from left, Riverside, Aquarius, and Edgewater. The following 3 my wife took from the 22nd. story of the Edgewater Hotel, looking southward. The Colorado Belle Hotel is a mock-up of one of the big steamboats which plied the Colorado River well over 100 years ago. 1st. is at sunrise, 2nd. mid-day, 3rd. at night. Below, taken westward from the bluff overlooking the airport, Fifi, the last flyable WW-II B-29 Bomber standing at left. The hotels visible, across the river in Nevada, are from left, the River Lodge, Golden Nugget, Colorado Belle, Tropicana, and Edgewater. Airport is obviously on the Arizona side, the state line running down the middle of the river! Airport is 1/2 mile from Laughlin, and situated in Bullhead City. Another by my wife, a tiny hummingbird doing his work, looking out across the big river.
Thank you Frank for your wonderful post. I'm going to investigate this option further. It looks quite promising to me. I've been wanting to explore southern California but it looks very expensive so this may be much better. I actually grew up in Fort Wayne. My elementary school was across the street from the Dana Plant on West State Street. but we moved to Roanoke in Huntington County southwest of Fort Wayne in my teens.
My wife, before I met her, was making plans on moving from Costa Mesa, Calif. to Laughlin. She had been in Laughlin for her nieces wedding. I had stop in Laughlin on my way to Indiana, once. It was so freaking hot, I couldn't believe it. Felt like the soles of my boots were cooking on the parking lot of Don Laughlin's Resort and Casino. I talked her out of Laughlin and we moved to Colorado. Yes, Colorado, like Indiana, gets their share of snow/cold/winter, but we can handle winter weather much better than a "burning hot" summer. There are a lot of Seniors who either financially can't afford to be "Snowbirds" or just don't want to be. It can definitely take money to take care of two homes. And, when something possibly happens in one home, when the residents are at the other, the residents have to go back to the other home to take care of the problem.
I don’t know which states will work for you, @Terry A Moore ; but there is a website that matches people up with temporary jobs, like managing a campsite area. Some of these positions are for permanent people, and some are only for a few months. A camping area that is busy in the summer may only need a caretaker during the winter months, as an example, and that would get you into a warmer climate during the cold winter months. You can choose by the type of position you are looking for, and the area where you want to be at, and just watch for something to come available in one of those areas. Sometimes, these pay minimally, and some just provide a place to live; but either way, you could travel this way with less expenses. The website is called “Working Couples”, and here is the link to the website: https://workingcouples.com/jobs-category/innkeepers-motel-hotel-jobs
One option that is interesting to me is to own a lot locally and one in a warm climate area then live in a large travel trailer. Has anyone done this? We used to own a mobile home in an over 55 community in Clearwater, FL. We had the option to rent the lot or purchase a "share" in the association that owned the park. I think they have parks like that for travel trailers and RVs also, but I'm not sure. I decided I don't want to go back to Florida though for numerous reasons....mostly political preferences but I don't want to get into that here and now.
I wouldn't have any answers for you. But I thought I'd post a link to this site. They have forums and if you find some areas you might be interested in, you can also ask questions here. http://www.city-data.com/
I have three friends who are snowbirds. One is a single female who lives up here from April to October, and has a condo in Lake Havasu, AZ where she spends the winter. She is an avid golfer and seems to be very happy. Friend #2 is a married couple who summer up here and have a motorhome in storage in Phoenix. When the snow flies (varies from year to year), they fly to Phoenix, pick up the motorhome, and spend the winter in a different place every year. Friend #3 is a wealthy man who has two houses here--one in the boonies and one in Anchorage, and a beautiful house on Maui, HI where he spends most of the winter. He is not retired, but does much of his work on computer and telephone, so he can be anywhere. He flies back and forth during he winter if the winter sports are good, as he really enjoys snowmobile. All three seem to be happy and appear to enjoy their lives. The first two are not wealthy, but manage. The third is not yet retired, and is a very active individual. He also owns two airplanes that he uses here in Alaska. The list of states with recreational marijuana is growing, but medicinal is all over the place.
At one time my sister and her husband owned an RV lot around Blairsville, GA. They never ended up buying the RV though so later on the sold the lot...so depending where you want to go I'm sure there are some RV lots to buy out there. I hope you find what you are looking for. Welcome to the Forum @Terry A Moore
@Patsy Faye Longest time I lived in one place was my birthplace, outside of Chicago, 30 years (and 9 months!). Then, Las Vegas, 5 years, Canon City, Colorado, 1 year, Churubusco, Indiana 1-1/2 years, Phoenix, AZ, 20 years, Missouri Ozarks, 13 years, and finally Fort Mohave, AZ, to be my final resting place! Each move entailed giving something up, leaving things behind. Usually a variety of mechanical parts for building cars, etc. My metal-working machinery, however, managed to always follow me, thankfully! Frank
Sounds like you will have a lot of research to do @Terry A Moore I follow a couple of RV/van life people on YouTube and I know I have seen some of those mobile home park/RV park combo places. Like in the Southwest. I wouldn't live in Florida due to the sink holes!
I have no personal experience, but several people I know winter in Arizona and they seem to like it. An uncle and aunt ended up staying year-round. My brother and sister-in-law winter in Florida and they love it, but they work at Disney World during the winter so that not only gives them discounts to a lot of places, but the job more than pays their expenses. For years, they used a combination of timeshares and hotels, then they found a very small cottage in what is mostly a trailer park that was for sale cheap, so they bought it. They rent it out during the summer.
@Cody Fousnaugh "It was so freaking hot, I couldn't believe it. Felt like the soles of my boots were cooking on the parking lot of Don Laughlin's Resort and Casino. I talked her out of Laughlin and we moved to Colorado." Couldn't agree with you more, Cody! What with that big, blue Colorado River beckoning, attracting fisherman, swimmers, boaters, and water-skiers, it's small wonder very few walk about in parking lots except when vitally necessary. 5 million fools come to Laughlin every year, a quarter-million being flown-in by Don Laughlin himself, and Harrah's Resort, both of which heavily subsidize the flights, which include lodging at their respective hotel. Typical flight cost is around $300, regardless of origination point. My old high school buddy, Charlie, has flown in from Rockford, IL, about $329. He felt he would be remiss if he failed to gamble away some dough, because the charters are so cheap! One thing I have never understood: Given the horrid conditions in Summer in Laughlin, which of course has the Colorado as a drawing point, and Las Vegas, which sports Lake Mead, but 30 or so miles out of town, why are the biggest crowds always present during the hottest months? In December, we are picking oranges and dates in shirtsleeves, reminding ourselves during the "off-season" just why we're here. Frank