Arrived at The Villages Sumter Square for a Lifestyle Preview visit, Stayed at the Waterfront Hotel. 

Thanks for stopping by. It was definitely an interesting visit. I think I will go back down again maybe in April.

Thanks for stopping by. I must say a week was not long enough at least for me to make any decisions but I did learn a lot

You bet! Again thanks for stopping in. it was an easy call for sure. ru-vid.com

THanks more coming. One on Sat morning.

I will have some impressions throughout the different videos but I’m taking some notes as I do this to make one final video of my impressions down there for the week. But for the most part things were extremely positive

Have fun! Explore all over the place. Nice area u there. Subscribe Button: bit.ly/3aToJ3H

Thanks. Yes it was actually good staying at the hotel for the first night because I got to see the Square up there that I may not have gone to because I was so busy down south at Brownwood

Yes I liked kind of kicking back and listen to the music. I think my favorite was the Spazmatics.

Seems like there is plenty to do. Definitely clean that's for sure.

I have heard that and I can see it to be true. Just like having a 2nd home down the shore...you go to the boardwalk a bunch of times and then only when guests come into town. Same thing. There is nothing magical about the Villages...its life. With that said I met a bunch of people that as a group they go down to the square and pull all their carts together on the weeknd and it acts as a gathering place. I think that would be me to tell you the truth. Something different for all. And if not...don't go.

Thanks for stopping by and more to come they just take a while to make

@@RustyNelson LOL ... That is exactly what ResslerMania says when I tease HIM about wanting to see more videos. :-)

Thanks had fun that’s for sure

Glad it was helpful!

Hery Bob thanks for stopping by. I should have the next one out in couple of days.

Thanks for stopping by more to come in thanks for the comment

Thanks for sharing! I have no major complaints at the moment! Subscribe for new Videos: bit.ly/3aToJ3H

Glad you enjoyed it

You can get a home for as low as 180k on up to 2+ million. Fees are a little over 160 per month. It's all relative I guess. Plus you can also get an apartment these days. Subscribe Button: bit.ly/3aToJ3H

That is definitely a nice area being right on the water. hard to top that. But I'm laughing as I'm sure they are trying.

I don’t believe there’s any shortage of nightlife that’s for sure. If you don’t like the larger crowds it seemed like there was a lot of smaller type bands in the bars which made it interesting. There is also DJs that saying and people dance to that also in the bars

Rusty, are they putting people up there for lifestyle visits, not at a Villa?

No. As I said in the vid I got there a day early so I stayed there. Actually worked out well because I got to hang out up at Sumpter Square and get started early the next day.

Unfortunately they would not let me do tours inside the homes which I understand. The problem is is they keep changing all the time in the areas keep changing all the time so what you would see now would not represent maybe what was there in a year from now. I did talk to them about that and they said that I could do the inside of the home that I was in but I couldn’t run through all the other homes and do them.

Yes and for the most part they go 365 except for weather.

Thanks for stopping by and subscribing and dropping a note. More to come it just takes a while to put these together

I can imagine Maye was a little different because that was the beginning of the Covid. I know that Skip said that it was starting to fill up from the winter but you also have to remember that a lot of people weren’t there I believe from Canada so things were kind of light

Seems like I'm in Longwood each week. Great place. Subscribe Button: bit.ly/3aToJ3H

Hopefully much of this covid thing will be sorted out by then. Good for you guys.

Yes I did the market day by mistake. Will have that in one of the videos. THanks for stopping by.

Thanks for stopping by and the comment also it all helps and more to come

Me too.

Thanks for sharing! Is there places around TV that you can charge them at or do you need to go back home. THanks for the note. Subscribe Button: bit.ly/3aToJ3H

Haven't seen any public places for plugging in an electric golf cart, but even if there was it takes several hours to charge a golf cart. My understanding is the ratio of gas to electric carts is about 10 to 1. Yamaha carts seem to be the most prevalent here.

Thanks Tom, thanks for the info. Maybe they have solar power...kidding. Have a great day.

Working on it...LOL

Thanks it just takes a while to put these videos together. The cove it is already come and gone so it was pretty minor as far as that goes thanks for the comment

Yep the villages is not for everybody...so they say. But there is a bunch to do for sure.

Thanks for the view. Yes I know...LOL Just depends on where you came from I guess....

I know that now ...thanks. FOr me the reason I stick with the Villages is simply because of the size and all that is going on there. For me I know that my interests will change over time and The Villages offers so many things. Plus there are many golf courses and squares. THat is the simple reason for me. I keep looking around. Some think that is a disadvantage but for me the opposite. Let me know what you find in the other places. Always interested. Thanks for dropping in.

