What is it like living in Florida??

rmracer289
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rmracer289 11/9/2022 8:27am
11/9/2022 8:27am Edited Date/Time 11/24/2022 3:19pm
I’m not talking a city either, looking to live in an area where I can have a house with some land to ride on, and obviously would like to be in an area with local mx tracks. I have heard for about 8 months of the year the heat/humidity is brutal. I’m sure that would be tough to adjust to. I think my biggest concern is coming home and having a freakin Burmese python or something in my house or on my doorstep lol. I’ve heard the bugs can be pretty unbearable too. These are both things people in the cities/suburbs don’t really have to worry about I’d imagine so I’m looking to hear from people outside of those areas. Bonus points for anyone that could recommend a good area.

And no, this does not have anything to do with the election results haha. Moving has been a desire of mine for years, it’s a very big commitment and want to make sure I make the right choice for my family.
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charlie68
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charlie68 11/9/2022 10:02am
11/9/2022 10:02am
I have never lived in Florida, but it is on my list when i can finally get out of the constipation state.....

Have you visited? Where?
I really dont find it any hotter or more humid than a summer in the north east.
I have visited a couple dozen times and like the Okechobee area but never had a bike down there to check out the riding.
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FLmxer
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FLmxer 11/9/2022 10:09am
11/9/2022 10:09am Edited Date/Time 11/9/2022 10:12am
99% percent will never see a python. Even if you did you would have to be one of the weakest human possible to get hurt by one. They are invasive and do damage to the natural native ecosystem but no worries for grown healthy people. Kids and pets maybe but it's as common as the lottery to see one and especially rare to see a big one. There is an area way in the everglades that has been a hot spot. Besides hurricanes Florida is great. The center of the state doesn't get much damage. The neighborhood in Jacksonville where all the shootings happen is a tiny apartment area that no one who doesn't live there would ever notice. No reason to go off the highway and into that neighborhood for any reason if you don't live there. There is two or three other tiny bad areas easily avoided but the rest is great. Even Miami is almost all safe. Mosquitoes and no=seums are pretty bad but you get used to it. I have lived on an island or next to it my whole life but own a farm and moving there in the middle of the state where there isn't many people. I have thousands of acres of woods on three sides and a river on the other. It's a different world but so nice and peaceful, I've seen panthers, a momma and a newly born, also a bear, a bunch of deer, Coyotes and a fearless bobcat sitting right next to me at the farm but sure I'll never see a python and we are a family of herptologist. (We study reptiles) My daughter also received a grant from FGCU for her invasive animal tracking devices so we are up to date on the subject.
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Muttly
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Muttly 11/9/2022 10:15am
11/9/2022 10:15am
FLmxer wrote:
99% percent will never see a python. Even if you did you would have to be one of the weakest human possible to get hurt by...
99% percent will never see a python. Even if you did you would have to be one of the weakest human possible to get hurt by one. They are invasive and do damage to the natural native ecosystem but no worries for grown healthy people. Kids and pets maybe but it's as common as the lottery to see one and especially rare to see a big one. There is an area way in the everglades that has been a hot spot. Besides hurricanes Florida is great. The center of the state doesn't get much damage. The neighborhood in Jacksonville where all the shootings happen is a tiny apartment area that no one who doesn't live there would ever notice. No reason to go off the highway and into that neighborhood for any reason if you don't live there. There is two or three other tiny bad areas easily avoided but the rest is great. Even Miami is almost all safe. Mosquitoes and no=seums are pretty bad but you get used to it. I have lived on an island or next to it my whole life but own a farm and moving there in the middle of the state where there isn't many people. I have thousands of acres of woods on three sides and a river on the other. It's a different world but so nice and peaceful, I've seen panthers, a momma and a newly born, also a bear, a bunch of deer, Coyotes and a fearless bobcat sitting right next to me at the farm but sure I'll never see a python and we are a family of herptologist. (We study reptiles) My daughter also received a grant from FGCU for her invasive animal tracking devices so we are up to date on the subject.
How’s the Bull?
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FLmxer
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FLmxer 11/9/2022 10:26am
11/9/2022 10:26am
Muttly wrote:
How’s the Bull?
Everybody is good. Bunch of lap cattle who think they are dogs.



