Sunday March 16th 2025

It is spring break time and traffic conditions seem to prove that out. The number of cars on the road is higher than it has been since Christmas time. There are also many RVs on the roads. Traffic backups are much longer than normal. I haven’t noticed the increase in visitors during the spring break periods in past years since I was moving at least every two weeks. This made comparisons over time more difficult. I was also not in this central Florida area during March. The theme parks are a magnet to families. This is a school vacation week for most of Florida and the neighboring states.

The other thing that I am surprised about is the apparent end of snowbird season. It doesn’t seem like it is time yet. In my head the end of March is when everyone starts to return north. When I was in Arizona during March a few years ago, people started leaving at the beginning of March, but I thought Florida was different. I guess not. As I walk around the park, I already see more and more vacant units. They have been buttoned up for the summer. The park owners association annual meeting is this coming week and the office transitions to summer hours at the end of March.

I escaped today’s traffic with a visit to a nearby wildlife preserve. There was only one car in the parking area, but I didn’t see anyone around. I took a walk along the trails and around one of the little ponds. It didn’t qualify as a hike, because it was far from strenuous. Still, it was a good visit with nature.