Thanks for stopping by. Yes learning the different areas especially the new one south of the turnpike can be beneficial. I know that they are building more pads in the southern part but that’s all new and information is scarce

I bike every day and live near the Fenney trail, southern and newer part of the villages. Over 16 miles of multi modal paths down here where you can bike safely away from the cars. You can catch my videos if you search my name on you tube

Sooooo.... as a general rule I would say as you move from north to south the age gets younger. I did not spend much time in Sumter but I would say 60-75. Yes some were very much younger and even had kids but you have no idea who actually lives there, renting or visiting. Going down next week and in April and will be spending time in the Southern area. Stay tuned. Subscribe Button: bit.ly/3aToJ3H

My pleasure! More to come and thanks for stopping in.

You are welcome.

I’m kind of curious to to see what it’s like there during the summer. But I’m sure there’s plenty of people just like you the rent out their place during the winter and go down during the summer but usually it seems to be the other way around

@@RustyNelson I have friends that live just outside The Villages, it’s hot & humid, you don’t golf or play pickle ball in the afternoon. Of course it’s gets hot & humid in Arkansas.

My husband and I did a lifestyle visit this past August and we are life long coastal Rhode Islanders and did not find TV any hotter or more humid than the weather we left in R.I. We very much liked what we were able to experience of TV and pretty sure that is where we will be living in a year or so when I retire. Enjoyed your video 😁

My family moved from Florida and we now live about half hr from Bedford ,Pa...we love it here!! It's a small close knit community...i love cooler weather,but have to say our winters have been on the milder side...i love our little corner of the world here ❤

Yes last year we had basically ZERO snow. It's 6 inches deep today. LOL Subscribe Button: bit.ly/3orJrgp

THanks for stopping by

I’m not sure where I got it actually I’m over it now. Was not that bad not even a temperature. As I’ve said in other comments it seemed as though in the squares people were lax about wearing a mask but outside the squares and in the restaurants it seem fairly normal as around the rest of the country

👍🏾

Thanks for stopping by. Not sure where I got Covid it could’ve been down there the last couple of days or on the ride back kind of hard to tell. But as I said to some other people I was amazed at the truck stops that I stopped at hardly anybody had masks on except for me. While I was down there I was fairly careful and had a mask on a lot of the times outside in while in the Square kept my distance

I will do that through a bunch of the videos and then probably at the end summit all up. Thanks for stopping by.

I did. You need to subscribe and and look at some of the other videos. They are only in parts as the trip moved on.

I’ll definitely say that this saying it’s not for everybody is true. But for me I can see possibilities although I’m not sure full time maybe part time but I found that a lot of people said that and then ended up moving down there full-time.

We go for our lifestyle visit the week between Christmas and New Years! We are so looking forward to it. We will keep watching your videos!

I am laughing because when I went there I started calling them roundabouts. And then I drifted into calling them circles. And then after being there a week I heard about four more variations of what people called them.

@@scottandjanstorey4694 Thanks for watching. you guys will have fun I hope. Make sure to take the cart out and drive around. the southern area you'll have to do by car though. If you play sports try and research that out before you go. THe more you plan out before the more you will not be sitting around trying to figure it out.

Thanks for stopping by and skip make some good videos that’s for sure. As far as Covid goes I have no idea where they caught it there or on the way back as the truckstops seem to be basically with no masks I was amazed. But the covid was a minor event as far as health goes

Hi Elizabeth...thanks for stopping in. Not sure about the single thing but I'm sure there is. I'll be going back down I think in April. I'll let you know. If you find out anything...drop it in the comments. Have a great day!

My friend who moved to The Villages about 8 years ago said there are several singles groups in The Villages. If you can find the recreation news on line, updated every Thursday. many club meetings are listed for various groups and interests. I'm not sure with COVID-19. if the club or group meetings have been affected or not.

Regarding masks it seemed kind of normal that people wore masks until they got to the table. In the Square it seem like people outside the square wore masks and people inside the square did not have mass on to about 70%. To be honest on the trip down I was absolutely amazed that most of the truckstops I stopped in I was one of the few that had a mask on. That was a few weeks that I was down there and tape that but I imagine things have probably changed a little bit by now

ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Rvh4oG6LLrk.html

YEs it is especially if it is not your game. The hotel was not expensive by any means though. I think it was about $100 with AAA. I travel a bunch so that is kinda average.

@@RustyNelson Did you tell them about the squeaky door?

Hi Evelyn, Thanks...I just did a review and posted it. Good timing. here is the link. THanks so much for the suggestion. Rusty ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-lBah2cRkQsA.html

Movie, not documentary. Exaggerated a few characters out of 125,000 Village residents to make a few dollars.

