The Weather:
The weather from November through Mid-May just can't be beat, and it's one of the main draws for those dreaming of calling Florida home. Who wants to deal with it getting dark at 4:30PM every night and having your teeth chatter every time you step outside? In Florida its either spring or summer year-round, and it never gets dark before 6:00PM. My family and I were certainly thrilled to trade in raking leaves and shoveling snow for living in a tropical paradise.
Although we do get to experience winter, it rarely goes below freezing. We’ll get a few cold blasts every year, but the coldest we’ve witnessed in Palm Beach County is the low to mid 40s. In our prior Port St. Lucie home, we were touched by freezing temperatures from time to time, but it never lasted more than a day or two.
Of course if you find yourself in Northern Florida, you may experience more seasonal temperatures, but it’s significantly milder when compared to the rest of country.
Year-round swimming:
Some of the best memories we have when we lived in New Jersey was centered around the swimming pool.
It wasn't a big pool. A simple oval shaped above ground, but hubby and I worked hard to give our girls the childhood we never had. The amount of work it was to prep the pad, build the pool and maintain it year after year was certainly worth it at the time for those smiling faces, but if we knew then what we know now, I'm not sure we would have done it all over again.
Our first year in our Florida pool home was phenomenal. Not only did we not have to close the pool for the winter, our pool home came with a screened enclosure. No leaves, no bugs, and no endless vacuuming. We were swimming from April through Christmas, and probably could have extended the season even further if we opted to install a heater.
Year-round gardening:
Although fall is the preferred season for planting in South Florida, gardens can be planted year-round.
Vegetable growing season generally runs from October through March; however, there are always exceptions to the rule, and some plants will do well other times of the year. Pineapples, bananas, coconuts, sugar cane and citrus fruits naturally thrive here.
Just think, you can serve up breakfast, lunch, and cocktails, just out of what you produce from your yard. Throw in some small livestock such as chickens, and you’ve got all the main food groups covered.
Gardening along with raising chickens is something hubby and I are starting to explore now. There will certainly be some trial and error, but this is something we’ve wanted to do for some time, and we can’t wait to share what we learn along the way. More to come.
UPDATE: 02/05/24
Check out our Garden Build, along with some of our recent Garden Woes.
Attractions:
Our first trip to Florida was a gift for the girls from grandma & grandpa. It was our first time to Florida, my very first time on a plane, and an experience I'll certainly never forget. I discovered that I didn't like flying, which is still an issue for me almost 30 years later, but the stress of flying was all forgotten once I took my first step outside and saw my first Palm Tree. Here it was, the beginning of August, and supposedly the worst time of the year to be in Florida, yet it was cooler and less humid than it was in Jersey that same week.
The Disney trip was truly a magical experience. There was so much to see, and we did what we could in the four short days we were there. Don’t get me wrong, we’ve been back numerous times since that first trip, and were sure to acquire season passes to keep the magic going once we moved.
The downside of Disney is the phenomenal cost. As a Florida resident, you get a discount, and there are some savings being an annual passholder, but even with these benefits, the cost is ridiculous. Fortunately, Disney isn’t the only option. There’s Universal Studios, which is constantly expanding, and offers much of the same benefits as Disney when staying at a Universal Resort.
But wait... there's more...
There’s SeaWorld, Discovery Cove, Gatorland, WonderWorks, and a multitude of water parks. Let’s not forget to mention the endless shopping that’s available on every corner, and that’s just in Orlando.
For those willing to venture outside of Orlando, there’s Legoland as well as the Kennedy Space Center, each of which are only hour away from Orlando. We certainly can’t leave out Busch Gardens in Tampa, or the oldest city in America, St. Augustine, Key West, or the Everglades.
Car enthusiasts come from all over the county to visit Daytona speedway, and for those who prefer their knees in the breeze, there’s “Bike Week” and “Biketoberfest”.
Florida has been the main destination for many spring breakers, and has been a sanctuary for many authors, artists, history buffs, treasure seekers and nature lovers for more than a century.
Florida also boasts a myriad of springs, sanctuaries, gardens, and quaint little hideaways for those less inclined to the sensory overload of theme parks and annual events.
Other Benefits of Florida living:
- Top-rated beaches
- No state income tax
- No Estate tax
- Low unemployment rate
- Discounted rates at many attractions for Florida residents
- Plenty of activities – there’s always something to do
- Incredible wildlife and beautiful landscapes
- The “Off Season”
- No more snow shoveling
- Casual Lifestyle
- Great for Sports enthusiasts
- You can vacation where you live
Overall, our years in Florida have been amazing, and we can honestly say that the good times have outweighed the bad, but those moments… Ugh!