I will mention that my other friends rented a 2 br condo on the 14th floor on N. Myrtle beach SC overlooking the ocean. Apparently as it's off season, they give people a good deal if they rent by the month. It won't be as warm as other areas, but their last winter there was in the 50s/60s during the day. Not warm enough to swim, but good for a walk. And you get use of the gym, the pool, the restaurants on site etc. Not sure about medical facilities though.

Thanks, all! I don't think we want desert. (For one thing, we aren't golfers.) We've had Canadian guests tell us they couldn't afford Maui anymore with the bad exchange rate, and that they were going to try California desert. Both couples came back to us on Maui the following year, booking fewer nights to make it work financially.

I know that East Coast people tend to go to East Coast Florida and Midwesterners to West Coast Florida. We'd be open to either coast. I just don't know what's still *nice* -- we've been going to Hawaii for almost 40 years. (I know we're starting late for winter bookings -- idea just came up.)

Adding -- Yes, I'd thought about Myrtle Beach -- and San Diego. Those might work. Thanks, Annie.

I just need ordinary mainland-type-quality, reliable 'medical'. Maui is a backwater in that regard. I require blood testing and a shot of Velcade to be overseen by an oncologist -- alternate weeks right now.

I'll second the recommendation for San Diego - our daughter lives there and it's beautiful, with great food and lots of fun/interesting things to do, plus excellent medical care.

As for Florida, I've spent time on both coasts. The west coast is, IMO, more beautiful (I've vacationed in both Sarasota/Longboat Key and Naples), but not my cup of tea as far as the vibe. And other than fresh seafood, the cuisine, or at least what was on offer at the restaurants we went to, was pretty bland.

The east coast, where we went for years to visit my MIL, has some nice areas: Palm Beach, Boca, etc. But mostly, the endless strip malls and senior housing developments didn't make for a lovely scenic experience. We do like Miami, which is a very vibrant city, full of good food and good culture.

Sarasota Florida is pretty nice. Good hospital and lots of culture.

I don't know where you are coming from, but DH and I know what winters are like in the Midwest and New England. That's why we live on the Central Coast CA. We have been here 42 years. The winters aren't too bad here in the Santa Cruz area. It doesn't get too cold, 40's -50's daytime at the lowest. The only downside is in winter we get lots of rain. You can go a whole month and never see the sun or we could be having a drought year and have no rain at all with temperatures in the 70's. You never know.

Hawaii was our favorite place to go in winter and we even toyed with the idea of retiring there. But I think I would suffer from island fever if I stayed longer than a month. And we too have medical issues. I have relatives in Florida and have visited dozens of times. It is alright but doesn't compare to Hawaii IMHO.

I'm sorry but was this suppose to be a link? (For comparison, here's our Maui condo on Vrbo. We're #8049.) It doesn't come up as one for me.

I'm from the Coast. How's about San Francisco? Big city. Temperate climate. Great medical care. Gorgeous!

Jacksonville, FL has beach and Mayo Clinic.

haha, have you been to San Francisco lately? It's a wonderful city, a beautiful place to visit. For most of the year it's windy, cool, and damp (from the fog) and in the winter months, you can add wet to the windy, cool and damp.

San Diego is great, but IIRC (it's been 25 years since I left) Jan-Mar is the rainy season -- which might or might not be a problem in any particular year.

Other than weather, and not being golfers, what is it you are looking for in a winter location?

Well then, I guess raee's questions are far more important than snidely's. Cool and comfortable. Great medical care. Beauty is everywhere. But what is paramount?

Sanibel Island in Florida?

https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/vacationing-sanibel-island-florida

Hmmm...no wonder we're still going to Maui! Hard to beat.

We're OLD -- 78 and 81. We just want to 'live' somewhere warm and pretty for a few months while it's cold and icky north of Chicago. We've been doing that at a 1BR 2Bath condo for the last 19 years. (Not adept at linking. Locate Vrbo listing #8049. We'd like something similar.)

Now I'm wondering about Oahu. Honolulu has *better* medical facilities than Maui. However, winter is rainy to the north, with mostly high-rise options south. We like low-rise, low-density. I know...picky, picky!

Adding -- Yes, I was looking at Sanibel earlier today! Thanks for the link, mdln. I'll go back and read more.

Chisue's Maui Condo

I took a quick look at VRBO listings for San Diego and linked some here just for fun.

San Diego Cottage on the Beach

Beach Close New

San Diego Houseboat

Ocean Beach Cottage

rob, you can be as snippy as you want. I live near San Francisco, have for 40 years, and go pretty regularly. My information is from the here and now. Unlike whatever memories you have of your childhood 35+ years ago when you spent a few years living more than 100 miles away.