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rmracer289
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rmracer289 11/9/2022 11:03am
11/9/2022 11:03am
charlie68 wrote:
I have never lived in Florida, but it is on my list when i can finally get out of the constipation state..... Have you visited? Where...
I have never lived in Florida, but it is on my list when i can finally get out of the constipation state.....

Have you visited? Where?
I really dont find it any hotter or more humid than a summer in the north east.
I have visited a couple dozen times and like the Okechobee area but never had a bike down there to check out the riding.
I have visited a few times but only at your typical tourist locations, which is why I’m curious to know what real Florida is like. I’ve only gone in the winter as well, and of course the weather is beautiful there that time of year. I live in upstate New York currently, would like to find an area similar with lots of farm land, but I can be at work/grocery stores, etc within 15-20 minutes. I’m just concerned that once your out of the city/suburbs and into the country the bugs/reptiles will be all over. I like snakes and all but only when they are behind glass lol.
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rmracer289
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rmracer289 11/9/2022 11:07am
11/9/2022 11:07am
FLmxer wrote:
99% percent will never see a python. Even if you did you would have to be one of the weakest human possible to get hurt by...
99% percent will never see a python. Even if you did you would have to be one of the weakest human possible to get hurt by one. They are invasive and do damage to the natural native ecosystem but no worries for grown healthy people. Kids and pets maybe but it's as common as the lottery to see one and especially rare to see a big one. There is an area way in the everglades that has been a hot spot. Besides hurricanes Florida is great. The center of the state doesn't get much damage. The neighborhood in Jacksonville where all the shootings happen is a tiny apartment area that no one who doesn't live there would ever notice. No reason to go off the highway and into that neighborhood for any reason if you don't live there. There is two or three other tiny bad areas easily avoided but the rest is great. Even Miami is almost all safe. Mosquitoes and no=seums are pretty bad but you get used to it. I have lived on an island or next to it my whole life but own a farm and moving there in the middle of the state where there isn't many people. I have thousands of acres of woods on three sides and a river on the other. It's a different world but so nice and peaceful, I've seen panthers, a momma and a newly born, also a bear, a bunch of deer, Coyotes and a fearless bobcat sitting right next to me at the farm but sure I'll never see a python and we are a family of herptologist. (We study reptiles) My daughter also received a grant from FGCU for her invasive animal tracking devices so we are up to date on the subject.
Yeah I’m aware of the Everglades… crazy what has been going on there. Not too concerned about what it’s like in the cities as I wouldn’t spend much time there, if any haha. Thank you very much for your insight. It’s not just those particular snakes, it’s just about any snake I don’t want to see haha. We mainly have garden snakes here and I don’t even want to see one of those haha. Do you have any interest in selling some of that land?? Haha
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crowe660
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crowe660 11/9/2022 11:56am
11/9/2022 11:56am
I went down there once in June or July I think, and the humidity was insane. I live close to Redbud, and it’ll get hot and humid for stretches, but Florida wasn’t even next level. It was insane, and all I could think about while I was there, was how the hell do people live there.

I know I’m in the minorty, but give me lake effect snow and a shovel and I’m good.
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Muttly
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Muttly 11/9/2022 12:07pm
11/9/2022 12:07pm
Muttly wrote:
How’s the Bull?
FLmxer wrote:
Everybody is good. Bunch of lap cattle who think they are dogs. [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2022/11/09/576126/s1200_Screenshot_20221017_212405_Gallery.jpg[/img] [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2022/11/09/576127/s1200_Screenshot_20211204_210729_Video_Player.jpg[/img] [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2022/11/09/576128/s1200_Screenshot_20220919_145021_Gallery.jpg[/img]
Everybody is good. Bunch of lap cattle who think they are dogs.



Big dogs that stay outside. My crazy cow used to come to the window and look in. Enjoy that relationship with them, it’s hard to get them to that point.
2
SEEMEFIRST
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SEEMEFIRST 11/9/2022 12:17pm
11/9/2022 12:17pm
And here's what your truck window looks like after you've been gone for a week.

