Nanaimo Snowbirds

[Barrie C. Taylor]

I understand that the winter weather in Nanaimo is bearable, however, where do Nanaimo Snowbirds go when the need a winter break, both for short term and long term?

[Nostradama]

I understand that the winter weather in Nanaimo is bearable, however, where do Nanaimo Snowbirds go when the need a winter break, both for short term and long term?

Don't know why you're asking, but here goes. Short-term snowbirds from Nanaimo will generally go to Mexico or Hawaii. Real snowbirds who will stay for a couple of months or maybe longer will to places in Arizona and California. Palm Springs, etc., seem to be favourites. Friends of mine own a condo in Palm Springs, but because of changed circumstances don't spend as much time there as they used to. They don't rent their condo out, unless it's to people they know well, who are generally Nanaimo people. People who short-term snowbird and who go to Mexico have changed their Mexico lifestyle because of the drug war there which has spread much farther than just Mexico's border states. They now go to "one stop shopping" resorts, for lack of a better description, but places where they go to the resort and never leave it. They no longer wander into the surrounding village or city because they're afraid of being "collateral damage" in a drug dealer shoot-out. A few go to Cuba, but generally don't leave the resorts where they stay. The Cuban government doesn't really encourage them to leave the resorts. The people who travel to Cuba are dreading the day when the US officially recognizes Cuba and eases up on American citizens who travel there. US citizens can legally travel to Cuba, but if the US government wants to get snotty about it, American citiziens can be charged with "trading with the enemy" if they spend money in Cuba. (Info from American friends who have travelled to Cuba.) But how are you going to spend time in Cuba without spending money? The Cubans love Canadians and welcome the money, too. That's because Canada recognizes Cuba and the US won't. It's been that way since Castro took over Cuba in the 1960s. Canadians friends who spent a couple of months in Cuba last winter managed to wander pretty far from their beach resort and had a great time because the Cuban people are so welcoming to Canadians, the reason why some Canadians dread the US finally recognizing Cuba, which will flood Cuba with American tourists. Nothing against Americans, but Cuba will simply be more crowded with tourists than it is right now.

[Barrie C. Taylor]

Well, that didn't generate much interest. Anyone else with information? I am interested in knowing specific areas, i.e. cities, and complexes, i.e. actual sites that snowbirds go to, and what kind of ammenities, i.e. golf, cards, etc.

[ErinT]

I like to head to San Diego and sometimes Mexico for a beach vacation. For a warm vacation but no beach, I'll head to Phoenix or Las Vegas in the winter. Nanaimo is fairly mild in the winter compared to growing up in Minnesota where it was cold and snowy.