Yes, San Francisco is cool. Rarely warm because of the wind and especially not warm in the summertime. Someone who wants to escape winter temperatures wouldn't be happy in January when it may be 55 degrees and drizzly with a 15 mph wind blowing. But you know better so snark away.

Have you checked them out?

https://mauiwatch.com/2016/12/maui-memorial-medical-center-celebrates-grand-opening-of-oncology-unit/

https://www.ahd.com/free_profile/120002/Maui_Memorial_Medical_Center/Wailuku/Hawaii/

We know two couples "living" on Maui. One full time, the other about half the year. Both schedule their medical appointments to coincide with their visits back to the Mainland. And travel back for other than what can be handled by urgent care when necessary.

It's like a rural area or small town with small town capabilities. Aside from locals, you hear nothing but complaints about quality of medical care there and as I said, Oahu is little better.

chisue knows from decades of going there - the term "iffy" she used is about the same as what I've heard.

My husband's ex was a nurse in Honolulu and although care was better there than on the other islands if patients needed specialized care they were sent to the mainland. I am not certain which would be better one of the travel insurance plans that Elmer linked to the other day or air ambulance insurance.

Sanibel is BEAUTIFUL, but you get on at one end... and the island is long and narrow, with lots and lots of traffic...

or, at least, it was when I was there in June 2016.

What does Vrbo stand for?

Vacation Rentals By Owner: vrbo.com

What about the red tide in Florida and Sanibel too. Also, the new fear about the flesh eating bacteria in the warm water. DDs in-laws went to Desitin as their usual summer trip, but no one went into the water.

Red tide has not been a problem this summer along the gulf coast of Florida (currently a small concentration off the coast of Sarasota not affecting the beaches). Its sad that those in-laws were afraid of entering the water. Thousands of people swim everyday and have not gotten ill.

How you take my comment matters not. It wasn't snippy. It was merely factual. raee made the most important overlooked point.

How about Carmel? Beautiful village, nice beaches, easy drive to many wonderful cities for daytrips or overnights.

mdln -- Yes, I've read the PR about Maui Memorial's Cancer Center. However, In Real Life...nobody answers the phone or calls back when you leave a message. I got a response to an email six weeks after sending it -- saying they couldn't find an oncologist to work with me and..."sorry"...and "You really need to start working on these arrangements sooner." (I'd started in July, for our annual arrival in January.)

See the two star patient satisfaction rate?

The hospital has been third rate for decades. Existing staff and newcomers from Kaiser's involvement are still on different pay scales three years later. Need I say more?

I appreciate all the suggestions being made here. Thank you all.

What a beautiful condo! I can see why you love to spend the winters there. Sorry you won't be able to go this year. Scary about the cancer center's lack of communication. I don't blame you for not wanting to try dealing with them.

I have a friend who lives in St. Augustine. We visited there one week in January a few years ago. It was chilly! Of course the day we left it started to warm back up again. lol But I loved the area and would spend a few months there in a heart beat.

Good luck in your search!

I spend a few weeks in Sarasota in the winter. I think you would like: the birding, the climate, the medical facilities, the water. You wouldn’t like: the lack of unspoiled/untouched nature, the freeways, the flatness and the downtown (probably too built up for you). It will be better for the weather than the views.

Hi Sue, As a former Californian, I would recommend the Palm Springs, Palm Desert area for great weather and beautiful scenery. Ditto for Sedona, Arizona. As for Houston, M.D. Anderson cancer center is there. THE best in the country.

I wouldn’t recommend San Diego because of iffy weather and the worst traffic. One main reason so many Navy Admirals (?) retire there is because of the large MILITARY facilities, which are not available to civilians.

Have you considered Newport Beach, CA? Hoag Hospital is there, and the weather and beaches are great. Lots of good shopping and dining, too.

I was thinking more about this and, in general, the coastal regions of California are cold in January, February and March. The weather is not freezing like the Midwest, but it's not warm and balmy like Hawaii or Florida.

Agree that SoCal coastal weather isn't walm and balmy all winter. But as you know Fun there can be plenty of sunny and warm days in between the cool ones but for sure it's not Hawaii.

lindsey, I have a lifelong friend who has lived in proximity to Hoag his entire life. He nearly died from a botched procedure there two years ago. It was much more the fault of the surgeon than the hospital. But he's taking his medical "business" now to UCI.

