Welcome to City-Data.com forum! Make sure to register - it's free and very quick! You have to register before you can post and participate in our discussions with 700,000 other registered members. User profiles and some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your free account you will be able to customize many options, you will have the full access to over 15,000 posts/day about local topics and you will see fewer ads.
As far as older people not wanting to spend on education that is what happens in every community in the country.
And most of the parents now will jump on that bandwagon as soon as your kids are out of school.
It's just human nature.
Just wanted to post that I went Boating yesterday near Fort Myers Beach and the Estero Bay area, saw 3 Manatees near the Lover's Key Resort. Was a beautiful day on the water.
Just missed ya! I was down till Sat. the 10th. Boated most of the Caloosahatchee river and it was nice. Saw Manatees on the salt water side of the Franklin locks and gators on the fresh water side. Caught plenty of fish too! It was nice the whole week. Even got stopped by marine police for a boat safety check and passed this time. Didn't boat south of the river but drove to the beaches. Took our dogs to Lover's key dog beach and that was nice...minus of couple of dog poop piles. Marco Island was a clean town but we were not impressed with the beach that much (lots of crushed shells mixed in with the sand and a long walk from the overpriced parking through no-see-ems). Naples and down town Ft Myers were pleasant but not the ride through ghetto to get to Ft Myers. I was not impressed with Cape Coral and did not get a chance to see Lehigh Acres.
Status:
"There's No Place Like Home"
(set 10 days ago)
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
10,443 posts, read 7,562,232 times
Reputation: 3163
Quote:
Originally Posted by movetoflorida
Just missed ya! I was down till Sat. the 10th. Boated most of the Caloosahatchee river and it was nice. Saw Manatees on the salt water side of the Franklin locks and gators on the fresh water side. Caught plenty of fish too! It was nice the whole week. Even got stopped by marine police for a boat safety check and passed this time. Didn't boat south of the river but drove to the beaches. Took our dogs to Lover's key dog beach and that was nice...minus of couple of dog poop piles. Marco Island was a clean town but we were not impressed with the beach that much (lots of crushed shells mixed in with the sand and a long walk from the overpriced parking through no-see-ems). Naples and down town Ft Myers were pleasant but not the ride through ghetto to get to Ft Myers. I was not impressed with Cape Coral and did not get a chance to see Lehigh Acres.
You weren't missing much. Glad you had a great trip!
Last edited by hiknapster; 10-13-2009 at 07:51 PM..
You weren't missing much. Glad you had a great trip!
Yeah, it was good for the most part but some parts reminded my wife and I of the movie "Funny Farm". In particular, the house we rented in the country or "cracker land" as my sister-in-law referred to it as. I discovered the word "cracker" has different meanings but down there it refers to the cattle ranchers who "crack" whips. I had been down the west and east coasts of Florida many times but never central Florida. I took route 27 down instead of interstate through Tampa and St. Pete as the gps tried to direct me which would have taken longer and been hectic with traffic at times. Central Florida is scenic and a smooth peaceful ride. I saw a lot of motorcycles out there and it looks like a nice new place for Sunday cruises on my future mid-life crisis toy.
By the way, seemed to be a few crazy kooks down there. That can be added to yachtcare's list of "you might be qualified to live in SWFL if:". LOL. The heat alone might just drive some people looney. It doesn't bother me but it seemed to get to my wife who is native Floridian and a true conch born in Key West. One night the ac broke in the house we rented (among the list of other broken things). I managed to sleep in the heat but my wife did not do so well. Of course Saudi Arabia broke me into real heat. We did agree that it would be smart for us to loose some northern "eskimo" pounds to be more comfortable in Florida too. Having a pool to dip in is a nice bonus as well.
Status:
"There's No Place Like Home"
(set 10 days ago)
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
10,443 posts, read 7,562,232 times
Reputation: 3163
I remember "Funny Farm."
