The days are filled with numerous events, activities, and happenings in your Snowbird roost.
Bella Terra RV Resort on the Alabama Gulf Coast offers a variety of organized activities for snowbirds. © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved
There are important questions to consider in planning one’s day. When does the exercise class start? Water volleyball? Line dancing? What time is tee time? When does the hiking club hit the trail?
Consider the other events that occupy the weekly calendar. Pickleball tournament? Good exercise and competition. Book club? A wise choice. Quilting club? An honorable hobby. Card groups that meet regularly and offer company and social networking opportunities? Certainly.
Many snowbird parks provide resort amenities designed for long-term guests, including a Welcome Center, a well-appointed clubhouse and activity building, free cable or satellite TV and high-speed Internet at site, large swimming pools and heated spas, and fully-appointed fitness center. Many of the larger RV resorts have multiple halls with breakout rooms for activities, classes, and special events. Computer rooms, game rooms with pool tables, tennis and shuffleboard courts, a pickle ball facility, and an arts and craft room frequented by quilters and sewing enthusiasts are also available for winter residents.
Other amenities may include a nine- or 18-hole golf course, a fenced-in dog park, stocked lake, onsite hiking and biking trails, croquet courts, movie theatre, large ballrooms, dining options, and a variety of activities. Some seniors-oriented RV parks have literally hundreds of organized activities to keeps seasoned snowbirds involved and active.
In addition to nearby shopping and outdoor activities, Leaf Verde RV Park in Buckeye, Arizona offers an array of activities for snowbirds. © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved
The resorts also offer periodic seminars on health related topics as well as potlucks, wine tastings, and organized tours to casinos and special events. Other 55+ resorts set aside an open area of the park where guests can grow their own organic fruits, vegetables, and herbs including kale, peppers, tomatoes, onions, and radishes.
Take time to explore the larger community. Visit nearby regional, state, and national parks; enjoy scenic drives; visit farmers’ markets and swap meets.
Regional and city visitors’ centers help identify interesting and worthwhile activities with which to fill your time, nature trails, museums, hidden parks, local festivals and parades, quiet little exhibits, and interesting free things to do.
Visitor centers are great for getting information from locals. Even in towns where you might expect to find a fair amount of interesting history or things to visit, a stop at a visitor’s center can uncover a lot of things you never expected to find.