Anyone a seasonal Texan? Opposite of the snow bird

TikkaShooter

1:04p, 4/29/24

Posted on the travel board too, but thought the OB might have some folks that do this as well.

Goal: Leave Texas from June-October, returning Nov-May

Wondering if we have any seasonal Texans here. If so, do you:

- Own a second home?
- Rent a home/property?
- Use travel points for long term stays at hotels/resorts?
- Cruises?
- RV?

The idea is to keep our primary home and come back to that each fall. But travel during the brutally hot times of the year. Basically the opposite of the snow bird. Spend time where the weather is better, the views are nicer, more outdoor activities, etc.

Interested to here of anyone who splits time in a different part of the country/world.

AXISMEAT

1:15p, 4/29/24

I would guess it would be whatever your preference is. I have an aunt and uncle that basically live on cruise ships since they like the no hassle part of vacationing. My plan, however, is to sell my home as soon as the kids are out, and live on the ranch permanently. I would buy an RV and go see the country as much as possible during the Texas summer months.

Ogre09

1:21p, 4/29/24

A retired couple at my church have a Colorado mountain cabin where they spend every summer. They disappear early June and come back in October.

malenurse

1:21p, 4/29/24

When my mom and dad were still alive, they were. We had a condo in Winter Park, CO.

They left in May and came back whenever the hell they wanted to. Usually September.

Hoosegow

1:22p, 4/29/24

How about it is what I am planning to do when i retire?

I'm 52. The wife and I have camped (her with her late husband, me with my ex-wife) many times. We recently bought a toy hauler to get us through the next 3-5 years. This is our plan.

Sell all our properties. Buy a 1 ton and nicer toy hauler. We plan to ride (motorcyle) the great American highways. We plan to leave in May and return in October. In no particular order and once per year:

Pacific coast highway
Route 66 (though this might be a Fall trip)
Rockies
Appalachian trail
New England
Canada (if they haven't gone completely ape crap)
Alaska

Once we figure out a place we like to go, we may buy a place if we fell in love with a location. I'm particulary fond of the Pacific Northwest (politics be damned).

Now, between us we have 1 house in New Braunfels and Odessa. I am half owner of a place in Bandera and a nother quarter owner of a rental unit in Bandera plus a duplex+garage apartment in the historic district of San Antonio. Right now, the plan is to sell almost everything and move to Bandera (upgrade a little). However, I do like the Davis Mountains and I keep looking at property. We might keep the place in Bandera and buy one in Fort Davis. However, Bandera local politics has gotten absolutely aweful. The new mayor sucks and I am getting real turned off moving there.

The thought process is to get out of the heat. I've spent my whole life in Texas, Rio Grande Valley, College Station and New Braunfels mostly. I work in a very hot enviroment. The last couple of years have kicked my azz with the heat.

The toy hauler will allow us to go where ever we want to go and set up a base. From there, we will ride all over the place. Right now we can tow the trike or the softail and street glide. As we get older, we will probably only be able to ride the trike. Get too much older, we might sell the bikes and buy a Razor and ride the public lands.

Don't know if this helps, but it is what we are thinking.

JeremiahJohnson

1:25p, 4/29/24

My parents do that and live in Breckenridge. They are in Texas during the Spring and Fall.

Spend January- April then Late June-September in Breck.

Late September-December and late April- June in Texas

angryocotillo

1:44p, 4/29/24

I'm a teacher. As soon as I get out of school for the summer, I leave ASAP to a cooler climate and don't come back until right before school starts.

Last year I did the Camino de Santiago, this year I will be going to South America, and before that I usually went tent camping/backpacking in the Rocky Mountains. I usually end up breaking even or saving money by leaving with the super cheap accommodations.

NoahAg

5:05p, 4/29/24

In reply to Hoosegow

Quote:
I'm 52. The wife and I have camped (her with her late husband, me with my ex-wife) many times.

Don't mean to pry, but I didn't read past this, so I'm wondering about the sequence of events that transpired here.

aggie_wes

5:08p, 4/29/24

My parents essentially do this. They just plan trips during those months. Usually spend 3 weeks or so on a repositioning cruise, a month in summit county, CO and a month somewhere else (San Diego usually, but not always.) along with a few shorter trips.