I love Route 27. Very old Florida and not many people get to see what the middle of the state looks like. I don't think they realize what grows out there. Amazing stuff.
We were just discussing Route 27 and Route 70 and how to cross the state to get to the other side. Yep. Just like the chicken! (It's getting late.)
There are definitely some strange people down there. No doubt. And I DO think that the heat has a lot to do with it.
I wouldn't worry about the extra pounds. You'll lose it the first summer. When I first moved to Florida I thought, "Look at all these restaurants. How do people stay so thin?" After the first summer, I realized how.
In fact, Iraq is a good point. You probably gained weight because you are not in that heat anymore.
I gained a lot of weight when I moved from Florida. A good portion of it was due to health issues, but not all of it.
So forget the diet. You'll naturally lose the weight. Remember, that heat goes on for at least five months.
Quote:
Originally Posted by movetoflorida
Yeah, it was good for the most part but some parts reminded my wife and I of the movie "Funny Farm". In particular, the house we rented in the country or "cracker land" as my sister-in-law referred to it as. I discovered the word "cracker" has different meanings but down there it refers to the cattle ranchers who "crack" whips. I had been down the west and east coasts of Florida many times but never central Florida. I took route 27 down instead of interstate through Tampa and St. Pete as the gps tried to direct me which would have taken longer and been hectic with traffic at times. Central Florida is scenic and a smooth peaceful ride. I saw a lot of motorcycles out there and it looks like a nice new place for Sunday cruises on my future mid-life crisis toy.
By the way, seemed to be a few crazy kooks down there. That can be added to yachtcare's list of "you might be qualified to live in SWFL if:". LOL. The heat alone might just drive some people looney. It doesn't bother me but it seemed to get to my wife who is native Floridian and a true conch born in Key West. One night the ac broke in the house we rented (among the list of other broken things). I managed to sleep in the heat but my wife did not do so well. Of course Saudi Arabia broke me into real heat. We did agree that it would be smart for us to loose some northern "eskimo" pounds to be more comfortable in Florida too. Having a pool to dip in is a nice bonus as well.
Oh boy! I now live in Cape Coral and I LOVE IT! My fiancee has yet to sell his house up in Madison Wisconsin. Our children are grown, one of mine is going to the University of Tampa. I have posted on these forums before as Nancy N. Lets compare Cape Coral with Madison Wisconsin. I have lived here for three months so far...so, not long...true, but it is some base to work with.
Wisconsin......at present October 14, 2009, they are experiencing snow flurries, daytime highs in the 40's and night time lows in the 20's. My relatives are shivering by their fires wrapped in "snuggies". Window shades closed to keep in the heat AND to keep the bleak view from sight. Grey, skies, brown grass, grey leafless trees....everything dead. The dog doesn't even want to go outside to go potty...too cold!
Cape Coral, At present, October 14, 2009, they are experiencing highs in the 90's lows in the 70's. Hotter than heck......BUT...I am outside, planting palm trees, and when I get hot, I jump into my WONDERFUL pool!!!
Taxes. My fiancee has a home built in 1992, 1800 square feet....needs new roof, just put in new water heater, 1/4 of an acre of land in a closely built subdivision. Taxes were 6,000.00 last year!
Our house in Cape Coral, built in 2005, new everything, 2500 square feet, inground pool 80 X 120 lot on a canal....taxes less than 4,000.00 this year.
Crime. In Madison there are plenty of areas with high high crime. In Milwaukee, one of the most segregated cities in the nation, its even worse. And lets not talk about Chicago. Cape Coral Crime is nothing compared to the midwest.
Schools. I could NOT let my child go to school in Madison or Milwaukee. The schools there are more like zoo's than schools. Kids are given "prizes" like tv's and radios, if they just bother to show up. And the previous poster was correct, "special" children are integrated into regular classes, in my opinion, to the detriment of all involved. But hey, its politically correct.