4
moto162
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moto162 11/9/2022 12:22pm
11/9/2022 12:22pm
FLmxer wrote:
99% percent will never see a python. Even if you did you would have to be one of the weakest human possible to get hurt by...
99% percent will never see a python. Even if you did you would have to be one of the weakest human possible to get hurt by one. They are invasive and do damage to the natural native ecosystem but no worries for grown healthy people. Kids and pets maybe but it's as common as the lottery to see one and especially rare to see a big one. There is an area way in the everglades that has been a hot spot. Besides hurricanes Florida is great. The center of the state doesn't get much damage. The neighborhood in Jacksonville where all the shootings happen is a tiny apartment area that no one who doesn't live there would ever notice. No reason to go off the highway and into that neighborhood for any reason if you don't live there. There is two or three other tiny bad areas easily avoided but the rest is great. Even Miami is almost all safe. Mosquitoes and no=seums are pretty bad but you get used to it. I have lived on an island or next to it my whole life but own a farm and moving there in the middle of the state where there isn't many people. I have thousands of acres of woods on three sides and a river on the other. It's a different world but so nice and peaceful, I've seen panthers, a momma and a newly born, also a bear, a bunch of deer, Coyotes and a fearless bobcat sitting right next to me at the farm but sure I'll never see a python and we are a family of herptologist. (We study reptiles) My daughter also received a grant from FGCU for her invasive animal tracking devices so we are up to date on the subject.
It's like in Arizona every freaks out about rattle snakes and scorpions and I've only ever seen one of each in all the years I lived there.
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rmracer289
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rmracer289 11/9/2022 2:27pm
11/9/2022 2:27pm
SEEMEFIRST wrote:
And here's what your truck window looks like after you've been gone for a week. [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2022/11/09/576134/s1200_20191005_172637.jpg[/img]
And here's what your truck window looks like after you've been gone for a week.

Tell me that’s not from a snake crawling on it haha
1
rmracer289
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rmracer289 11/9/2022 2:30pm
11/9/2022 2:30pm
crowe660 wrote:
I went down there once in June or July I think, and the humidity was insane. I live close to Redbud, and it’ll get hot and...
I went down there once in June or July I think, and the humidity was insane. I live close to Redbud, and it’ll get hot and humid for stretches, but Florida wasn’t even next level. It was insane, and all I could think about while I was there, was how the hell do people live there.

I know I’m in the minorty, but give me lake effect snow and a shovel and I’m good.
I like snow, it makes the winters more fun snowmobiling, sledding, all that good stuff. We still get the bitter cold, but rarely get snow anymore, and if we do it isn’t much and doesn’t last.
FLmxer
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FLmxer 11/9/2022 2:59pm
11/9/2022 2:59pm
That big bull let me give him 7 big injections in his neck while just standing next to him. He needed 8 but was not having the last one. He is pretty awesome.
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plowboy
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plowboy 11/9/2022 3:00pm
11/9/2022 3:00pm
Muttly wrote:
How’s the Bull?
FLmxer wrote:
Everybody is good. Bunch of lap cattle who think they are dogs. [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2022/11/09/576126/s1200_Screenshot_20221017_212405_Gallery.jpg[/img] [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2022/11/09/576127/s1200_Screenshot_20211204_210729_Video_Player.jpg[/img] [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2022/11/09/576128/s1200_Screenshot_20220919_145021_Gallery.jpg[/img]
Everybody is good. Bunch of lap cattle who think they are dogs.



I was working the sale barn in Covington OK when I was a kid. When they yelled, "bull in the ring" you knew to be ready to climb those sucker rod rails. One day a big Brahma like yours came out. Followed me like a dog to the pen. I shut the gate and as I started back down the alley I saw everybody climbing the rails. That sucker had jumped over the 6' fence and wanted to stomp a mudhole in my ass. Fuckin' ninja assassin.Pinch
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SEEMEFIRST
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SEEMEFIRST 11/9/2022 4:36pm
11/9/2022 4:36pm
Muttly wrote:
How’s the Bull?
FLmxer wrote:
Everybody is good. Bunch of lap cattle who think they are dogs. [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2022/11/09/576126/s1200_Screenshot_20221017_212405_Gallery.jpg[/img] [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2022/11/09/576127/s1200_Screenshot_20211204_210729_Video_Player.jpg[/img] [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2022/11/09/576128/s1200_Screenshot_20220919_145021_Gallery.jpg[/img]
Everybody is good. Bunch of lap cattle who think they are dogs.