Edit to add: they VRBO in those places, only own the 1 home in TX.

zooguy96

5:45p, 4/29/24

We thought about that for a long time for the future, but instead, moved back to East Tennessee, where the summers are great (rarely above 90), the winters aren't horrible (might snow once or twice), and the scenery is breathtaking.

I know a lot about a little, and a little about a lot.

CE Lounge Lizzard

6:00p, 4/29/24

I like it here and have no desire to leave. That's probably weird to a lot of folks, but that's just me. And yes, I spend plenty of time outside during the hottest months, it's just hot, not a lot you can do about it.

docb

7:36p, 4/29/24

We have a second home in Steamboat Springs, Colorado and that is the plan when I retire in a few years. Probably spend most of June through October there. But I'm sure we'll bounce back to Texas for a week or so here and there during the summer as well and the same for Colorado in the winter.

Build It

8:29p, 4/29/24

Working on a plan to spend 3-4 months a year in the islands of the virgin.

TXAG 05

10:03p, 4/29/24

In reply to CE Lounge Lizzard

CE Lounge Lizzard said:
I like it here and have no desire to leave. That's probably weird to a lot of folks, but that's just me. And yes, I spend plenty of time outside during the hottest months, it's just hot, not a lot you can do about it.

I'm with you. Been all over the country, and there are a lot of nice places to visit, but there is nowhere else I'd rather live than here. Yes it's hot in the summer, but that's why God invented lakes, rivers, beaches, and cold beer

jja79

10:33p, 4/29/24

In reply to CE Lounge Lizzard

CE Lounge Lizzard said:
I like it here and have no desire to leave. That's probably weird to a lot of folks, but that's just me. And yes, I spend plenty of time outside during the hottest months, it's just hot, not a lot you can do about it.

I had split time between Houston and Phoenix. Finally last year went full time Phoenix. It's hot in the summer but not hot and miserable. The mountains, rivers and lakes are within 30-45 minutes and in 2 hours I can be at 5,000 feet elevation or so and it's 20 degrees cooler in the summer.

swampstander

10:50p, 4/29/24

We are reverse snowbirds. We live outside of Palestine but also own a house at the coast in New Hampshire. We do late May-early September there typically but also have done Fall and Spring trips on occasion. The seacoast in New Hampshire is a great place to spend a summer but I am from there so I might be biased. My Sister is a regular snowbird. She does May-November in Massachusetts. December- April in Fort Lauderdale. She lives at the beach year round. Not a bad deal.

TikkaShooter

10:52p, 4/29/24

Quote:
Yes it's hot in the summer, but that's why God invented lakes, rivers, beaches, and cold beer

The lakes are drying up. One boat ramp left open at canyon. Going to be another S show of a summer to get water craft onto the lake.

The rivers? Too many straws in the cup. Too much development. I'm not sure there is a future for the Nueces, Frio, and Guad.

The beaches are full of people and their trash. Never seen a sight like mustang island on a summer weekend. Although I've not been to India, this is how I imagine it. Nothing but people and trash for miles and miles.

You boys enjoy it. I'll be searching for other ways to spend the summers.

TikkaShooter

10:55p, 4/29/24

In reply to jja79

Yes!

My family did PHX, Sedona, and Flagstaff over spring break. I couldn't believe how much great change in scenery and weather could be had in a 2hr drive.

jja79

12:35a, 4/30/24

In reply to TikkaShooter

You get into pretty high wine country south of Tucson too. Northeast 2 hours from Phoenix is beautiful in Showlow, Strawberry, etc.

Don't tell anyone else.

Hoosegow

9:13a, 4/30/24

In reply to NoahAg

Lol - both occurred before we met. Different dynamic for sure.

Wife is a wonderful woman who lost her husband in an instant - never fell out of love. She appreciates that it can all be taken away in a heartbeat and treasures our time together.

HumpitPuryear

7:47p, 4/30/24

What do you do for your Texas summer lawn while away? Just pay for lawn and sprinkler service?

TikkaShooter

7:54p, 4/30/24

In reply to HumpitPuryear

I would likely need to hire a lawn service during the summer.

