Where to winter?

[outskirts]

I know it may seem weird to post such an inquiry with Summer approaching, but I'd like to
have a plan or at least an idea where to go by Fall.
It has gotten to the point where I can't take Jersey's cold winters anymore and would like to go
spend January - March in a warmer climate. So far I'm kicking around in my head three places,
only one have I been to. So far I'm thinking Puerto Rico, the Florida Keys or Southern California.
I'm wondering which of these locations is the most inexpensive and most traveler friendly.
Anyone have any ideas or suggestions?

 

[venusinpisces]

Southern California is about as far as you can get from "affordable", unless you're staying at Slab City, the off the grid squatter village. The Keys are very touristy so you might not be too into that but Florida is great even though it's very conservative. A lot of people hate it but Daytona Bike week is something to see if you're in the area. As for traveler destinations, some favorites are Austin, New Orleans and Tucson, all of which are great places although Tucson has the best weather. There are also a lot of smaller, less trendy little towns in the Southwest that aren't swarming with travelers and this can be a big plus because there won't be police already wary of your presence before you even arrive. Southern Mexico is also very affordable as long as you stay out of Cancun. But stay away from the border areas, obviously! Couldn't tell you anything about Puerto Rico.

 

[outskirts]

Yeah I know Southern California sucks but I have family and friends out there so that would help ease the cost. I figured
in So Cal I could do what I usually do when I've been there, go into the canyons and collect sage and basket materials to
send back to Jersey, I made some decent money with that last time. But I hate having to simultaneously watch for
mountain lions, rattlers and rangers! Far from relaxing, it's very unnerving!

As for the Keys being touristy, well I don't mind tourists much, they are a good source of income. I was thinking it might
be a good location to sell my baskets. I'm now studying and experimenting with using tropical plants in my weaving. I'm
just not sure about the place as far as affordability, guerrilla camping opportunities, and the cops and local laws when it
comes to people selling things on the beach and street.

Puerto Rico, well that would be a total crap shoot. I figured the mountains would be nice and inexpensive.
I could easily live off avacados, plantains and rice & beans.
It's gonna confuse the hell outta me though, because I'm learning Portuguese and everyone there speaks Spanish, lol.
If I could come up with the $$$ I'd just say fuck it and go to Brazil! Yeah I wish.

The Southwest sounds like something to look into.

 

[venusinpisces]

Yeah I know Southern California sucks but I have family and friends out there so that would help ease the cost. I figured
in So Cal I could do what I usually do when I've been there, go into the canyons and collect sage and basket materials to
send back to Jersey, I made some decent money with that last time. But I hate having to simultaneously watch for
mountain lions, rattlers and rangers! Far from relaxing, it's very unnerving!.

Actually, SoCal is one of my favorite places, it's just harder to survive there compared to other areas of the country. But if you have places to stay you'll be fine. As for collecting sage, there are so many places in both CA and the Southwest where you can just find that growing off the side of the road. I don't have a clue about basket materials but the sage part is ridiculously easy. It's probably better if it's not contaminated with industrial pollutants, though, so it's nice of you to expend the extra effort.

 

[outskirts]

It's not that SoCal completely sucks, just from my experience shit is expensive and some folks out there have attitudes.
What I do like out there is the weather, the produce, and the amazing wild flora. Many a time I just made a little leap off
the sidewalk and just snatched a lime or orange from a tree. I can't do that back here, lol.

As for the sage, I would go and gather "white sage" the big leaved stuff. That stuff only grows in SoCal and Baja. The rest
of the southwest the sage is all sagebrush, which is an artemisia not a salvia. The white sage would always fetch much more than the sagebrush on the powwow circuit back East. I'd always go deep into the canyons outside the cities to find where
there was enough to gather... I wouldn't want to over harvest now. Sometimes the borders out there get a little blurry between
private land and park land... "Hello Mr. Ranger Sir". Once when I was there gathering I felt like I was being watched, when I
got back to my uncle's house my cousins told me about the mountain lions, a chill ran down my spine. I was busy watching
for snakes the whole time. I don't like wandering into the canyons alone, it's just not worth a few hundred bucks for sage!

 

[outskirts]

You know what I'm gonna rule Cali out for this Winter, Well it looks like it will be either Puerto Rico or Florida.

 

[venusinpisces]

As for the sage, I would go and gather "white sage" the big leaved stuff. That stuff only grows in SoCal and Baja. The rest
of the southwest the sage is all sagebrush, which is an artemisia not a salvia. !

