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Re: Florida Towns feels like St Martin
[Re: RICKDEB]
#119457
01/31/2017 09:56 PM
01/31/2017 09:56 PM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,725 Central Florida!
Carol_Hill
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,725
Central Florida!
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Honestly, a big part of being in SXM is because you are on vacation. If you live there, regardless of the surroundings, it's not the same. That said, it depends on what you associate with SXM. For me, I have no desire to do snow, ice, etc., any more and Florida suits me. There are some practicalities, like health insurance, as the prime example, that there is no substitute for living in the US...
Carol Hill
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Re: Florida Towns feels like St Martin
[Re: ILoveSXM]
#119459
01/31/2017 10:06 PM
01/31/2017 10:06 PM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,725 Central Florida!
Carol_Hill
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,725
Central Florida!
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Medical care is the number one reason why we decided to live in Florida, versus somewhere in the Caribbean...
Carol Hill
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Re: Florida Towns feels like St Martin
[Re: RICKDEB]
#119463
02/01/2017 01:02 PM
02/01/2017 01:02 PM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,628 Southern Maryland suburbs of D...
Bill_S
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,628
Southern Maryland suburbs of D...
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You might want to consider the east coast of Florida between Cocoa Beach and Vero Beach, aka the "Space Coast" ... My first Air Force duty assignment in the late 60's to early 70's was at Patrick AFB, working on range support to programs like Minuteman, Delta, Poseiden, Apollo, etc. Launches are visible from your lawn...
Although it has become more built up and populated in the decades since I lived there, some of the reasons I loved my time there are still valid:
- Weather: since I was out on the barrier island, the prevailing winds from April through October were usually out of the ESE at 10 kts and we almost never had daytime rain for those seven months. I could lay on the beach or at the pool and watch the towering cumulus clouds start building across the Banana and Indian Rivers to the west and as the day progressed they would be blown west across Orlando and then across the Tampa area. Like Camelot, it only rained at night. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />
- Many of the housing developments along the western (river) side of the barrier island have backyard docks on canals connecting to the rivers, allowing easy access for water sports, fishing, etc.
- when I lived there there were a lot of great restaurants spread out along the coastal highway (A1A).
-one of my favorite winter pastimes off duty was going down to the high rise bridge at Sebastian Inlet and netting shrimp from the fishing catwalk under the span.
AND it is only 90 minutes from all the attractions in Orlando.(Including Cypress Cove!)
Send me a PM if you would like additional info...
Bill
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Re: Florida Towns feels like St Martin
[Re: Bill_S]
#119464
02/01/2017 02:10 PM
02/01/2017 02:10 PM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,725 Central Florida!
Carol_Hill
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,725
Central Florida!
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To me, the Gulf Coast water is much prettier than the Atlantic Coast, and the water is usually calmer, as well as much prettier sunsets over the water! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Smile.gif" alt="" />
Carol Hill
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Re: Florida Towns feels like St Martin
[Re: Carol_Hill]
#119465
02/01/2017 02:32 PM
02/01/2017 02:32 PM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,628 Southern Maryland suburbs of D...
Bill_S
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,628
Southern Maryland suburbs of D...
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Carol_Hill said: To me, the Gulf Coast water is much prettier than the Atlantic Coast, and the water is usually calmer, as well as much prettier sunsets over the water! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Smile.gif" alt="" /> Hi Carol, the Atlantic Ocean side of the barrier island definitely has wave action since the daytime onshore winds blow across a lot of ocean before landfall. The Banana River, on the otherhand, is shielded by the barrier island and has relatively little wave action usually, especially the eastern half of the river which is in the lee of the buildings and trees to the east. At Patrick AFB the Bananna River is several miles wide, resulting in spectacular sunsets... Especially with all the thunderheads low on the western horizon as they dump on central and western Florida... <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" /> The causeways also mitigate the wind effects, alowing water skiing on glassy smooth water on at least one of the four "corners". And then you have the southern part of Merrit Island, which serves as another wind block, making the Indian River even smoother... It's a nice area for boating... :
Bill
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Re: Florida Towns feels like St Martin
[Re: ILoveSXM]
#119467
02/01/2017 03:02 PM
02/01/2017 03:02 PM
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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 142 Key West, Florida
LuvSXM
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 142
Key West, Florida
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If you are concerned about medical care...Key West would not be the place for you. Most of us locals travel to the mainland for medical care and at that it is a 3-4 hour drive just to get out of the Keys. It is one thing to be here on vacation but a whole different atmosphere living here. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> I will say I do love the weather <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Wink.gif" alt="" />
Last edited by LuvSXM; 02/01/2017 03:05 PM.
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Re: Florida Towns feels like St Martin
[Re: ronandcarla]
#119470
02/01/2017 11:21 PM
02/01/2017 11:21 PM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 882 Arizona
marybeth
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 882
Arizona
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That's our experience also. We moved to AZ just south of Tucson for the winter & just don't have the same anticipation as it gets closer to leaving for SXM. We still have a great time when we're there, and maybe it's cuz we've been going since 1998, but I couldn't wait to get there & now it's not exactly the same.
MB
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Re: Florida Towns feels like St Martin
[Re: silverfox82]
#119473
02/02/2017 09:16 AM
02/02/2017 09:16 AM
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 4,381 Rhode Island
RonDon
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 4,381
Rhode Island
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silverfox82 said: Sanibel/Captiva might fit the bill. Key West beaches are not "Caribbean" by any stretch of the imagination. The treasure coast of Florida has great beaches and restaurants however there was ice on my windshield this morning, first time in 3 years and it did get up in the 70's by midday, but ice??? We lived there and it's nothing like SXM---except for the prices.
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Re: Florida Towns feels like St Martin
[Re: ILoveSXM]
#119478
02/15/2017 06:50 PM
02/15/2017 06:50 PM
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Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 4,882 Portland, OR
jazzgal
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 4,882
Portland, OR
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ILoveSXM said: We love jazz too...could you please share the name of the jazz club in Sarasota Txs! I wasn't referring to a "brick and mortar" club but rather a jazz "society." Jazz Club of Sarasota
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Re: Florida Towns feels like St Martin
[Re: ColinsMema]
#119480
02/15/2017 08:43 PM
02/15/2017 08:43 PM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,725 Central Florida!
Carol_Hill
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,725
Central Florida!
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Stayed at Casey Key on a few occasions, including most recently in October 2016. Very laid back, beautiful sunsets, great stuff, unless you want lots of action.
Carol Hill
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