How to Make the Most of a Lifestyle Trip to The Villages, Florida

Today we proceed our collection on The Villages, Florida.

Last time we mentioned the Top Reasons to Move (Or Not Move) to The Villages, Florida.

If you missed that, chances are you’ll wish to test it out.

Today we’re going to cowl every little thing about benefiting from a life-style journey to The Villages (TV).

What’s a Lifestyle Trip?

Let’s start with a definition so we’re all on the identical web page.

A life-style journey to The Villages, Florida is a short-term go to designed to let potential residents expertise what it’s prefer to dwell there—earlier than making a call to purchase or lease a house. Think of it as a “try before you buy” retirement preview.

A Lifestyle Preview Plan (their official identify) is obtainable by The Villages gross sales staff (you’re assigned an agent to be your most important contact, get you settled, and so on. however you possibly can have as little or as a lot entry to/consideration from them as you need — they’re fairly chill) and sometimes consists of:

• A totally furnished house or villa for 4–7 nights.
• A golf cart to get round like a real Villager.
• Access to recreation facilities, swimming pools, and health services.
• Free golf on govt programs.
• Resident ID or visitor move, providing you with entry to occasions, golf equipment, and facilities.
• Option to attend group excursions or open homes with a gross sales rep.
• Live leisure on the city squares—nightly, no cowl cost.

There’s a per night time value, which is unbelievably affordable for what you get, as follows:

• January $179/night time
• February & March $199/night time
• April $149/night time
• May-September $99/night time
• October – December $149/night time

You can get extra particulars on it here.

What Does the Trip Accomplish?

The goal of the journey is as follows:

• Test-drive the approach to life: See if you happen to benefit from the energetic, social, golf-cart-driven group vibe.
• Explore neighborhoods and residential varieties: Tour villas, cottages, designer properties, and extra.
• Get to know residents: Talk to locals and ask questions on actual day-to-day life.
• Try actions: Join a pickleball sport, swim, dance on the sq., or go to a membership assembly.
• Evaluate match: Ask your self if this group matches your targets for retirement residing.

Basically it’s a trial run and/or pattern of what it’s prefer to dwell in The Villages.

Anyone (who’s 55+) can partake of the go to, however it’s primarily for:

• Retirees or pre-retirees exploring the place to relocate.
• Snowbirds searching for a winter house.
• Anyone eager to see if The Villages’ life-style fits their character, tempo, and finances.

What to Do on a Lifestyle Trip

You are free to do no matter you need on a Lifestyle Trip, however if you happen to’re haphazard about it you’ll most likely miss quite a bit.

So it’s sensible to expertise as a lot as you possibly can in a deliberate/structured approach so that you get to see/expertise the issues which are most necessary to you. 

Here are some issues I recommend you think about doing throughout your go to (so as of significance):

1. Explore the Town Squares

• If you may have the time, go to all three most important city squares: Spanish Springs, Lake Sumter Landing, and Brownwood Paddock Square. Each presents dwell music nightly, procuring, eating, and a novel theme.
• If you’re an over-achiever, you possibly can go to the mini-square referred to as Sawgrass Grove in addition to the most recent sq., Eastport, which is supposedly going to open in late 2025 (it’s the place the most recent building is).
• If you’re pressed for time, simply go to Lake Sumter Landing and Brownwood (and Eastport if it’s open and also you’re pondering of shopping for a spot close to it.) Spanish Springs is older and Sawgrass doesn’t have all of the facilities because the others.
• Be certain to take a look at the boardwalk in addition to the Lake Sumter Boat Tour when visiting Lake Sumter touchdown (which, IMO, is one of the best city sq. up to now).
• Stay late for the leisure at the least one time—the music and dancing are central to the social life in The Villages. (Every city sq. has dwell music each night time. You can discover out who’s taking part in every night time on TV app.)