I live in Los Angeles near the beach, and so my weather is very similar to that of San Diego. There is the problem of traffic here, but the traffic is worse in the summer. I tend to stay here during the winter, and I find the weather quite agreeable. It can get into the 80s in January, although that is not typical. We don't get that much rain in the winter, and some winters hardly any at all. When I lived in San Francisco, I always spent January and February in Mexico, to get away from the cold and damp, which caused me to get sinus infections. I don't have that problem here.

We also have a house in Cathedral City, which is between Palm Springs and Palm Desert, but we will be renting it out in the winter. There is no beach, of course, but the house does have a large pool, and I actually prefer that. I also do not play golf. Medical services are very good in Coachella Valley, and traffic is very light.

We went to Maui in August, thinking it would be off-season, but it turned out to be very popular with people from Texas who wanted to escape the heat. We wanted to go there during their dry season, but it still rained while we were there.

We love San Diego and spend a lot of time there. Winters are fairly mild, but it is often quite windy. We rented a house on the beach last Feb/March for two weeks and were only able to sit outside on the deck for a couple of those days. It was ok walking around town with a sweater or warm jacket, but it wasn't what I'd call beach weather. However, if we stayed inside, we did enjoy our beach/ocean view.

We're planning on going there for a week or two in January/Feb, but will stay further inland where it will be warmer and less windy.

Medical facilities in San Diego are quite good beyond the military hospital. Scripps, Sharp, and UCSD would likely all serve your needs. I have a bias toward Scripps but again, that is based on 25 years ago. That is in the La Jolla area, which is beautiful, and not such a bad drive (outside of rush hour) to Del Mar, Solana Beach, Cardiff, and Encinitas

Eisenhower med center in Rancho Mirage had a good reputation also (Palm Springs area)

If it isn't one of the years of frequent torrential downpours, then winter there is nice. Nights on the coast can get into the mid 40s, daytimes high 60s to 70s, and low humidity when it isn't raining. East of the coastal mountains it will get colder at night.

If rain won't bother you, then you should look at it.

Yes, elmer, there are bad doctors/surgeons everywhere. It's not unique to Hoag. UCI Medical Center is a teaching hospital and a major research center and, as such, is very "up" on the latest things. It is located in the City of Orange, a bit inland from the beaches. It is near the "intersections" of Interstate 5, the Garden Grove Freeway (22) and the Orange Freeway (57), which makes it easy to get to.

By the way, when we lived in Lake Forest, which is a bit south of Orange, everyone referred to UCI Medical Center as "ucky-muck" -- based solely on the initials UCIMC. It was quicker and easier to say "ucky-muck" than to say all of the initials.

Thanks for the travel guide. I was born and raised in SoCal and know OC and other areas well. Lake Forest used to be just generic El Toro.

Where the UCI medical complex is now used to be where the county hospital was located.

I tend to prefer getting medical services at medical schools, I think the clinicians on balance are much better than what is found out in the community. We're lucky to live near and have easy access to two top ones, Stanford and UCSF up in what rob thinks of as balmy San Francisco. If I lived in OC now, I'd use the UCI system as my friend now does.

For chisue, I can't imagine how hard it might be to get established with a doc or clinic when just visiting some place temporarily. Maybe think about going somewhere that offers numerous daily flights to Chicago and fly back for your appointments during your winter escape?

I've had someone recommend Anna Maria island, north of Sarasota -- can't tell how different it would be from Sanibel. Hawaii has mountains. These keys are so FLAT.

My knowledge of Florida is useless. We were in Pompano Beach to visit an aunt at least 35 years ago -- on our way to St. Thomas/St. John over Christmas (because Florida was 'too cold').

Chisue, nothing will compare to the beauty of Hawaii for you. Right now you need a place that will be warm and be close to medical care should you need it. I would look at it as an RX for your health.

Anna Maria island has beautiful beaches. It would be easier to access medical care (Moffat Cancer Center or Tampa General in Tampa) then Sanibel.

Do you want the beach for the view or do you get out and stroll on the sand? Will You have a car? I hesitate to recommend our (central Florida area) beaches because during ‘the season’ traffic can be horrendous. If you are not bothered by heavy traffic, search Pinellas County Beaches.

Manasota Key and the Englewood area (south of Sarasota) are a little less popular. Long Boat Key is also beautiful.

elmer, although everything in your world only revolves around you, my "travel guide," as you call it, was not to inform you of UCIMC's location. It was so that others at the Table who are not as familiar with OC as you are would have a better idea as to where it is.

