Spending a month or two in Florida - but where?

[Anna girl]

Hi all! We are planning to spend a month or two (January/February) 2017 in south Florida to get away from the cold northeast weather. This is our first attempt to find a good place that is clean with nice ammentities. Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

[SeaLevel]

Are you interested in a specific part of the state? There is the panhandle, the Gulf Coast, the Atlantic Coast, the central part and the Keys.

[Wingeezer]

There are tons of places, but my fear based on past experience is that if you are just looking now, you might be a bit late.

Everything in Florida seems to get booked up quite early, state parks, fed parks, and most of the better private parks.

Wr are headed that way this year and made our reservations at four different locations for a 7 week visit last August! And even then, there was not as much choice as I had hoped!

One place you may well get in is Land Yacht Harbor Airstream park i Melbourne on teh Atlantic side, we will be there for ten days.

It isn't only for Airstreams any more, they let in a % of others, but we always seem to get a spot there.

Not the greatest in terms of amenities - no swimming pool - but kept extremely well and nice and peaceful as a home base. They do have decent clubhouse facilities (no showers) and quite a lot of organised activities if into that sort of thing.

Rates are very reasonable.

No pets allowed though - not sure about youngsters.

They do have a website.

Brian

[Mrjkq]

This is high season here in the sunshine state, you'll have to accept what you can find, picking and choosing is not an option until mid April. Like SeaLevel said pick an area, then start calling around maybe you'll get luck if someone cancels.

[xrvr]

Since you will be arriving next year, you should be able to get reservations. The closer to the attractions, the more expensive.

[Mrjkq]

Sorry, didn't realize it was for 2017. There is a real nice RV Park in Sarasota just 5 miles from Siesta Key Beach called Sarasota Sunny South, its small, clean & friendly. The Sarasota area has everything to offer from the Arts, fine restaurants to that beautiful 2.5 mile beach designated by Mr. Beach as the #1 beach in the US just two years ago.

[LilBigfoot]

Not the warmest part of Florida, but the Ocala area is nice and prices are more reasonable.

http://willistoncrossings.com/about.php#.VrEPQsc4_LQ

[LilBigfoot]

Another, more rustic RV Park in the same area is the Canyon Rock Crusher RV Park.

https://www.sunrvresorts.com/Communi...utUs.aspx#open

[Protagonist]

You can't go wrong at Corps of Engineers parks. But you do have limits on how long you can stay at any one park at any one time, typically two weeks, with a possible two-week extension if you're lucky. There are three CoE campgrounds that I'm aware of on the banks of the Okeechobee Waterway. You could bounce back and forth between these three campgrounds all winter, moving every two weeks.

[xrvr]

Three coe parks on the caloosahatchee river.

[Anna girl]

Thanks to everyone! We're starting very early because we have read that it's the smart thing to do. I intend to check out all the suggestions. Keep them coming!

[Jarrod White]

Larry and Penny Thompson Park in Miami has reasonable monthly rates and decent amenities if you want to be far south. Bill Fredrick Park in Orlando is another hidden gem in a metro area but no pool and limits on stay length. There are some great state parks, including Oscar Shearer, Hillsbourgh River, Little Manatee and Lake Louise in the mid to lower part of state. All have 14 days reservation limits but you could move among them or hope for extension as a walk up. The Sebring and Lake Wales area has many private parks and tends to be a warm area since less wind the coastal areas at similar latitude and fairly reasonable prices. There is another large former airstream only park called Travelers Rest at Dade City but I haven't stayed there.

[littleitaly]

We have been staying at the Recreation Plantation RV 55 and up park, has everything you could think of and more. They are in Lady Lake FL right next to the Villages, FL. They have all kinds of activities going on all day every day. Check out their web site.

[FCloud9]

Originally Posted by Anna girl

Thanks to everyone! We're starting very early because we have read that it's the smart thing to do. I intend to check out all the suggestions. Keep them coming!

Hello PA AS traveler,
We will be spending late winter (March-Apr) in Florida in a few weeks. Will post trip report following our trial at Topsail and Ocala National forest. If all goes well, we may plan longer stay next year but further south in Jan-Feb.

[Phoenix]

I hope this isn't hijacking this thread...

We may be heading from Phoenix towards Key West, Florida, in a month or two (late spring). I'm mainly concerned about camping in Florida. However, advice on other states is welcomed.

A couple of questions:

• How difficult will it be to find campsites by just calling ahead a day or two before arrival?
  
  
• Is travel without advanced reservations do-able, or will this trip be doomed to boondocking in Walmart parking lots?
  
  
• Would chances of finding campsites be better in specific months, or at another time of the year?
  
  
• Would it be wiser to delay this trip until next year and schedule camping locations far in advance?

Note: Our camping style is to stay at a location 3-5 days while visiting local attractions, then select the next campground the day before departing on the next wandering leg of our trip. We have no travel schedule, and only a vague idea of where our next stop will be. Trip planning is usually just pointing our TV in the general direction of "not where we just came from", although we sometimes backtrack to see something of interest that we missed.

[dwightdi]

If you are looking in the Tampa/St. Pete area, Dunedin./Palm Harbor has some nice parks along Route 19A we have used. Close to the gulf and biking/hiking. Sherwood Forest. Bay Aire,Caldesi, etc Reasonable rates.

[Jarrod White]

Phoenix
In a couple of months you will find south Florida spots easier in general but panhandle and beach spots harder if not impossible on weekends but can probably find spot on weekdays.
I would recommend seeing if Henderson, Grayton, Topsail, St Andrews (TCT rally there at end of April), St Joe or St George have spots and grabbing a few advance reservations.
Jarrod

[paiceman]

Originally Posted by Anna girl

Hi all! We are planning to spend a month or two (January/February) 2017 in south Florida to get away from the cold northeast weather. This is our first attempt to find a good place that is clean with nice ammentities. Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

I sent you a private message (PM) a few minutes ago. We live in USC south of PIT and are going to FL next winter for three months.

Bud

[Rick75]

Suggest you narrow down your area some then ask the question again. Florida is a large state with many campgrounds and RV parks. And if you want to be sure to get warmer weather stay in south Florida. Central and northern Florida can be cold in January and into February.

[Lets go]

Hi:
Anything around Marco Island? Thanks.