plowboy wrote:
I was working the sale barn in Covington OK when I was a kid. When they yelled, "bull in the ring" you knew to be ready...
I was working the sale barn in Covington OK when I was a kid. When they yelled, "bull in the ring" you knew to be ready to climb those sucker rod rails. One day a big Brahma like yours came out. Followed me like a dog to the pen. I shut the gate and as I started back down the alley I saw everybody climbing the rails. That sucker had jumped over the 6' fence and wanted to stomp a mudhole in my ass. Fuckin' ninja assassin.Pinch
Uncle Bob brought a "Brahmasine", or however it's spelled, half brahma half limousine.

Sumbitch was the size of a suburban. Gentle as hell though if you had a bucket of cakes.

He had horns though, and one we were riding at the ranch, Uncle Bob decides we need to stick some horn weights on him to try to turn them down.

We get back from riding that afternoon with the news. Get him in the corral without incident.
We were feeding him and got a rope around his neck and tied him to a post.

It got fucking real in a hurry. He fucked all 3 of us up and demo'd around 20' of cross tie corral.

No weights, and our Sunday ride time was spent repairing the corral. Hung over and beat.
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Sully
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Sully 11/9/2022 5:33pm
11/9/2022 5:33pm
Never lived in Florida for a long period of time, but I was in Pensacola from May – September of '96 and can can tell you with 100% certainty that you can set your watch by the afternoon rain shower. Every damn day at 3pm, a downpour would roll through for 5 - 10 minutes, then go right back to being beautiful.
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Muttly
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Muttly 11/9/2022 6:14pm
11/9/2022 6:14pm
FLmxer wrote:
Everybody is good. Bunch of lap cattle who think they are dogs. [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2022/11/09/576126/s1200_Screenshot_20221017_212405_Gallery.jpg[/img] [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2022/11/09/576127/s1200_Screenshot_20211204_210729_Video_Player.jpg[/img] [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2022/11/09/576128/s1200_Screenshot_20220919_145021_Gallery.jpg[/img]
Everybody is good. Bunch of lap cattle who think they are dogs.



plowboy wrote:
I was working the sale barn in Covington OK when I was a kid. When they yelled, "bull in the ring" you knew to be ready...
I was working the sale barn in Covington OK when I was a kid. When they yelled, "bull in the ring" you knew to be ready to climb those sucker rod rails. One day a big Brahma like yours came out. Followed me like a dog to the pen. I shut the gate and as I started back down the alley I saw everybody climbing the rails. That sucker had jumped over the 6' fence and wanted to stomp a mudhole in my ass. Fuckin' ninja assassin.Pinch
SEEMEFIRST wrote:
Uncle Bob brought a "Brahmasine", or however it's spelled, half brahma half limousine. Sumbitch was the size of a suburban. Gentle as hell though if you...
Uncle Bob brought a "Brahmasine", or however it's spelled, half brahma half limousine.

Sumbitch was the size of a suburban. Gentle as hell though if you had a bucket of cakes.

He had horns though, and one we were riding at the ranch, Uncle Bob decides we need to stick some horn weights on him to try to turn them down.

We get back from riding that afternoon with the news. Get him in the corral without incident.
We were feeding him and got a rope around his neck and tied him to a post.

It got fucking real in a hurry. He fucked all 3 of us up and demo'd around 20' of cross tie corral.