As for Lake Forest & "generic El Toro" (as you so quaintly put it) -- there was always a section known as Lake Forest when the larger surrounding area was known as El Toro. We were in Lake Forest, which is why I referred to it as such.

elmer, that entire area used to be part of Mexico, so should we refer to it as Mexico rather than South Orange County, El Toro, or Lake Forest? Although Lake Forest did not incorporate as a City until 1991, there is a specific area that was most definitely known/called Lake Forest in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In Sacramento County, the areas known as Carmichael (population 61,762 as of the 2010 Census), Fair Oaks (population 30,912 as of the 2010 Census), Orangevale (population 33,960 as of the 2010 Census), Folsom (population 78,038 as of the 2010 Census), and Gold River (population 7,812 as of the 2010 Census), to name a few areas, are all unincorporated and known as "Census-designated areas" but they each have their own ZIP Codes, and I can assure you the residents would argue with you if you told them that they don't exist.

Oh, let's not forget "the Pocket." If anyone in the greater Sacramento area says, "I live in the Pocket," everyone else in the greater Sacramento area knows exactly where they're talking about. (Population in the Pocket is somewhere around 30,000.)

Also, it's just as easy to look up UCI Medical Center as it is to look up Disneyland, and I mentioned the three freeways only as a point of reference to the fact that it is easy to get to.

Have you talked with your oncology team? They may be able to recommend someone in a desirable location. For example, I could give you names of excellent ED docs around the country who I know, and would recommend without reservation - not that you need one of them.

I'm embarrassed. You've all been so kind, making great recommendations -- and I'm still comparing everything unfavorably to our 'familiar' on Maui. Of course I'm 'stuck'!

This whole issue arose because of my poor experience last year trying to arrange care on Maui. Maybe I should focus on trying to solve THAT. Maybe I could be OK going for five weeks, with chemo here at both ends of the stay. Maybe I need to just start with finding an internist on Maui -- who could refer me if necessary.

mdln -- I'll send you a PM. My oncologist here was not successful with the people at Maui Memorial. Who knows if it's just that they are overextended with their own, local patients -- no time for 'some tourist' they'd treat for a maximum of three months.

What an awful situation. It shouldn't be so hard.

Maui is wonderful and so too is much of Hawaii but getting quality medical care can be a challenge. I hope you can work this out without too much stress.

Here's a stretch - might it be possible to arrange in Honolulu?

I would like to add that hospitals and providers in the San Diego (and other southwest "snowbird" areas) used to be comfortable with assisting part year and temporary residents, My hospital even had an area for RV parking with hookups.

I wonder if that has changed? since the regulatory and reimbursement environment certainly has.

There seems to be a pattern here :-) Those in the eastern half of the US tend to favor Florida while those in west lean to the desert Southwest. I personally love the desert but it does lack a beach......however swimming pools are ubiquitous and temps warm enough to enjoy them. I am pretty familiar with coastal SoCal, both Orange and San Diego counties, and while winter weather there can be wonderful, it is not something you can necessarily bank on. I recall eating lunch outside at a beachfront restaurant in San Clemente on January 3rd in my shirt sleeves one year while needing a warm jacket at other times just to go shopping!

I have some close friends that have become reverse snowbirds. They sold their beautiful waterfront home here on Puget Sound to move to Palm Desert permanently. Now they travel or come back to visit friends here in summer to escape the desert heat!

I would also not recommend Sedona for snowbirding purposes. This is high desert and is cold in winter! It also gets a lot of snow.....more than twice the annual amount we receive up north here near Seattle.

It would seem like the availablity of quality medical services would be a deciding factor in this situation.

Before the BCS thing changed the Rose Bowl Game's traditional Pac8/10 vs Big 10 arrangement, I remember being at a number of games (it's on New Year's Day) when the temps were in the 80s. They called them "Chamber of Commerce Days" because it was thought the warm weather enticed westward migration for people leaving areas where winters are cold and difficult.

Coastal SoCal usually has many days in the winter months that would be warm spring/early summer days elsewhere but you're right, they're not predictable. But it's never as cold as cold is known elsewhere.

Not everyone in the West longs for the desert and some never go. It's easy to understand someone exchanging wet Puget Sound for dry Palm Desert though, or leaving cold winters for the more temperate desert winters the traditional snowbirds can enjoy in both in California and Arizona.

It's natural that those on the East Coast would tend to go to Florida - proximity, relatively cheap airfares (it used to be the case, I haven't looked lately) and reasonable hotel/rental rates make it attractive.

Californians I've known don't seem to find Florida alluring (I don't) and probably think to head to Mexico or Hawaii more frequently when they want beaches and warm weather, both for proximity reasons (again) and vibe.

You're welcome to spend the winter at our Lake House in Huron, OH. The Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center is 6 miles away in Sandusky.

There's beautiful Lake Erie next to the patio, the Witch of November visits often, and you won't have to worry about A/C....it's always cool there. :)