2. Try the Recreational Lifestyle (do one or two actions throughout your keep)

• Golf: Play a spherical at an govt course. With over 50 govt programs, you possibly can golf virtually day by day in order for you. If you’re not a full-fledged golfer you possibly can attempt a Pitch and Putt (there’s a very good one by the Okahumpka Recreation Center — see under) or a placing course (there’s a very good one by the Ezell Recreation Center — see under)
• Pickleball & Tennis: Try your hand at pickleball—it’s wildly widespread there.
• Swimming & Fitness: Check out the sports activities swimming pools and recreation facilities. Join a water aerobics or health class. Or simply hit the pool and chill out. You’re certain to seek out some new pals there!

3. Take a Golf Cart Tour

• Explore the cart paths. It’s fairly straightforward to navigate as The Villages app has golf cart path navigation inbuilt. By the best way, the “golf cart trails” are virtually at all times (if not at all times) multi-modal trails which implies walkers, bikers, and the like have simply as a lot proper to be on the paths as golf carts do.
• Drive via neighborhoods, alongside scenic paths, and even over particular bridges and tunnels constructed for golf cart visitors.
• I’d personally put aside a complete day for this. You’ll knock a number of issues off your listing (and on this listing I’m offering) if you happen to simply get out in your golf cart and go.

4. Visit Recreation Centers

• Each “village” has entry to regional (bigger) and neighborhood (smaller) recreation (rec) facilities.
• Visit main rec facilities like Eisenhower, Rohan, or Everglades, every full of swimming pools, courses, and occasion areas. Many function distinctive patriotic or local-themed décor.
• If you do go to Sawgrass Grove, it shares a parking zone with Ezell Rec Center, which is a regional rec middle (one of many larger ones just like the others above).
• If you possibly can solely see a pair, try Eisenhower or Everglades as an excellent instance of a bigger rec middle and Lake Okahumpka Rec Center as a really good mid-sized rec middle.

5. Dine and Shop Like a Local

• What is a visit to TV with out meals? Our favourite locations to eat embody Willie Jewell’s (BBQ) in Magnolia Plaza (it’s close to the Everglades Rec Center and never too removed from the Village of Fenney), Piesanos (Italian) in Lake Deaton Plaza (not removed from Rohan Rec Center), and the Fenney Grill (good breakfasts/pancakes) within the Village of Fenney (which is gorgeous in and of itself with the magnificent timber while you first drive in and the character strolling path within the rear of the rec middle there).
• For a really distinctive consuming place attempt Edna’s which has meals and dwell music in an outside setting. Also very near Hogeye Preserve Trail if you wish to examine that out.
• For sweets, we appreciated Island Fin Poke in Brownwood for his or her Dole Whip (which was half worth from 3-5 pm…undecided if that’s nonetheless the case or not), Peterbrooke Chocolate in Lake Sumter Landing (nice chocolate treats), Kilwin’s in Spanish Springs (ice cream, fudge, and treats), and the king of all of them, Russell Stover Chocolates (ice cream and extra sweet and treats than you possibly can deal with) simply west of freeway 301 on state highway 44 (close to Brownwood).
• Visit native boutiques, markets, and festivals hosted within the city squares. The retailers in Lake Sumter Landing are one of the best in TV IMO. There’s additionally a weekly farmer’s market in Brownwood each Saturday morning.
• Go right into a Publix. If you reside there it’s going to be your most important grocery retailer, so that you would possibly as nicely lay down and take it. Hahaha. Pro tip: store the purchase one get one gross sales every week to make the costs at the least nearer to first rate.

6. Talk to Residents

• Strike up conversations—Villagers are famously pleasant.
• Ask what they like (or don’t) about residing there. It provides you an sincere inside look.
• You can chat them up anyplace — on the pool, in eating places, on the nightly live shows, and so on.

7. Take a Sales Tour

• If that is an official life-style preview go to, your rep will probably be greater than prepared to schedule a guided tour—make the most of their data and group entry.
• Consider visiting the Street of Dreams — mainly a grouping of mannequin properties. You can see many types of properties in a single spot and even if you happen to don’t wish to purchase, it’s a enjoyable time trying.
• Just half a day for that is all you’ll want.

8. Take a Nature Walk or Visit a Park

• Explore Hogeye Preserve Trail or native strolling/biking paths. It’s not simply golf—there’s loads of nature, too.
• I’ve already talked about Lake Okahumpka Rec Center. There are two very good strolling paths there as nicely — one exterior of the rec middle and one behind it on the boardwalk.