No weights, and our Sunday ride time was spent repairing the corral. Hung over and beat.
🤠🤠🤠
profeshenal125 11/9/2022 7:11pm
11/9/2022 7:11pm
I worked all ovr Fl. Hhg drilling in the 90,s a lot of people moving there then and more now. Hhg job I worked in 43 states I would put Fl. In the top 3 I Love humidity tho. We stayed in motels 3-4 weeks at a time but 1 time we rented a couple trls from a guy we had as a find me this guy. His mom had a trl park in Tampa they a threw grilled dinner in. The trls had no ac the cold water shower was hot in the summer. We brought local chics from yborr city back to the trl they freaked that we had no ac. Haha The only st I was ever really bummed to leave. Trucking in it but not a lot the last few yrs. I75,95 always busy with traffic in and out , the fastest driving st by far. My mom has a trailer in a retirement park my grandparents had it back in the early 70,s just n. Of Tampa never had storm damage. Negative for me is the course grass it doesn’t feel soft barefoot like other states. The sun is extremely bright , water out of faucet is always warm and taste bad. Summer it will down pour briefly then stop daily. Had to survey woods that’s under water , yes there,s large aligaters and big snakes, snakes can b in your yard also but that’s all ovr the se. A friends dog was bitten the the face by a snake in Fl. The st is very flat except for the pandhandle has small hills. Fl. Has a fog season most don’t talk about it. I was in Jacksonville a few weeks ago it,s pretty scumy a lot of 3k junk semi trks broke down everywhere, dangerous to b around them . A lot of illegals and people that don’t know English. I,ve heard from a couple people about a town near Tampa it has sex in the towns name. It’s supposed to b a really nice community to raise a family. I drove across NY today on i90 not much to see there. Up state is ok scenery but Pa. Is much better. I might move to Fl. Myself in the next yr or 2. My Lithuanian Elog chic went to Poland to sight see, it was warm I guess. Fl. Beaches r excellent



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VET176
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VET176 11/9/2022 10:08pm
11/9/2022 10:08pm
FLmxer wrote:
99% percent will never see a python. Even if you did you would have to be one of the weakest human possible to get hurt by...
99% percent will never see a python. Even if you did you would have to be one of the weakest human possible to get hurt by one. They are invasive and do damage to the natural native ecosystem but no worries for grown healthy people. Kids and pets maybe but it's as common as the lottery to see one and especially rare to see a big one. There is an area way in the everglades that has been a hot spot. Besides hurricanes Florida is great. The center of the state doesn't get much damage. The neighborhood in Jacksonville where all the shootings happen is a tiny apartment area that no one who doesn't live there would ever notice. No reason to go off the highway and into that neighborhood for any reason if you don't live there. There is two or three other tiny bad areas easily avoided but the rest is great. Even Miami is almost all safe. Mosquitoes and no=seums are pretty bad but you get used to it. I have lived on an island or next to it my whole life but own a farm and moving there in the middle of the state where there isn't many people. I have thousands of acres of woods on three sides and a river on the other. It's a different world but so nice and peaceful, I've seen panthers, a momma and a newly born, also a bear, a bunch of deer, Coyotes and a fearless bobcat sitting right next to me at the farm but sure I'll never see a python and we are a family of herptologist. (We study reptiles) My daughter also received a grant from FGCU for her invasive animal tracking devices so we are up to date on the subject.
I moved to a similar place in Australia (climate wise) 20 years ago. I worried about the snakes and giant bugs too. (no Croc's here)

So far I have only seen one big Python and three little ones. I live on the edge of town with forest boarding my street. In saying that though, I have seen a very large spider in an old warehouse I worked in. It must have lived there for years. It was at least 15cm across. Shocked Always shake your shoes upside down before you put them on!

Summer does suck here with the humidity but its a trade off for the 8 months of pure perfect weather that follows.

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early
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early 11/10/2022 7:21am
11/10/2022 7:21am
The Florida summer heat and humidity is much worse and more sustained than it is in the northeast, despite how bad it might seem some days. Everyday from May to September is equal to the hottest July day in the northeast.

You gotta assume that every body of water has some kind of unfriendly critter in it, be it snake, gator, warm water crud like amoebas, or sharks jellyfish or sting rays. But, statistically not that many people are attacked or killed or injured by those things so it's something you just need to keep in the back of your mind and be aware of.

You will need to spray your house every month to keep the insects out. Theres ALOT more insects than you find in upstate NY.

If you have a day schedule due to school or work, most of the best Florida weather will be eaten up by your school/work obligation and darkness since daylight is so short in the winter. Northern summers provide the good weather during the longest days of the year.

I haven't spent alot of time in rural Florida which seems to be disappearing, most of the Florida that I've seen is traffic and strip malls, but the beach is nice when you can make it there.

