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Thanks for all the fantastic replies everyone. WRnative - the links are all great, thank you. Need to research more but liking the sound of Az
Are your kids going to be in school in the U.S.?
Personally, I would focus on the Sedona and Boulder, CO, areas, given your interests.
Winters in Boulder are highly variable, some snow, but many warm days. It's proximity to ski areas such as Aspen, also beautiful in the autumn, would be great if you would like to partake of winter mountain sports. Rocky Mountain National Park is one of the great ones, but there are many other great natural locations in Colorado. E.g., Denver's Mt. Evans, with the world's highest paved road, and Pike's Peak, with the world's highest cog railway and a paved road. CO is the place for mountains.
Since you will not be here in the summer months but would like sunshine, I think Arizona is one of your best bets. Coastal California, apart from being expensive, is quite often cool and overcast during the months you'll be here.
Just be prepared for the nature and scenery to be VERY different from what you're used to. It's gorgeous, but...very different.
Hmmm, Sep to May- little winter and tons of sun. That does sort of limit you to a few places in the US.
I would choose San Antonio or Fredericksburg over Austin proper. Austin has exploded in population over the last few years and has lots of sprawl.
I might choose Tucson over Scottsdale because I think it might be more interesting. Scottsdale strikes me as somewhat sterile but maybe not an issue. Maybe Scottsdale is the best choice.
Henderson, Nevada?
Assuming you have Irish brogues (Ha ha) I think your accents will be more easily understood out west as opposed to Texas- the southwest. Took me a long time to communicate in Tx without saying "excuse me, but could you say that again?" and I am an American.
All these places can be around 40F in winter.
Keep in mind that Vegas and Henderson are 10 to 15 degrees colder than phoenix from Nov to April, with 20mph winds nearly every day.
Glad you specified September to May. There's no way on god's green earth I'd recommend spending a summer in Austin given where you're coming from, but fall, winter, and spring wouldn't be so bad.
I personally think St. George, Utah, is worth a look. Not far from Las Vegas or Salt Lake City. Decent winters. Lots of sun, and National Parks galore nearby.
St George even colder than Vegas.
Vegas and St George also rather cloudy from Nov to March.
They're from 35 degrees latitude and north, subject to more storms.
Last edited by Arizona89A; 08-11-2016 at 04:27 AM..
Freezing cold and windy all winter, highs in the 30s, lows in the teens. Ice and snow clogs the streets, dangerous, cold, and dark.
Summers, are beautiful, as is the fall season.
Last edited by Arizona89A; 08-11-2016 at 04:28 AM..
Thanks again. The more I look, the more I'm leaning towards Arizona or Texas as Cali seems SOOO expensive! The weather is still a big concern though. mm
Agree. Nov to April is southern California's down season, you might find a deal on renting a house or vacation rental in a less populated place like Carlsbad, Ca.
Flagstaff Arizona might also work. A bit colder due to the higher elevation, but not by much. I think Flagstaff feels significantly smaller, considering the cities have almost equal populations of just under 70,000 though - probably because Santa Fe has a much better downtown.
Flag and Santa Fe both lots of snow with lows in the teens. However, Flag has no wind until the spring
If you want Arizona, I would substitute Sedona for Scottsdale in the blink of the eye, especially given your love of biking. The Phoenix area is hot and pales against Sedona for natural attractions. Sedona is much closer to the great natural attractions of northern Arizona (e.g., Grand Canyon, Page area, Monument Valley) and the great Utah parks (Zion, Bryce, and many more). Sedona is renown for its red rock and Oak Creek Canyon.
Relatively nearby Sedona are the likes of Old West destinations such as Prescott and Jerome.
The heat in the Phoenix area can be brutal, take my word for it, much, much more than a family from Ireland wants to deal with, especially in summer months.
Santa Barabara would be OK, but there may be more unique locations in CA given your interests. E.g., Mammoth Lakes, especially if you would enjoy winter sports in addition to world class mountain biking.
Mammoth would provide easier access to the likes of Yosemite and Death Valley.
Perhaps consider Boulder, CO (or several surrounding communities) with easy access to Rocky Mountain National Park. It's weather is highly variable from day to day. As the home of both the Univ. of Colorado and NOAA, it would offer an exposure to many intellectual activities as well as American university sports. Great mountain biking.
You can check average weather, even by month or day, for most U.S. locations here:
Austin wouldn't be a top choice for me, especially given your interests.
Another place that I would consider given your interests is the New River Gorge area of WV. It would offer more easy access to the many attractions of the eastern U.S., such as Greater Washington, DC, an historical mecca, and is top-notch if you want to enjoy white water rafting.
Perhaps divide your stay into two different cities, with somewhere in the east for summer months. E.g., Ithaca, NY is great in the summer, with good elevations and excellent waterfalls.
Plan on lots of camping. If you want to visit the great national parks, reservations are needed as much as a year in advance (e.g., Grand Canyon and especially Yosemite) and they are much more crowded during the family summer vacation travel season (especially the second week of June through the second week of August). Yellowstone and Yosemite both are great visits in late May (newborns in Yellowstone, peak water conditions at Yosemite).
Have fun! And please report back!
Check out tripadvisor.com forums if you have done so yet. E.g.:
Boulder, CO, and especially Ithaca, NY, are hotbeds of healthy eating, organic foods, vegan/vegetarian, and locavore in the case of Ithaca. Sedona and Santa Barbara likely are very good.
Ithaca has one of the better farmer's markets that I've seen in the U.S. Ithaca is not a place I would enjoy in winter, however.
Did you enjoy the scenery from the "Last of the Mohicans?" If so, perhaps check out Asheville, NC, a very enjoyable city, although peak summer heat/humidity in the South is not a personal favorite.
Boulder and Mammoth very windy and very cold. lake Tahoe milder, and not as cold.
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