Or let my turf go all together. Which might not break my heart in 10 years, after having plenty of years to enjoy the lawn process. M

But yeah. Keeping it would mean outside maintenance company of some kind. Unless I found a short term renter who liked to water and mow.

swampstander

12:18a, 5/1/24

In reply to HumpitPuryear

HumpitPuryear said:
What do you do for your Texas summer lawn while away? Just pay for lawn and sprinkler service?

I plant perennial rye grass in late September. I might need to water it in a couple times but I usually try to time it before a rain shower. It's up in a week to ten days then I have a lush green lawn from Oct-May without any fuss except mowing it every month or so. I have a guy I used to work with mow while I'm gone just enough to keep it from looking abandoned. Last summer he mowed twice. I edge everything good with roundup and pre-emergent so he never has to get off his mower. In other words… I let my lawn die in the summer.

Ikanizer

6:50a, 5/1/24

We bought a cabin in Colorado in 2011. I retired the next year and we have been spending summers and the month of February up there ever since. We just lock the doors and leave. We probably go to church with Ogre.

Windy City Ag

9:11a, 5/1/24

In reply to swampstander

Quote:
The seacoast in New Hampshire is a great place to spend a summer but I am from there so I might be biased.

We worked our way up slowly through Portsmouth and York Maine during July several years back before heading inland towards Woodstock Vermont. I was loving the whole trip. You get more history and natural beauty on the New England Coast, which makes it generally more interesting for me compared to California or much of the Southeast.

SunrayAg

10:24a, 5/1/24

We've been looking.

We own land in central Texas, that that would be permanent address, home base for winter and spring.

But the last 3 years we have visited potential summer/fall locations.

Three years ago we went to Maine. Wow!

Two years ago we went to UP of Michigan. Also Wow!

Last year we went to northern Washington. Bellingham, Anacortes, North Cascades. Holy Crap Wow!

I'm thinking a summer cabin in one of those places might be a pretty good deal compared to 110 and humid in central Texas.

zooguy96

11:34a, 5/1/24

I'm telling y'all..

East Tennessee.

Summer - cabin in the Smokies. Beautiful - not that hot.

Winter - regular house anywhere. Might snow once or twice.

I know a lot about a little, and a little about a lot.

TikkaShooter

11:48a, 5/1/24

In reply to zooguy96

What are the travel logistics to E. Tenn?

Meaning:

I'm flying out of ATX or SATX into…Nashville? Somewhere else?

Then what's my drive like from airport to cabin?

JB93

11:57a, 5/1/24

We are also trying to figure out the same question - where to go in summer. It'll be a few years before we can do this, but as of now I'm thinking RV at least initially.

Curveball.... Davis Mountains in Texas (Alpine, Fort Davis)...and yes Marfa though I found it to be highly over-rated IMO. Check out these average summer temps.

Fort Davis, TX
Weather averages

Month High / Low(F) Rain

June 91 / 61 5 days
July 89 / 63 7 days
August 88 / 61 7 days

Bassmaster

12:03p, 5/1/24

In reply to TikkaShooter

Knoxville. About an hour drive.

TikkaShooter

12:49p, 5/1/24

In reply to Bassmaster

Thanks

MAS444

1:27p, 5/1/24

In the process of building a house in Ridgway, Co for this purpose. Not ready to retire yet...but the immediate plan is to spend a week or two there in winter (Spring Break and during/after Christmas) and as much time as possible in summer. Long term plan is to spend at least half the year there - possibly more. We love our home and neighborhood in the big city - but I'm looking forward to getting the F out. Kids are young though so we've still got a while...

RebelE91

1:37p, 5/1/24

Current plan is to spend a couple months in the RV in northern NM and SW CO in July and Aug. we are 5-10 years from r retirement but we spend a couple weeks a year in northern NM in the meantime

rak1693

1:43p, 5/1/24

Close family friend of mine leaves every May and returns in September. They have a house in Ruidoso and stay there. This is their 9th year in a row doing it

mudbutt07

2:23p, 5/1/24

My in-laws have a place in Angel Fire that they go up to every May and come back to Texas some time in September. The highs are in the 70's in August and the lows are in the mid 40's. Can't beat it.

My parents do the same except live in a travel trailer, some times in Red River, Taos, Eagles Nest or Angel Fire.

Northern New Mexico is nice, not a lot of people know about it but that is slowly changing.