Florida Keys just too expensive

[IGBT]

There go my dreams of spending the winter in the Keys.   Prices have gone up significantly from the last time I checked a couple of years ago.   The KOA, which isn't even in Key West, wants $110 a NIGHT for a RV spot.   Add to that the 13% bed tax for short term rentals and you are talking $10,000 to park your RV for three months.

F that.

I need a beachy Key alternative that doesn't involve dodging Mexican drug dealers.

 

[Queen]

Head up by Destin, there are more affordable places like Topsail Hill and even some private places. Decent beach access, a bit crowded during "beach season".

 

[LeeRevell]

KOA has always been expensive, especially in tourist-heavy areas. And the KOA Mafia caters to the highballing RV crowd. Had my baptism of fire with them quite a few years back. Now I avoid them like the plauge.
I like Florida generally, being a lifelong native, but I envy the western states all that BLM land to use.

 

[IGBT]

Destin...hmmm.   Redneck Riviera?

Not quite the Keys in January is it?  Not cold but probably not swimsuit on the beach weather?

Might be the only choice though, as I am not paying that much money for a piece of dirt to park on and $0.25 worth of electricity.

 

[Queen]

Yeah, not my first choice either, but muuuuch more affordable.

 

[kayell]

Grayton State Park - near Destin, but a tiny town and not crowded, beautiful beaches. $168.00 Per Week if you can find a reservation window.

 

[rvpopeye]

A lot of RVers say KOA stands for "keep on adding"

 

[BigT]

$110.00?!  Yikes!  And here I thought the out-of-the-way Manchester Beach KOA with its $56.00 a night RV spots, was high!  That's nuts!  :s

 

[TrainChaser]

"$168.00 Per Week if you can find a reservation window. "

$24/day is still pretty steep for me. Like Oregon, if they can get it, they'll charge it.

I was looking through the book Guide to Free Campgrounds by Don Wright (free to $12), and there wasn't much for Florida, at all. You wouldn't think it would cost that much for a place that's overrun by mosquitoes and alligators.....

 

[IGBT]

$24 is fine, especially with lectricity and showers.  The problem is all of the campsites have been reserved (just checked) in chunks here and there until about mid November where you can start to get one site for a week window.  It might be a good place to hit in December.

It doesn't look like there is any launch near for our sailboat.  Not a huge deal killer but I do want to go deep sea fishing on our boat quite a bit.  Or at least a few miles off the coast fishing.  Trolling for amberjack.   Maybe a snapper or two, grilled over the campfire with some coleslaw on the side.

 

[kayell]

If you haven't already, check here https://freecampsites.net/#!Florida&query=region Free or cheap (under $12 dollars per night) campsites. Probably wise to double check any you find there - much of the info is supplied by users and may be out of date. It's not the Keys, but it's not super pricey. You may want to check the FL state parks site for more expensive but not KOA priced camping in the Keys.

If you're military or were, there are many campsites either free or very cheap for vets in FL. esp along the panhandle.

By the way, Key West is piles of fun, but the natural beaches are not. Not sandy, lots of sharp rock and lots of man of wars. There could be better constructed beaches now, last time I was there was in the '80s. (Grayton much more recently)

 

[BradKW]

Keys beaches are pretty much a disappointment to anyone expecting a continuation of south FL...the reef starts at Largo and blocks wave action along the entire Atlantic seaboard. Thus, basically no natural sand beaches (with a few exceptions) and lots of crushed coral covered with trucked in sand. Manowars aren't common tho...they are more a function of large weather patterns like La Nina type stuff.

If escaping the cold ranks #1 or #2 on priority list, check out RV/campgrounds in Florida City and Homestead...fair variety up there under $1,000 a month. There's little "special" about them other than safe, clean and reasonable rates, and are not far from many attractions that boost rates way up. Many of these type parks will have flat rate storage fees for boats, probably in the $100/mo range, and there's plenty of opportunity to make trips to launching points.

Also keep your eye on CL ads, usually listed under Parking/Storage ( https://keys.craigslist.org/search/prk ) ...you can find people renting out basically side yards and stuff.

The Keys are very expensive for a few reasons, but the biggest one is that all winter the rest of the country is freezing their butts off and looking at that little spot of orange on the weather map called south florida

 

[jimindenver]

The Keys are very expensive for a few reasons, but the biggest one is that all winter the rest of the country is freezing their butts off and looking at that little spot of orange on the weather map called south florida

That explains the Keys but what is up with Colorado going nuts. A one bedroom rents for what I pay on my four bedroom house. Oh wait, that's right. They are moving here because things really are "greener" on the other side of the fence. lol

 

[Reno]

Destin...hmmm.   Redneck Riviera?

Not quite the Keys in January is it?  Not cold but probably not swimsuit on the beach weather?

Might be the only choice though, as I am not paying that much money for a piece of dirt to park on and $0.25 worth of electricity.

Destin is in the Panhandle, i.e: NORTHwest Florida. Far too north to be warm in January. Lived there many years.

 

[Mobilesport]

That explains the Keys but what is up with Colorado going nuts. A one bedroom rents for what I pay on my four bedroom house. Oh wait, that's right. They are moving here because things really are "greener" on the other side of the fence. lol

Maybe there looking for Mary J

 

[kayell]

Key West - January avg high temp - 74F
Destin - January avg high temp - 61F
Quartzsite - January avg high temp - 66F
Brownsville, TX - January avg high temp - 71F
Clearwater, FL- January avg high temp - 71F (I once swam off Clearwater beach on January 1st (it was in the 80's and the Gulf is pretty warm) (I also once practically froze to death wading along the beach in December)

Data from http://www.usclimatedata.com/climate/united-states/us
You might find something you like there. Another option might be Baja California (Mexico) if you want to go west.

 

[ccbreder]

two Christmases ago i was very cold while in Port Lauderdale. very cold.

 

[jimindenver]

Maybe there looking for Mary J

Maybe? haha

They are moving here far faster than they can build houses and condos to house them. A billion dollar industry means jobs too, that's another draw. Yahoo or Google (maybe both) are coming and the article mention tens of thousands of jobs too.

All I know is it is pushing the equity up in my house and I'll have a nice jumping off point when I do go mobile. There is no way I could sell and buy smaller, I'd be spending more.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

We've had some threads in the past about boondocking on Florida Water District Management lands.  One of Florida's better kept secrets, apparently.  Looks like the state is divided into 5 regions.

Here's a link to a blog entry discussing this.  They've got links to all five region's websites.

http://www.gonewiththewynns.com/fabulous-free-camping-florida

 

[muddy]

Maybe? haha

They are moving here far faster than they can build houses and condos to house them. A billion dollar industry means jobs too, that's another draw. Yahoo or Google (maybe both) are coming and the article mention tens of thousands of jobs too.

All I know is it is pushing the equity up in my house and I'll have a nice jumping off point when I do go mobile. There is no way I could sell and buy smaller, I'd be spending more.

Tech industry overflow probably contributes as well. It's the same in Austin.