Snowbird

There are people who like the cold, and there are people who don’t. Snowbirds generally don’t.

That’s why they say so-long to their hometowns for a few months out of the year, leaving behind snow, ice and all the hardships that come with it for a more pleasant winter experience.

“One of our main goals is to escape snow,” said Pete and Susan Markle. The Holyoke couple is currently soaking up the sun at San Saba, Texas, where they have parked their Class A 40-foot Newmar Dutch Star diesel pusher.

It’s their first season as snowbirds, and they were drawn to this community in the northern part of the Texas Hill Country because it’s similar in size to what they’re used to in Holyoke. But the real reason they picked it was because the RV park was located right next to a golf course. You can find the Markles on hole No. 4, to be exact.

Texas and Florida are popular places for snowbirds to migrate in the winter, but people can be seen flocking to all types of southern locations in the United States and even into Mexico and the Caribbean. Some take their own RV, others rent houses and some even put down roots permanently.

There are lots of things to plan for when leaving behind a home for the winter: Get someone to look after the house, unplug as much as possible, turn down the heat (but not too low or the pipes will freeze), pack up perishable food, get mail forwarded, refill prescriptions and gather up important papers.

For those driving RVs to the south, make sure everything is secure because things can move around a lot. Watch out when opening overhead bins! And drivers should take caution when traveling at night. Let’s just say snowbirds see a lot of road kill.

When to leave and come back is also something to think about. Some head south in November while others prefer to stay close to home through the holidays. Depending on how long the snowbirds want to stay in the south, they’ll start heading back in March, April or May.

Of course, places like Texas aren’t immune to snow and ice. Snowbirds should pack clothes and equipment for both summer and winter weather as well as be prepared to winterize their RV if necessary. But as the Markles found out, when Texas gets snow it’s a bit different from the snow in northeastern Colorado. “When it snows in Texas, everything closes!” they said.

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