If you ask the residents of Utah, the town of Snowbird is a great place to explore the outdoors. Any good birder will tell you a snowbird is the dark-eyed junco, a flashy little sparrow known to frequent evergreen forests in North America during winter months.
However, many people use the term “snowbird” to describe seasonal travelers who move to warmer climates for the winter. They’re also called seasonal residents or winter visitors. While many people associate Florida with snowbirds, Arizona, Texas and Nevada are also popular destinations.
Read what it takes to be a snowbird and how Peace Village can provide you with an incredible retirement lifestyle, whether you choose to settle in for the winter or take flight for warmer weather.
Maintaining a Snowbird Lifestyle Is More Difficult Than It Looks
Planning and maintaining a snowbird lifestyle can be difficult, because it takes a lot of work to coordinate a successful winter away from home.
Here are just a few things snowbirds consider each time they travel:
Preparing. Since snowbirds are away for weeks at a time, it’s important they forward their mail, cancel subscriptions they won’t be using, notify important people and businesses of their address change, change automatic deliveries and find a health care provider.
Packing. This includes appropriate clothes for outdoor activities, casual daytime activities and evenings out, shoes, cosmetics, electronic devices, medications and supplements, important documents and creature comforts that make their summer residence feel more like home.
Cost. Older adults who own their vacation home need to consider taxes, insurance and home maintenance. However, seniors who rent are required to secure their accommodations well in advance. Either way, both kinds of snowbirds need to prepare their primary residence for a cold winter without them and consider hiring a housesitter.
Getting settled in. It might seem like seniors can slide right into a winter of recreation and leisure, but it’s challenging to build a routine in a new place and find activities that suit your interests. This is why many older adults choose to travel to communities with an environment that brings like-minded individuals together.
While a snowbird lifestyle isn’t for everyone, many older adults relish the chance to escape the cold weather, visit friends in another community, soak up sunshine and dig their toes in the sand.
How Our Senior Living Community Can Help Chicago Snowbirds
Many older adults choose to travel south for the winter because they don’t want to shovel snow from the driveway, drive through wintry streets to run errands, worry about slipping and falling on ice, or limit their hobbies and activities because of cold weather.
At Peace Village, everything you need to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle is just a few steps away from your front door. Look at how our senior living community in Palos Park, IL, can help birds of all feathers warm up to winter:
Maintenance-free floor plans. Your monthly fee includes lawn care and snow removal, which means you can kick your shovel and mower to the curb for good. It also includes apartment maintenance, so you don’t have to worry about paying to replace or fix broken appliances or for routine maintenance on your heating and cooling system.
The big utilities are covered. Your monthly fee includes most of your utilities including gas, electric, water, sewer, trash and basic cable. This means you don’t need to worry about a large heating bill or the fluctuating costs of natural gas and electricity. Even better, each of our floor plans feature individual heating and cooling systems, which means you stay cozy and comfortable, no matter how cold it is outside.
Scheduled transportation. You won’t need to worry about driving through the slushy streets of Chicago, because Peace Village provides scheduled transportation to shops, entertainment and events. We also feature on-site banking services, U.S.postal services, free pharmacy delivery and private transportation services.
Incredible dining. Peace Village has three exceptional dining venues with menu options to suit any taste. Take advantage of our community’s flexible dining plan, which lets you decide how much and how often you eat, and gives you the option to host family or friends as your guests. We offer seating for large and small groups, Sunday brunch, private dining for parties and special occasions, and room service, if you desire.
Extraordinary services and amenities. Our senior living community features a variety of lifestyle amenities, life enrichment opportunities, personal services and many other additional benefits. Residents enjoy an on-site fitness trainer, social and educational opportunities, salon services including manicures, on-site events and entertainment, a dedicated space for billiards, gaming, media and parties, resident-driven special interest groups and so much more.
We don’t just provide a vibrant retirement lifestyle during colder months, our community also blossoms in spring and summer. The gorgeous winter wonderland on our expansive 22 acres turns into a dazzling outdoor area that features a fishing lake, gazebo, sitting and recreation areas and maintained walking paths. Even better, Peace Village is only a half-mileto beautiful Cook County Forest Preserves.
Take Advantage of the Snowbird Discount and Enjoy the Best of Both Worlds
If sunshine, sand and waves are still calling your name during winter, that doesn’t mean you can’t have an incredible lifestyle at Peace Village. Snowbirds can settle into independent living during warmer months, head south when it gets colder and receive a partial discount on their monthly fee for the winter. We’ll make sure your home is safe and sound while you have fun in the sun.
To learn how you can save up to $20,000 with our Snowbird Discount at Peace Village, contact our retirement living counselors online or call us at 708-361-3683. We can’t wait to get to know you!