I guess it depends on why you are there. If you want a lifestyle type visit I would rent a house from the Villages. If you are just looking for a night then you would do the Hotel. THere is also a new hotel and Spa that I will be doing a vidoe on of you are subscribed in a couple of weeks. Long stay rent a house and get a golf cart. Short stay....hotel. You can always rent a cart from the villages golf cart shop. Subscribe Button: bit.ly/3aToJ3H

Thank You

Yes I was a pilot in the Air Force flew U2s and B-52’s. Funny thing was is I met the first day I was down there a guy that I flew with back in the late 80s up in Michigan. We were both a little heavier in a little gray hair… LOL

ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Rvh4oG6LLrk.html Here you go.

Have fun Bud. Drive the cart around and stop inn the Spa and resort nextdoor...something I mossed seeing that I wish I had.

@@RustyNelson stayed at the spa last night. Have a place in Alden now right behind it. It’s hard to wrap your head around how nice it is here.

No I have not. I did see some vids in it though.

First impressions overall were great. As far as Covid goes I have no idea timing could either be down there or on the ride back. I will tell you on the ride back that at the truck stops it seem like nobody had masks on I was really amazed at that.

Hope you continue on the road of recovery. And look forward to experiencing the whole journey with you!

Thanks for stopping. It's great that there is much to choose from. I was told that you come to the villages to live outside the house. So I can see where that might not work. Thanks for stopping in and good luck.

I grew up in Abington PA so I know bucks county well. Looking at going down in April. You renting?

@@RustyNelson I rent our house to other couples - I still work so I am not permanent there yet - I also grew up in Abington township

When I was flying home from Ca I sat next to somebody I grew up with two houses down...did not even know it. Live in Abington till college.

The first part of November

All I can tell you is that its a 55+ community. But with that said I believe you can have up 20% of the people below 55+. Also it seems that it gets younger as you move to the south. Always exceptions to the rules.

Funny...and yes I was even guest of the day...LOL Not sure there were that many people staying there at the time. I will say they were very nice at the desk and a bunch of help with the questions I had. Subscribe Button: bit.ly/3aToJ3H

I was down there a couple of months ago. It seemed to be a little laxed then but from what I hear things have tightened up some since. At the time in the squares there seemed to be "some" but each state at the time was different. Around the square it seemed the same as most of the areas that I traveled on the way down there. I came from PA where it was about 11% and at the time Florida was about about 7%. But things change as time goes in each area.

I'm a full time resident. Most of us heed the warnings and stay home. Rusty, why weren't you wearing a mask? Did you say you were getting over the virus? So you tested positive? Did you tell Skip?

Yep he knows. but that was some time ago. THanks for stopping by.

Thanks I think. LOL. Subscribe Button: bit.ly/3aToJ3H

@@RustyNelson Definitely a compliment! :-)

You should have seen the zero makes at the time at the truck stops on the way down. I have done some traveling and it really depends on the area you are in. These days are different then even 4 weeks ago.

It seems while I was down there that in the square there were about half the people wearing masks outdoors. Not sure what its like now but will find out when I'm down there next week. When I was inside all the people had masks till they got to where they were going to eat. But it's like that here in PA. Subscribe Button: bit.ly/3aToJ3H

Yes I did but first of all i was not looking...lol. Yes it seems to be white but you could say the same thing about parts of other cities which are all color or same ethnicity. I will say one thing...I never heard anything about race while I was down there and to tell you the truth I never really heard about politics. And I was down there at the height of the election. Sure you have some rallies (both sides) but for the most part it seemed people did not want to hear about it. They are there to have fun and live out their lives. And yes you will see people say stupid things on RU-vid but like the news...it is not the norm. From what I saw. I'll tell you if it was...I would not be there. Thanks for dropping in Kathryn. Subscribe Button: bit.ly/3aToJ3H

That made some noise for sure. Subscribe Button: bit.ly/3aToJ3H

Considering I had never been there before AND I was listening to other people say it before I got there AND I'm not perfect I'll still have a great day. I'm soooooo sorry I drove you crazy. LOL, BUT I learned that after being down there. If you could send us a link so we can watch your "perfect" videos. Have a wonderful day Patricia.

You are correct. I laugh at myself every time I say that because it never seems to come out right.

@@RustyNelson 😄 I used to say the same. I enjoy your Villages’s journey. We are having the same journey ( I’m 55 now) we are heading down in 3 weeks again to look at surrounding areas to either reinforce our decision or go elsewhere. I like many things about TV but there are a few glaring items that keep me from drinking the cool aid. 🙈

@@sylvain65 Like what? I've been educating myself on TV for a year now. We canceled our lifestyle visit due to Covid. I'm interested in knowing what you call the glaring items.