Do you sometimes head south for a break during the gray season? (Maple Valley: wood floors, how much)

[MtnSurfer]

I'm curious how many folks take trips in the gray/rainy season to sunnier locations for a little break or change of scenery? I think of it as similar to snowbirds who fly south for the winter. It seems like this would be a very valid coping mechanism when the gray skies get a little old especially if one deals with SAD.

While we enjoy rain we also like some sun on occasion like most folks, I guess. We've actually just come out of a long drought followed by CA wildfires where we literary prayed for rain! But as we all know too much of a good thing... well, can become an issue.

I know for some the weather becomes too much and they decide to leave the PNW. But for others they find ways to make it work. I'm thinking for us, taking a few trips a year would be helpful.

A co-worker of mine who lives in AZ does the opposite. He heads to the mountains in the Summer because he can't stand the AZ heat during its peak - sunbird.

Derek

[Beernik]

I moved from the SLC area (40.5N) to the San Juans (48.5N) and I was not prepared for how much more dark there is in the winter and light in the summer.

The extended dark doesn’t bother me as much as the extended light. But I do tend to switch to tropical drinks in the winter.

[MarciaMarshaMarcia]

After living my entire life in SoCal & going through extended heat waves, droughts & fires, I was ready to leave. But, I have to say, Washington winters are getting harder.

And, as I’ve emphasized before, it is not the rain, it’s the darkness, the gray, the oppressive feeling of the low cloud cover.

We’re probably going to be like snowbirds & head for more sun during the gloomiest months (like right now). I used to laugh at this concept...lol, joke’s on me!

It helps to stay physically active during the winter. I had some unexpected orthopedic injuries that really slowed me down, so that didn’t help.

I do have to say, Washington summers are pretty great...long, long days of sunshine & usually not hot. Last summer, we did have several hot days with a lot of smoke from fires in Montana & British Columbia...I thought I had time-traveled back to SoCal! But it cleared out & was beautiful again.

[Hemlock140]

Not often. When we go to Hawaii it’s in the winter, but we don’t go every year, and that would be the only time we go on vacation in winter. I like the rain, and dislike hot weather, one of the main reasons for living here.

[PS90]

We don't really have any rain in the winter, but we do have the same gray weather. Lots of people from this area move to AZ for about 2-3 months in the winter. Not us, though. I guess it's just normal for us, since that's how it's always been.

Yesterday, though was about perfect - 35 degrees and not a cloud in the sky!

[Diana Holbrook]

This is definitely the time of year when it sounds good to do that!

But alas... We can't travel in winter... no one to mind the farm!

We have a farm, with horses and goats and sheep and chickens, and these wet, short days are when we most long for a little dry spell... not a hot sunny one, just a little chance for the damp and mud to dry out a bit would be nice!

[StealthRabbit]

How many? (1+1) in this household.

every week during rainy season, sometimes 3-4x / week (Free companion pass / 15 min to a great airport with frequent flights to SUN!) Often find sun at only 5,000Ft UP!

The 'roomies' feed the livestock and get the mail. (extra living spaces / cabins / bunkhouses in my rural abodes, for this purpose and for future caregivers + that way it of 'free' for me to stay in whichever place I am near... all properties were cheap ~$100- $150k, all are positive cash flows $1500/ month = more funds for travel)

NZ and Australia and SA are great this time of yr. 5AM Sunrises and 10 PM sunsets (mountain sides of wildflowers and sheep)
I meet many Canadian farmers who keep farms in both hemispheres. (good idea!) Deductible business travel between locations.

[razmatazzy]

I found it difficult to leave in the winter/gloomy months. Invariably, every time we tried we had power outages and nobody to mind the generator. Wind, ice and snow storms would lead to power outages, sometimes several days to a week long. Even if we turned off the fridge ice maker, the freezer would thaw which then led to spoiled food and ruined wood floors. Freezing temps meant freezing bursting pipes. We were wired for a generator but that means refill the gas, start and stop it several times a day to keep enough heat on, keep things from thawing in the freezer, etc. It was too much to ask of a neighbor who had to keep their own generator going.
So we got used to staying home during winter/spring. This was in Maple Valley.

[sll3454]

I may take a trip to California, but not to escape the weather. I visit family there, and winter is much better than summer.

[bloom]

Originally Posted by sll3454

I may take a trip to California, but not to escape the weather. I visit family there, and winter is much better than summer.

Sun Diego