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Author :Emily Burton in Education

According to Nasa’s Earth Observatory, “Every winter, more than one million people from Canada and northern parts of the United States, many of them retired, head to Florida to escape the cold. These temporary winter residents—so-called snowbirds—increase the state’s population by roughly 5 percent.”

So, this winter we decided to join the crowd or should we say the flock and head to Florida for the winter months ourselves. Perhaps we are practicing for our future. Well I can definitely see the appeal. But how hard is it to get an RV site in Florida in the winter – I had basically been told it was impossible if you didn’t plan months or maybe even a year in advance. What’s the appeal to RV to Florida in the winter?

Here’s what we found out:

1. The obvious it’s warmer. If you don’t like the cold and snow, this is your place to be the average temperatures throughout the state are mid-60’s to mid-70’s.

2. Another big reason for some people traveling in RVs is from December to June you are pretty much clear of hurricanes.

3. A lot more activities planned at the campgrounds during the winter months. We have stayed at RV parks in Florida both in the summer and winter – the winter is by far more fun. Their activity schedule is jam packed with things to do. Granted most of the activities are geared towards the more mature snowbird and not kids like different card games, but there are also pot lucks, trips to different places in FL, like Key West, and movies for the whole family.

We did book our campsite for the bulk of our time in Florida this past winter back in May of that same year, but we even made some changes to the dates as close as a few weeks before arriving and we never had any trouble. My advice is to have a number of campgrounds you would be willing to spend time at and see which one you can stay the bulk of your time. The longer you are a campground, a month or more, the more money you will save on your site. A lot of campgrounds in Florida have seasonal rates so that means their rates will go up when it is there busiest time of the year. And of course, as soon as you know you want to spend winter in Florida book then. Find out the campgrounds cancellation/refund policy in case you need to make changes.

We spent our time in South Florida this winter and stayed at three different campgrounds, here’s what we thought:

Miami Everglades RV Resort – Great campground for the whole family. Lots of amenities (pool, jacuzzi, mini-golf, pickleball, etc.) We enjoyed our time here. It’s a big campground with lot’s going on and people coming and going every day. But quiet and peaceful at night. While we were there, we saw a few hot air balloons being launched right from the campground which was pretty awesome. Our only con of this park was it’s to expensive to spend a lot of time here in the winter.

Larry & Penny Thompson Memorial Park and Campground – Very nice and affordable campground in South Miami. This campground is run by Miami-Dade County so it almost gives you a State Park feel, which is nice in the middle of a city. The other great thing about it being a county park is that it’s really affordable a fraction of the other parks monthly rates. This campground will definitely be our choice of campgrounds to be “snowbirds” at for years to come. The way the sites are set up you don’t feel like you are right on top of your neighbor which is nice. They have a pool and a clubhouse as well as a volleyball court, ping pong and great walking paths around the campground and nearby park. Same as the other parks they organize a lot of activities and while were there, we were able to enjoy a day trip down to Key West, it was awesome. The people are extremely friendly here which was really pleasant.

Southern Comfort RV Resort – We also stayed at Southern Comfort RV Resort this is conveniently located right at what they call “The Gateway to the Keys”. Where the Florida Turnpike ends and US1 takes you down to Key West. You definitely get a more tropical, laid back feeling while staying here. They had a nice pool and lots of activities planned as well like bingo and a Super Bowl party while we were there. On Bingo nights they also serve up some food in the Rec Hall. It costs some money for the hamburgers, etc. but it’s so fun to be able to just walk within the campground and pick up dinner. I would definitely recommend this campground as a great basecamp to the Keys, especially Key Largo.

Some of the highlights of our time in South Florida were visiting all the delicious farm stands that were abundant in the part of South Miami (Redlands, Homestead) we were staying in, dine at some new to us really good restaurants and do a bit of sightseeing.

Places we recommend visiting:
Coral Castle – This was our first time here and I wish we hadn’t waited so long to visit this really interesting place. It’s hard to figure out how this little man built this castle all on his own, but you’ll have to take the tour yourself to find out more about it. Our 8-year-old son was hooked on every word the tour guide said, which shows how good they were and how interesting the place is. I definitely recommend this place as a stop on your travels.

Vizcaya Museum and Gardens – a beautiful place to visit and take pictures. This is a National Historic Landmark, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens is a 1916 waterfront estate home with 32 decorated rooms and 10 acres of formal gardens.

Wynwood Walls - Unique outdoor destination featuring huge, colorful street murals by artists from around the globe. This is a lot of fun to go and checkout. The murals change from time to time so it’s worth going back to every once in a while. Everything is so colorful and there are some great places to eat nearby.

Homestead Bayfront Park – this was a new discovery for us this year. Basically anywhere in Florida if you keep driving east you will reach water and you don’t always have to go to South Beach to access the beaches and see the ocean. This Homestead Bayfront Park has a man-made beach for the kids or adults and also views of the ocean a playground, spots to do some fishing at and boat ramps. If you’re staying at the Southern Comfort RV Resort take a right out of the resort and keep driving (about 20 mins) and you’ll arrive at the Park – right next to the park is where you enter Biscayne National Park. There is also a fun restaurant inside Homestead Bayfront Park.

Homestead Main Street – they are really working hard on revitalizing this area with things to do and restaurants to dine at. I would stop by here and check it out while you are in town. There is also a free trolley that runs on the weekends from the Main Street to the Bayfront Park, fun!

Coopertown Airboat Rides – if you’re looking for the true Florida airboat and alligator sighting experience then I recommend checking out the Coopertown Airboat Rides. They have been running for the past 50 years and people of all ages enjoy the trips into the everglades. Sometimes they offer deals on Groupon so check that out before booking your trip.

A few other places we recommend while in town would be the Miami Zoo, South Beach of course Ocean Drive and Lincoln Road in particular, you can spend the day at the beach or just walk around there are so many fun things to do in South Beach. If you are staying at any of the campgrounds, I recommended then you will be in the South Miami, Redlands/Homestead area which is the agricultural center of Miami so I would recommend checking the many fruit stands and farm in the Redlands and on Krome Avenue.

Are you ready to snowbird down to Florida now? I hope this article has given you some inspiration and I hope you enjoy a warm and fun-filled winter next year.