9. Attend Clubs & Activities

• Browse the Rec News (weekly insert that comes out each Thursday – they could ship one at your home as I imagine they offer you each day supply of The Villages newspaper, The Daily Sun, and people include the recreation middle inserts) or examine on-line for membership schedules.
• Join a membership assembly or exercise that matches your curiosity—whether or not it’s playing cards, crafts, religion teams, political golf equipment, or international language meetups. There are 3,500+ golf equipment for every little thing from pictures to family tree, veterans’ teams to bocce ball. Find your folks and your ardour.
• I’d solely spend time doing this if there’s one thing you’re very all in favour of and it will likely be a part of your determination to dwell in TV or not. Otherwise, I’d put it aside for one more (second) journey.

10. Catch a Show or Movie

• Attend a dwell present at The Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center or see a film on the Old Mill Playhouse.
• I’d make this non-compulsory and/or for a second go to as nicely.

11. Attend a Church or Worship Service (Optional)

• If religion is a part of your life, attempt visiting a neighborhood church to see how the non secular group feels.
• If you come from a bigger church, you’re going to need to reset your expectations of what your choices are.

And lastly, a number of different suggestions:

• Dress comfortably: Casual and golf apparel is the norm.
• Visit in-season (Jan–April) and low season (summer season) if you happen to can, to get a balanced sense of exercise ranges. The summer season will probably be a shocker for you if you happen to’re from the north.
• Check out the rest that’s necessary to you (like a fitness center or particular varieties of procuring)

Questions to Ask

Asking the best questions throughout a life-style journey to The Villages, Florida might help you determine whether or not it’s the best match to your retirement or seasonal residing. 

Here’s a categorized listing of key inquiries to ask residents, workers, and your self:

1. Questions to Ask Residents

• What do you want most about residing right here?
• Is there something you would like you knew earlier than shifting right here?
• How straightforward was it to make pals?
• Are the golf equipment and actions as energetic as they appear?
• Do you are feeling secure in your neighborhood and across the group?
• How’s the healthcare entry and high quality close by?
• What’s the most important draw back to residing in The Villages?
• Do you lease or personal? How did you select your village/house?
• Do you discover the price of residing affordable right here?
• What do you do on a typical day?

2. Questions to Ask Sales or Welcome Staff

• What are the primary variations between every village or neighborhood?
• What are the month-to-month charges (amenity charge, property tax, bond, upkeep)?
• Can you clarify the bond and the way lengthy it lasts?
• Are there age restrictions or guidelines I ought to pay attention to?
• What choices can be found if I wish to lease earlier than shopping for?
• How does healthcare work inside The Villages? Are there pressing care or hospitals close by?
• Are there plans for enlargement or building close to the realm I’m ?
• Can I convey my very own golf cart or do I want to purchase one right here?

3. Questions to Ask Yourself

• Can I see myself residing right here full-time or seasonally?
• Am I extra drawn to the energetic life-style or the social points?
• Do I wish to be close to procuring, healthcare, or golf?
• Would I favor a quieter or extra vibrant a part of the group?
• How does this examine to different retirement locations I’ve visited?
• Is this financially sustainable long-term primarily based on my retirement plan?

4. Questions About Daily Life & Services

• How are grocery shops, eating places, and procuring choices?
• What’s visitors like—by automotive and golf cart?
• How straightforward is it to get round with out a automotive?
• How dependable are companies like landscaping, pest management, or house upkeep?

5. Questions About Clubs & Activities

• How do I discover and be part of golf equipment or passion teams?
• Are the health courses and sports activities services straightforward to entry?
• Are there waitlists for golf or widespread golf equipment?
• Is there a central calendar of occasions and actions?

Remember, you are able to do a number of Lifestyle Trips or transfer out of your first one to staying longer with a rental house to essentially examine the place out.

So if you happen to miss one thing, you possibly can hit it on the second journey. lol 

Anyway, that’s a reasonably complete overview of the right way to profit from a Lifestyle Trip to TV. 

Is there something you suppose I missed or do you may have any questions for me?