Has Covid effected how much time you spend I at your Villages home?

[tophcfa]

This is obviously a question for non-Frogs, or part time/seasonal residents. As part time residents, we have been, and plan to continue spending about the same amount of time at our Villages home as we did before Covid. The big difference for us is that before Covid we flew to Florida several times throughout the year and our stays were relatively short (always way shorter than I would prefer). Since we are not comfortable flying during the pandemic, driving to Florida is currently our only option to get to our Villages home. To make the long round trip drive worth our effort, we stay at our Villages home for longer periods of time each trip (again not nearly as long as I would prefer).

We are making our third drive this year to Florida in September and hope to make a fourth late in the year. We are putting lots of miles on the truck, but it’s worth it to be able to get to our second home. We can’t wait until we feel safe flying again, but I don’t expect that will be anytime soon. In the mean time, here is hoping that both Southwest and Jet Blue don’t file for bankruptcy. We have enough flight credits and travel points to fly back and forth to the Villages at least 15 times.

[2newyorkers]

We also travel back and forth but we are still flying. The virus has affected our plans. Every time we return to NY we have to quarantine for 2 weeks. Still undecided if we will return to TV this fall. But aren't we lucky that this is our issue and not lack of employment, food or shelter.

[vintageogauge]

And so it spreads.

[Clarinet]

This is obviously a question for non-Frogs, or part time/seasonal residents. As part time residents, we have been, and plan to continue spending about the same amount of time at our Villages home as we did before Covid. The big difference for us is that before Covid we flew to Florida several times throughout the year and our stays were relatively short (always way shorter than I would prefer). Since we are not comfortable flying during the pandemic, driving to Florida is currently our only option to get to our Villages home. To make the long round trip drive worth our effort, we stay at our Villages home for longer periods of time each trip (again not nearly as long as I would prefer).

We are making our third drive this year to Florida in September and hope to make a fourth late in the year. We are putting lots of miles on the truck, but it’s worth it to be able to get to our second home. We can’t wait until we feel safe flying again, but I don’t expect that will be anytime soon. In the mean time, here is hoping that both Southwest and Jet Blue don’t file for bankruptcy. We have enough flight credits and travel points to fly back and forth to the Villages at least 15 times.
We have been driving from New England to Florida for nearly 20 years and staying for 6 months. This year I believe we will fly since we feel that 2 1/2 days of driving and 2 nights in motels and stopping for gas and food present more of a risk than a 5 hour flight. I posted a question earlier this summer asking if people had flown recently. The overwhelming responses were positive and in checking the safety precautions on the airline we use (United) I am feeling safer flying than driving and that long drive is getting to be more than we want to suffer with this year.

[Matzy]

YES to the basic question, we're spending more time in TV than before -.... I don't know another place right now who could be safer than TV.

[asianthree]

One of us stays in TV full time, other went north to work during Covid. So living independent of each other. TV half can play golf, have groceries delivered, and enjoy life.
Other half just finished 5 months of intense life, seeing same people everyday, going home, then back at it. Will be returning to TV in couple months. Have driven 18 hours non stop, with no problems ( no hotels open so stoping not an option), and flew once, also no issues.

Once I return I will stay in TV for at least 5 months. Plan on flying, then may drive back. We know many that are flying with a 95, and are very comfortable. Some flights have very few people

[Topspinmo]

We have been driving from New England to Florida for nearly 20 years and staying for 6 months. This year I believe we will fly since we feel that 2 1/2 days of driving and 2 nights in motels and stopping for gas and food present more of a risk than a 5 hour flight. I posted a question earlier this summer asking if people had flown recently. The overwhelming responses were positive and in checking the safety precautions on the airline we use (United) I am feeling safer flying than driving and that long drive is getting to be more than we want to suffer with this year.

I agree, if you’re careful and have quality mask ( n95) flying would be safer, providing you washed you’re hands immediately when debarked form plane. Long trip is vehicle with all the stops and motel IMO would be more risky do to all the contact with people through several states.

[tophcfa]

I agree, if you’re careful and have quality mask ( n95) flying would be safer, providing you washed you’re hands immediately when debarked form plane. Long trip is vehicle with all the stops and motel IMO would be more risky do to all the contact with people through several states.

We have the opposite opinion on the safest way to travel. Reduced flights from the airport we travel from up north has cut out direct flights to Orlando. That would require us to have to navigate through three airports and two flights, with no way of knowing how full our flights would be. To make matters worse with flying, we fly to Orlando. For obvious reasons, planes to/from Orlando are filled with many children. I have nothing against kids, but with Covid I view kids as asymptomatic petri dishes of Covid-19 walking around without regard for other people and rarely follow mask wearing rules. There is no way we are getting on a plane with a bunch of kids on it until this pandemic is safely under control.

Driving on the other hand is something we find to be very safe. We pack all of our food so we never have to stop to eat. We used to drive for three days, but now do it in two so we only have to stop one night (driving for two days each way also extends our time in the Villages by two days each trip). We prefer to stay in a motel, not a hotel. That way we can back right up to the door of our room and don't have to go through a lobby or up and down stairs, and most importantly, we have our own window HVAC unit so we do not share air with anyone else (no public places with central air for us). My wife goes into our room with gloves and a mask and sanitizes everything to within an inch of it's life and we bring all our own bedding and towels. We even put the TV clicker in a plastic bag so we don't have to worry about touching it when changing channels. I wear gloves and a mask when pumping gas and sanitize my hands when done. And we have both male and female travel urinals, which actually works very well, so we don't have to go into any public restrooms. My wife packs lots of great music and fun games to pass the time during the drive.

Our trip to the Villages pile is all ready to go, need to change the oil in the truck and we will be off for another trip shortly. Can't wait : )

[ctmurray]

We are normally snow-birds but decided to stay in FL for the summer, afraid to fly and not willing to drive that far. So Covid caused us to spend more time here. Learned I really do not like FL summers.

[Paper1]

We normally spend two months in Maine but are staying three this year because of virus in Florida. Back home in Villages Labor Day.

[waterlily]

We have been driving from New England to Florida for nearly 20 years and staying for 6 months. This year I believe we will fly since we feel that 2 1/2 days of driving and 2 nights in motels and stopping for gas and food present more of a risk than a 5 hour flight. I posted a question earlier this summer asking if people had flown recently. The overwhelming responses were positive and in checking the safety precautions on the airline we use (United) I am feeling safer flying than driving and that long drive is getting to be more than we want to suffer with this year.

Flying is safer. How many news stories have you heard " Flight 92 on Tuesday passengers and crew need to quarantine" Pilot & Flight Attendant unions would be in an uproar.

[Ladygolfer93]

And so it spreads.

Spreads ? What, the virus ? Sure hope this was not reference to those who have a second home here ( I am full time) ? Can't imagine that things are not bad enough in our country, if people in one place begin to decide tax paying home owners can't come to their own home, and back to another home..... well, I don't know what to say ! Don't really think that's the way this spreads but, you hear it all in TV's, that's for sure ! Many treat it like BACTERIA.... I wonder what kinds of amusing books will be written 50, a 100 years from now about how people went around with plastic shields over their heads, put on gloves to read their mail, and sprayed Lysol and bleach on their boxes of cereal, sacks of flour, and boxes of cookies. Kind of like the folks in the middle ages who believed the evil "evening air" carried the plague and therefore stuffed rags in the spaces of their crude doors and windows at night, so the "bad air" could not get them while they slept ! ?