But if you are the kind of person that the Florida lifestyle appeals to go for it could be the best thing to happen to you.
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rmracer289
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rmracer289 11/10/2022 10:11am
11/10/2022 10:11am
Thanks for the insight everyone. Early; you made an awesome point that I never would have considered- the days being shortest when the weather is best. I don’t mind the winters here, I do wish they were a little shorter, and like I said we don’t get the snow we used to, which I actually enjoy. But they thing that sucks is our summers get pretty hot and humid, without much of a transition period between winter, so you never really get a chance to adjust. At least with Florida it’s almost always warm year round so your able to adjust to it I’d imagine.

I do mainly want to move there for the political climate… I love how they handled Covid. Here in New York I feel as though they will continue to reinstate mask mandates, and I’m sure at some point mandate vaccines. And as a gun owner, I’m basically looked at as a criminal.
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peelout
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peelout 11/10/2022 10:45am
11/10/2022 10:45am
FLmxer wrote:
99% percent will never see a python. Even if you did you would have to be one of the weakest human possible to get hurt by...
99% percent will never see a python. Even if you did you would have to be one of the weakest human possible to get hurt by one. They are invasive and do damage to the natural native ecosystem but no worries for grown healthy people. Kids and pets maybe but it's as common as the lottery to see one and especially rare to see a big one. There is an area way in the everglades that has been a hot spot. Besides hurricanes Florida is great. The center of the state doesn't get much damage. The neighborhood in Jacksonville where all the shootings happen is a tiny apartment area that no one who doesn't live there would ever notice. No reason to go off the highway and into that neighborhood for any reason if you don't live there. There is two or three other tiny bad areas easily avoided but the rest is great. Even Miami is almost all safe. Mosquitoes and no=seums are pretty bad but you get used to it. I have lived on an island or next to it my whole life but own a farm and moving there in the middle of the state where there isn't many people. I have thousands of acres of woods on three sides and a river on the other. It's a different world but so nice and peaceful, I've seen panthers, a momma and a newly born, also a bear, a bunch of deer, Coyotes and a fearless bobcat sitting right next to me at the farm but sure I'll never see a python and we are a family of herptologist. (We study reptiles) My daughter also received a grant from FGCU for her invasive animal tracking devices so we are up to date on the subject.
moto162 wrote:
It's like in Arizona every freaks out about rattle snakes and scorpions and I've only ever seen one of each in all the years I lived...
It's like in Arizona every freaks out about rattle snakes and scorpions and I've only ever seen one of each in all the years I lived there.
in Northern Utah i see rattlesnakes often, a couple of the trails i mountain bike it's rare to NOT see at least one per year. they're the reason i stopped taking my dog riding with me.
FastJoe
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FastJoe 11/10/2022 11:33am
11/10/2022 11:33am
I have always loved the Gulf coast in particular.
sandman768
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sandman768 11/10/2022 2:18pm
11/10/2022 2:18pm Edited Date/Time 11/10/2022 2:22pm
I am a fellow upstate New Yorker… I have been coming down to Florida, in the winter/ early spring, to ride & occasionally race for 20 years. Nothing better than leaving the frozen tundra for awesome Florida weather! My wife & I had been planning to change our residency to Florida for a few years now, we waited for our daughter to graduate high school. Last year we officially changed residency to Florida…we mainly did this for financial/ tax reasons. We live on the east coast in Jupiter. Palm beach county is on the expensive side, but it is very nice area to live. Many great restaurants, live music, state parks with Mtn bike trails. 2 great Mx tracks within 1hr. Mesa park & MOTO Bros. Orlando Mx is is 2 hrs away. It’s is busier down here than upstate NY. But you can get rural in a hurry if you head west….we looked on the west coast of Florida before we decided on the east coast. I knew the west coast had more riding potential, mainly due to Croom riding area, but we both agreed we wanted to be close to the ocean & beaches, which we frequent at least 2 times a week. The heat & humidity does not bother me at all, it’s like August back in NY but for much longer & the sun it stronger. I still spend some of my summers in upstate NY, I”m sure June,July & August are brutal down here. I came down in early September this year and it was still hot & humid as hell, but I just continued with my riding like normal. I have learned to be more aware of my surroundings down here, you do occasionally run into snakes, bugs and poisonous frogs… mainly when walking your dog. Random thoughts: get your NY license plate switched over fast when you come down… most locals will assume you are from the city and they hate you… even though most people I meet down here are from….. you guessed it… NY… don’t tell anyone you are from NY…. See above… people drive like maniacs down here…. Learn some Spanish…. Lots of sketchy contractors down here, every time I need something done that I can’t do..it’s an adventure…
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tampabayjay 11/10/2022 4:02pm
11/10/2022 4:02pm
I grew up in central Florida near Dade City. Lived there a good part of my life. Unfortunately, it’s changed a lot since then. The orange groves and cattle pastures have been bulldozed for 1/10 of an acre lot subdivisions. It’s still hotter than 3 hells 10 months out of the year with humidity so thick you think you have pneumonia. No state income tax but homeowners insurance is about 10 times what it is in Georgia. So between that and property taxes it’s a push. Alligators are prevalent but usually if you leave them alone they won’t bother you. Rattle snakes are more abundant than any other serpent species. Palmetto bugs, Love bugs and mosquitoes are terrible. Love bugs body acid will eat the clear coat and paint off of your vehicle twice a year in the early summer then the late summer. It usually rains every afternoon in the summer. Winter is between January 31st and Valentines Day, there is no spring or fall. If you make the mistake of going barefoot on natural terrain, you’ll learn about sand spurs. Spanish moss in the oak trees houses chiggers and lice. Retirees drive 45 in the left lane of the interstate and everyone drives with their middle finger spring loaded to the pissed off position. Croom has been destroyed by quads and utvs but Dade City MX is still old school legit. Skip the big beaches with wrinkled up speedo wearing retirees and their metal detectors and go to any of the springs just beware of water moccasins. Hurricanes. Separate hurricane deductibles on your insurance policies. Other than that it’s the USA’s version of the Jerry Springer show and it’s paradise!
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Nairb#70
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Nairb#70 11/10/2022 6:31pm
11/10/2022 6:31pm
Plan your vacationin August.
rmracer289
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rmracer289 11/10/2022 7:32pm
11/10/2022 7:32pm
Do you really have to deal with retirees and pissed off crappy drivers in a smaller city/town area? I have every intention of avoiding heavily populated areas/large cities lol. I wish I had made the move earlier in my life before buying a house and having kids and finding a great job here… I wouldn’t be so hesitant to just give it a try lol The bugs/snake thing might be the deal breaker and unfortunately it seems like those things go hand in hand with living in the country.
FastJoe
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FastJoe 11/10/2022 7:42pm
11/10/2022 7:42pm
Naw, man. It’s nowhere near what some folks are making it out to be. My best friend lives down in Fort Myers and even though they survived hurricane Ian, they would not change anything or move anywhere else. People from all walks of life, all happy to be near paradise.
2
SEEMEFIRST
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SEEMEFIRST 11/10/2022 7:54pm
11/10/2022 7:54pm
I keep hearing about bugs, has anyone been in Ontario Canada in the summer?