Look up some of the news stories in Wisconsin, for a refreshing look at why Cape Coral is HEAVEN to us! I worked in the Wisconsin government. I dealt with caregivers and the caregiver law. People who wished to be nurses, daycare providers, foster care providers. Take a look at that system. People come from EVERYWHERE to feed off the tax payers of Wisconsin. This is why we have some of the highest taxes in the nation. I can tell you that 100% of the people I dealt with...and I mean 100% were born in a state other than Wisconsin. The childcare system is so completely screwed up with people taking advantage of the system. Reporting children that aren't being looked after, lying about hours that children are in their care, running drug houses out of the back of daycare facilities. One woman hit the jackpot. She was living in a 3 milliion dollar house with an inground pool because she defrauded the system that well. AND...after she was found out, the government kept sending her checks, because they were predated to before she was discovered. Wisconsin is the land of the low life and the bleeding hearts who want to give these "poor" people a free ride at the expense of the tax payers. There is nothing one can do either.....its a law that we pay taxes for people like this.
AND.....retirement is also taxed in Wisconsin.
I can't tell you enough how horrible Wisconsin is. I have not been bothered here in Cape Coral by mosquitoes. Up in Wisconsin, the mosquitoes are so horrible, day AND night, that you cannot be outside near any grass or vegetation at any time.
We have darling little woodticks that drop out of the trees and sit on blades of grass to crawl on your body as you pass and then stick their little heads inside to suck your blood til they swell up like grey grapes. Ths is especially effective if one has a dog. Ticks LOVE dogs. They can stay on them longer, hidden in the fur, around their ears. You can't get them off by pulling, because then the head stays in and the host becomes infected. We have huge biting flies that you cannot even get away from by riding a bike. These flies can stay right with you, and usually bite you in the head as you are trying to flee.
Last summer there was about two weeks of temperatures over 60 degrees. There was over 100 feet of snow for the past two years...no spring, two weeks of summer, and the freezing temperatures began already on October 5.
So, to those of you who think that Cape Coral is a bad place. I challenge you to go up to the midwest for two weeks. You will come screaming back I will bet you will never complain again!
To be totally honest here. I do NOT like the ANTS in Cape Coral! They bite. But I have waged war and so far, I am winning! LOL
I too hurt soooo bad in the cold! I was born with congenital defects and now my joints also have arthritis. I can't sit, stand, hold a phone...get up and down, walk, or do anything in the cold with my joints. (I even turn bright purple everywhere I hurt!) Down here, though....I feel wonderful!!!!
I too hurt soooo bad in the cold! I was born with congenital defects and now my joints also have arthritis. I can't sit, stand, hold a phone...get up and down, walk, or do anything in the cold with my joints. (I even turn bright purple everywhere I hurt!) Down here, though....I feel wonderful!!!!
A humid climate like Florida is not good for arthritis.
Welcome to City-Data.com forum! Make sure to register - it's free and very quick! You have to register before you can post and participate in our discussions with 700,000 other registered members. User profiles and some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your free account you will be able to customize many options, you will have the full access to over 15,000 posts/day about local topics and you will see fewer ads. 
Didn't boat south of the river but drove to the beaches. Took our dogs to Lover's key dog beach and that was nice...minus of couple of dog poop piles.
Marco Island was a clean town but we were not impressed with the beach that much (lots of crushed shells mixed in with the sand and a long walk from the overpriced parking through no-see-ems). Naples and down town Ft Myers were pleasant but not the ride through ghetto to get to Ft Myers. I was not impressed with Cape Coral and did not get a chance to see Lehigh Acres.
That can be added to yachtcare's list of "you might be qualified to live in SWFL if:". LOL. The heat alone might just drive some people looney. It doesn't bother me but it seemed to get to my wife who is native Floridian and a true conch born in Key West. One night the ac broke in the house we rented (among the list of other broken things). I managed to sleep in the heat but my wife did not do so well. Of course Saudi Arabia broke me into real heat.
And I DO think that the heat has a lot to do with it.
Linear Mode
