Best Rainy Week Vacations (Portland, Bend: RV park, rental car, sale)

[MDCB]

Love living in the Portland area and we had an amazing summer.

We also like the rain and are excited about the fall weather that has set in!

However, come December and January, especially after the holidays, we know we will be looking for some sunshine.

What are your guys' suggestions/favorite places to visit when the sun hasn't said hello in a while?

We were thinking Hawaii, but the rates in Jan are sky high. Also were thinking about Mexico, but it may be a bit more of a flight duration.


Thanks! Happy Fall!

[Cloudy Dayz]

Originally Posted by MDCB

Love living in the Portland area and we had an amazing summer.

We also like the rain and are excited about the fall weather that has set in!

However, come December and January, especially after the holidays, we know we will be looking for some sunshine.

What are your guys' suggestions/favorite places to visit when the sun hasn't said hello in a while?

We were thinking Hawaii, but the rates in Jan are sky high. Also were thinking about Mexico, but it may be a bit more of a flight duration.


Thanks! Happy Fall!

San Diego, or the places you mentioned. Florida would probably work too.

[MtnSurfer]

Well,

I can highly recommend Monterey, CA which is along the central coast. It is not as crowded as other places typically thought of. But it is beautiful in winter. My wife is from San Diego and I grew up in SoCal. Those are nice places as well. They will just be more crowdedand aren't as scenic. Monterey is right next to Big Sur which one of the top scenic wonders of the state.

And of course Hawaii is really nice too as are places south of the border - Cabo, Cancun, etc... But you don't have to go that far unless you want to, of course.

Here are some recent shots from winter on Monterey and Big Sur which we enjoyed while living there:


















Now if you want to actually swim in the water then somewhere tropical will be better. But there is a lot to see in do in CA in the Winter even if going in the water without a wetsuit isn't one them. And there will be plenty of sun 'most' of the time in lieu of the occasional winter storms which do roll through. Those tend to move through quickly, however.

Derek

[Hawk J]

Year's ago we arrived at Avi, in our motor home, the day before Thanksgiving. It was sunny & 85 degrees......There were many rv's parked in their lot. They also have an RV Park we moved to in a couple days. Everyone treated us like family.

https://www.avicasino.com/
They have beautiful pools & beach, boat ramp on the Colorado River. I've caught & released some nice Striped Bass & catfish in the river.

We've always had wonderful adventures in the area...

[texasdiver]

What's your budget.

Alaska Airlines now has direct flights from PDX to Costa Rica. Plane stops in LAX but you don't have to change planes. That would be my vote.

[MDCB]

Originally Posted by texasdiver

What's your budget.

Alaska Airlines now has direct flights from PDX to Costa Rica. Plane stops in LAX but you don't have to change planes. That would be my vote.

Don’t have too much of a budget constraint but the cheaper the better of course!
We do have a Toddler under the age of two, so shorter flights would be amazing! But we understand it’s gonna take a bit of time to escape the cold of the northern hemisphere in the winter.

[StealthRabbit]

2 hr drive east... (Goldendale Observatory / night program is a nice trip, especially using the Klickitat River route )
Dufur, Central / Eastern OR
3 hrs = Walla Walla (great weekend place during wine events)
Ellensburg / Wenatchee /

4-6 hrs Coulee City / Spokane / CDA / Sandpoint, ID, Boise

or

Direct 2hr flight to San Diego (Downtown airport means no rental car required). Spirit Air ran $19.90 OW fares to SAN, but now you have to go through LAS.~$50 on sale dates. Down at 5AM and back at midnight was perfect for a day of enjoying sunshine. SWA and Alaska you can get <$200 fares RT. (sale dates).

Bay area is close, can be nice, can be foggy.

Sacramento
Reno / Tahoe
Las Vegas
PHX
Tuscon

I also go to Colorado for winter sun.

HI is not my favorite, but I am using some of the $79 SWA fares (From Bay area) with companion pass = 1/2 price for 2
Did MX a few times, but it can end up being time consuming and expensive (all in). + my CC gets hacked 10x about 5 minutes after my first transaction in MX. Not sure why, but it is a hassle.

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by MDCB

Love living in the Portland area and we had an amazing summer.

We also like the rain and are excited about the fall weather that has set in!

However, come December and January, especially after the holidays, we know we will be looking for some sunshine.

What are your guys' suggestions/favorite places to visit when the sun hasn't said hello in a while?

We were thinking Hawaii, but the rates in Jan are sky high. Also were thinking about Mexico, but it may be a bit more of a flight duration.


Thanks! Happy Fall!

If you want some sun but not necessarily warm beaches then consider a couple of days over to Sunriver. There will likely be snow on the ground in January or if not it will be very close. There are a bazillion AirB&B and VRBO rentals in Sunriver at every price point. Could be a fun place to spend a couple days in the winter with a toddler doing snow stuff. The Sunriver village town square area gets all done up for Christmas and I think they put in an ice skating rink. Bend is next door and also has lots going on that time of year.

[jjpop]

This past February, my GF and I flew to Phoenix on Southwest. Airfare total for 2 RT tix = $250.

We might turn that into a tradition.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by jjpop

This past February, my GF and I flew to Phoenix on Southwest. Airfare total for 2 RT tix = $250.

We might turn that into a tradition.

Spring training is now in PHX, and Sedona, Jerome, and Prescott close enough...

Several friends from PNW we helped move to AZ, They have rural homes with cabins and RV sites (for free) for many PNW winter visitors. Cochise Mtns are really nice (<1 hr from Tuscon)_

Quite good hiking, horse and bike riding near Tuscon

With kids we would head to Palm Desert resorts to burn mileage and pionts.
Kids always went to Lake Havasu for a few weeks in March.

Speaking of Feb... We go 'Home' every Valentines Day (Loveland, CO) Write a poem and buy a 'cupid Heart' for fund raiser (They hang on street lights all over town. Fire and Ice festival, often decent weather (sometimes 70F, sometimes 20F) LOTS of sun!

Also Feb is San Antonio Stock Show (another home)


Early May we venture back to Portland for Rhodies and Pottery show, then off to Portugal and eventually to Scotland and Ireland (June), back to Portland for Rose Festival and Chamber Music NW (Late June and all of July.) After the Great OR Steam-up (End of July and first of August)... we head out for a few weeks in the mtns of WY, CO or Canada. Sept brings aspen colors in Mtns, Oct, East Coast / Blue Ridge Parkway