Holy shit!
2
McG194
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Palm Coast, FL US
McG194 11/10/2022 9:33pm
11/10/2022 9:33pm
I just thought of another great thing about Florida, no nosebleeds. Living in Michigan with GFA heat on for half of the year at home and work you would spend half the year with nosebleeds because of the dry air. My skin was so stinking dry it would split open around my nails. Also, when we moved down here, we had a 13-year-old dog with arthritis who was on daily medication and within 3 months she was off everything. If your bones hurt, they will hurt less down here.

As far as the slow driver myth, it's another made up story. Sure, if you move to The Villages you are going to be driving 10 under but on the plus side your sex life will be great. lol (The Villages which is basically retirees in golf carts leads the nation in STD's.) I commute every day on I-95 and the general flow of traffic is 85 mph. Two days ago a group of us were nose to tail at that speed and went past a cop in hiding and he stayed put. I pass the same cop at least 10 days out of the month and I'm never under 80 mph.

If you're interested in more than moto, I'd say that if any state beats Florida for opportunities to race or spectate it would have to be California. All major series stop in Florida from SX, AMA Road racing, Flat Track, NHRA, F1, Indy Car, NASCAR, WOO, IMSA, Offshore boats and a ton more I'm not thinking of. Two major amateur MX races between Mini-O's and RCSX at Daytona.
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