My response to GearHeadGrrrl, who was wondering why anybody would want to live here. (See the rant here: http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=759359) Consider it a Public Service Announcement. Shirley you jest. Floriduh has all kinds of things to offer. And we have nice weather for 3 outta 4 seasons--summer's a beeyotch, there's just no getting around it. But even in the summer, you can enjoy stuff on the water--like kayaking for instance. Big Lagoon, not far from Pensacola And summertime's a good time for NIGHT RIDES with the gazoonies Blackwater State Forest, a couple hundred thousand acres and hundreds of miles of dirt roads Eglin AFB's range, with a quarter-million acres worth of dirt riding open to us civilians Apalachicola Natl. Forest, about a half-million acres worth of dirt riding opportunities Yellow River Water Mgmt. Area, where you can ride out to Blackwater Bay and work on yer KTM Tate's Hell, which has its own special history and charm No shortage of hooligans to ride with... Or maybe ya just wanna be alone--lotsa places off the beaten path for peace and solitude ADV rallies galore, where you can party and ride with all kinds of nogoodniks and ne'er-do-wells...if yer into that kinda thing And that brings me to the best part of living here: the people I've met... ...explored with... ...laughed with... ...begged from... ...weathered storms and smoked cigarettes with (even tho I quit)... ...hung out with... ...shared stories around the campfire with... ...camped out with... ...had Head Explosions with... ...drank coffee with... ...drank beer with... ...released the Kraken with... ...broke The Rules with (don't tell Swampy)... ...gotten stuck in the mud with... ...changed a flat tire with... ...celebrated Life with... ...and am blessed beyond measure to call Friends I love living in Floriduh so much it makes me wanna put my hands in the air, and wave 'em around like I just don't care But, hey, I realize it ain't for everybody. And if ya don't like it, here's yer sign! The. END. Oh yeah--I forgot to mention there's also no state income tax, and housing costs are very reasonable (at least in the Panhandle)
Ya got it all wrong... Flurida is nothing but HEAT - BUGS and dem nasty creatures with long teath that try to trear you leg off if you are nice to em... what are they callled .... oh yea Yankee Tourist.... We try to keep it a secret but you do have to spout off once in a while. The People Part is cool and thanks for pics.... We do have fun
Please disregard the OP. Florida sucks. Nothing fun to do here. Everyone's miserable here and hates tourists.
Florida is a big place so it's hard to judge it by only one area . . . Actually the middle part--Mt Dora and the Lakes areas are pretty nice, but here is my assessment of the 3 long years I suffered the S/E coastal area of florighanistan. Consider it another public service anouncement
So I'm stuck dealing with the idiot 4 wheelers on the highways. And as "friendly" as y'all been, I don't think I'll bring one down to sacrifice to the humidity and maybe hurricanes.
It sounds like you're unprepared to enjoy Florida. I moved down from up north, bought a boat and motorcycles and played for over 30 years. Water skiing and taking a break to grill out at the springs is hard to beat in the heat of the summer. Before that I've rented canoes and had a blast. Taking a small boat to the Bahamas is an adventure that's hard to match in Minnesota. We all know what the west has to offer . When we go there we bring the right toys and enjoy the hell out of it. It would be like us living in Minnesota and not liking the snow , skiing or snowmobiling. You can easily adapt if you just put some thought into it. Riding a bicycle takes some thought as well. You might have to transport it by car to get to some good areas but not everyone lives in the right place to do every kind of sport.
Thanks Richard, but I have no intent to move down here. I've been here in June, and never again... Rode the Buell down, and fortunately had an air conditioned minivan to shuttle back north in. Around Naples the weather gets into the 80and 90s and humid from April through October... Why come here for that? Like I said, about all the Naples area has going for it is climate... Otherwise it's one big collection of strip malls overrun with old folks with way more money than driving ability. I'm looking forward to returning to Minnesota weekend after next!
Not everyone has the ability or funds to live in two places at once. I'd rather water ski , go boating and enjoy the beach than freeze my ass off up north in the winter. We can visit the north when the weather is good and enjoy the only place in the country that has this climate in the winter. I would never go to a place I hate as much as you hate Florida. I love the mountains of North Carolina and go all the time when the weather is warm. I hope you find the perfect place you're looking for.
You said it there, sista. All them yankees get old and slow and come down here and the AARP lobby in Talllahassee keeps them on the road way longer than they should be. I just don't understand why people from up north come down here, spend a couple weeks in urban sprawl and think they know enough about Florida to criticize the place.
No, see, they're just flippin the bird to GearHeadGrrrl because she's badmouthing their beautiful home state. Just sayin' Yep. Insert witty comment about door not hitting ass on way out...
The bugs in MN make our bugs look like little babies! The good thing is they only come out when it is warm, which is about 10 weeks a year.