You know, somebody told me that years ago and then I completely forgot about it after hearing all the drunk Taos Mesa rats talking about hustling tourists for "sage" sticks. That's what you get for learning herbalism from alcoholics. :blush:

 

[outskirts]

You know, somebody told me that years ago and then I completely forgot about it after hearing all the drunk Taos Mesa rats talking about hustling tourists for "sage" sticks. That's what you get for learning herbalism from alcoholics. :blush:

You know what, I remember seeing some dirty kids on Venice Beach doing just that, lol. There is a better market for it on
the East Coast within the powwow circuit though. That's what I used to do, sell it wholesale to Native American's who
were venders at the powwows. At first we just sold it while demoing baskets at the powwows but the venders would get
a little irritated with us selling cheaper then them. Before the day was over a few venders would come up and buy out my
sage for a deal. So that's how it happened, I became a wholesaler for the sage.

 

[outskirts]

I love how this thread went from "where to winter" to the "how to's of gathering and selling sage", lol.
It's all good!
I'm seriously looking at Puerto Rico now anyway.

 

[Beegod Santana]

Ya'll are gonna think I'm being a sarcastic dick. But the place I find myself wintering the most is in Oregon. I've done the whole SoCal, Tuscon, NoLa, FL, ect.. thing and hated it every time. I kinda feel weird when I don't see snow at least once a year. Being from the North 30-40 degree weather doesn't really bother me that much. If you can get over the fact that it's a little damp and chilly, oregon can be a fucking party in the winter. Plus all the oogles who come blow up every spot in the summer time are safely back at their parents house, and all the drainbows are down at ocala or the gem show.

 

[outskirts]

Nah, I gotcha. I feel a little weird spending the Christmas holiday someplace warm and sunny.
To me dreary and cold weather make the Christmas lights seem a little brighter. It's just that my feet can't take the cold
anymore. My toes are damaged from frostbite that I got when I was younger.
I heard that the Pacific North West ain't so bad in the winter.

 

[venusinpisces]

I heard that the Pacific North West ain't so bad in the winter.

The temperatures aren't so bad but it rains constantly. If you don't like damp climates then stay away! Personally, I spent a winter in between Portland and Eugene and will never make that mistake again. It really just depends on your constitution and what type of climate you prefer.

 

[outskirts]

I have considered a lot of warmer destinations for next winter, So Cal, Arizona, So Texas, Louisiana, Florida and PR.
Puerto Rico is the winner. Fuck the snow, next winter I know where to go.

 

[hamikman]

Your choice of Puerto Rico sounds like a good one. I've never been there but it sounds nice. I've spent many winters in the Pacific NW and the last few years try to get away. I wouldn't recommend it when the desert is so close but thats just me. Another place you might consider is Baja. I've done that trip a couple times and loved it - driven the whole 1000 miles right to the bottom a few times. You can bus it and maybe hitch too but its really a place to be seen with one's own car. You don't need a super car or anything-the roads are very good. If you have basic camping gear there are tons of places (ie beachs) to camp. Its pretty safe compared to mainland Mexico but the golden rule is to camp where other gringos are already set up - never alone. These little communities of slackers/surfers/offroaders/travellers... are pretty cool and the beaches are fantastic. Its reasonably cheap too.

 

[gnat]

Stay away from the Keys. It's a boring area with too many drunk old folks.

 

[skai]

Puerto Rico is a great choice...I like it...I live here! Let me know if you need any info. peace

 

[Margarita]

I recommend that you check out the USVI while you're in Puerto Rico. Maybe even island-hop all winter. But the USVI and BVI are gorgeous, tons of tourists if ya wanna sell your stuff, and St. John is 2/3rds national park, filled with coconut palms and beautiful undeveloped landscape. St. Thomas gets cruise tourists out the wazoo but St. John tends to be quieter. Cinnamon Bay and Maho Bay both have campgrounds... I've stayed at Cinnamon and bet it would be easy to squat if you were ninja about it. Open showers (cold water, but freshwater) and bathrooms. I'm planning on wintering there in a couple of years, myself. Whenever I can scrape up the cash for the voyage to the islands.

Edit: I forgot to mention... I bet Puerto Rice has some too, but the USVI has a bunch of old ruins from when they were Dutch plantation islands. Hella cool -- some are pretty well-preserved and others have been reclaimed by the jungle.