Favorite areas to be mid June-mid Sept?

[JamBand]

I wanted to get a thread going about everyone's favorites areas mid June to mid Sept (not exact - but those general time frames). Not necessarily specific places you camp, but close to what area or towns? Places that don't get too hot but are just right. And not overrun with people.

Some areas I'm thinking to start off the discussion:

-deep in the green mnts of VT
-far northern ME
-CO...Creede, South Fork, Rabbit Ears, Leadville
-WY - snowy mnts. Other places in WY? A lot of WY is hot July/Aug
-MT (MT is hard because places like Whitefish are very crowded and a lot of the valleys in MT are too hot July/Aug)
-OR Coast central to southern (but probably crowded July/Aug?)
-Olympic peninsula WA (but probably crowded July/Aug?)
-ID? (a lot of ID is too hot July/Aug)
-Northern MN? (too hot?)
-Upper Penin MI?
-NM too hot?
-Alpine AZ?

Forest fire smoke in summer can be an issue a lot in the Mountain West and can be very hard to escape without getting in a place.

What are your favorite areas? Places you keep going back to?

[twogypsies]

Any place over 7,000' elevation.

[JamBand]

Originally Posted by twogypsies

Any place over 7,000' elevation.

Any favorite areas for you over 7,000 feet?

[twogypsies]

Colorado: Silverton, Ouray, Pagosa Springs, Lake City, Mancos, Leadville

New Mexico: Red River, Santa Fe

Arizona: Flagstaff, Show Low to Pinetop to Greer to Alpine

Utah: Bryce

Idado: Stanley mountain areas

Wyoming: Dubois, Encampment

California: Mammoth Lake area and many places along 395

Montana: Red Lodge, Cook City

[JamBand]

Originally Posted by twogypsies

Colorado: Silverton, Ouray, Pagosa Springs, Lake City, Mancos, Leadville

New Mexico: Red River, Santa Fe

Arizona: Flagstaff, Show Low to Pinetop to Greer to Alpine

Utah: Bryce

Idado: Stanley mountain areas

Wyoming: Dubois, Encampment

California: Mammoth Lake area and many places along 395

Montana: Red Lodge, Cook City

That is a terrific list twogypsies, thank you so much.

I didn't realize Red River NM was so high in elevation and had cooler summers. Ever try Pinedale WY? Looks like lots of lakes close, and not as hot in July/Aug as a lot of the rest of WY.

Stanley is truly stunning. Driving down highway 75 in summer with the Salmon river sparking in the sun on you left hand side and the memorizing Sawtooths ahead, is one amazing drive!

[followingsea]

Cool desert nights!

Eastern Washington and Oregon are semi-arid. It cools down nicely at night thanks to the low humility. There are many well maintained forest service roads and practically deserted roads.

The Cascades, coastal mountains, Pacific ocean to the west provides a cooler climate. We were in Ocean shores last summer when there was a heat advisory because the high being 90F.

[JamBand]

I'm exploring making a change in my life. I currently live in the Seattle area and want to leave. I don't want to full time RV, but I want to move somewhere small city as a "home base" and rent or buy a place, and then have a RV for the part of the year weather is not good in the home base. Trying to figure out where my home base should be. I could have a home base in the north and and then RV in the south in winter. Or have a base in the south and RV cooler areas in summer. Could also possible have two condos or a house and condo and shuttle between the two. But keeping it reasonable cost wise, not made of money. in late 40's no kids or ties. I'd like a home base that is a decent small city to develop some roots, decent community, growing, etc...

Some thoughts for southern "bases" are somewhere in AZ, So UT, Las Cruces area, Kerrville TX area.

Northern bases are Spokane area, a good mid sized city MT, Durango/Bayfield/Mancos/Pagosa, Spearfish SD, Vermont (have family in NE main reason to consider that), Southern OR, smaller western WA town. Any way, lots of options open. I'm kind of all over the place right now as you can see!

[JamBand]

Originally Posted by followingsea

Cool desert nights!

Eastern Washington and Oregon are semi-arid. It cools down nicely at night thanks to the low humility. There are many well maintained forest service roads and practically deserted roads.

The Cascades, coastal mountains, Pacific ocean to the west provides a cooler climate. We were in Ocean shores last summer when there was a heat advisory because the high being 90F.

Thanks for response. I find a lot of Eastern WA a bit too hot July/Aug (Wenatchee area, etc...).

I like the OR Coast a lot in summer, especially the central and southern part further from the big cities.

[Busskipper]

Originally Posted by JamBand

I wanted to get a thread going about everyone's favorites areas mid June to mid Sept (not exact - but those general time frames). Not necessarily specific places you camp, but close to what area or towns? Places that don't get too hot but are just right. And not overrun with people.

Some areas I'm thinking to start off the discussion:

-deep in the green mnts of VT
-far northern ME
-CO...Creede, South Fork, Rabbit Ears, Leadville
-WY - snowy mnts. Other places in WY? A lot of WY is hot July/Aug
-MT (MT is hard because places like Whitefish are very crowded and a lot of the valleys in MT are too hot July/Aug)
-OR Coast central to southern (but probably crowded July/Aug?)
-Olympic peninsula WA (but probably crowded July/Aug?)
-ID? (a lot of ID is too hot July/Aug)
-Northern MN? (too hot?)
-Upper Penin MI?
-NM too hot?
-Alpine AZ?

Forest fire smoke in summer can be an issue a lot in the Mountain West and can be very hard to escape without getting in a place.

What are your favorite areas? Places you keep going back to?

Elevation will be your key to success IMHO.

Next town size and available necessities - what do you really want/need/enjoy?

As has been mentioned, 7,000 feet is good, but 7,999 might be better in the summer,

If remote and small towns work might look into spots like Lake City or Marble, as both are small, but have a few that hang around all year and are in the heart of some Beautiful country.

If a little larger is needed - Salida/Buena Vista/Pagosa Springs come to mind. Then if you want lot's of action look into Ski Towns for most of the year then rent the place out in the Winter

As you have noticed, my selections are focused in Colorado......as I like many have traveled all around this great country and while I can say there are many great spots to Visit - I have never not wanted to return to any of my time/travels in Colorado, as there is just sooooo much to see and do.

Work a little bit more on the Mission and we can really help with the selection.

JMHO,



On Edit; Might even look into a place like Custer, SD - taxes are good and every year as you were leaving to head south - Oh the places you could go......... Just a Thought.

[bmwrider1946]

A lot of focus on the west in this thread. We spend much if the summer in Western North Carolina. The weather is much cooler in the mountains and if you live on the east coast it is usually accessible in one day. We still love to travel west but with our summer base here we have the best of both worlds IMHO.

[JamBand]

Originally Posted by Busskipper

Elevation will be your key to success IMHO.

Next town size and available necessities - what do you really want/need/enjoy?

As has been mentioned, 7,000 feet is good, but 7,999 might be better in the summer,

If remote and small towns work might look into spots like Lake City or Marble, as both are small, but have a few that hang around all year and are in the heart of some Beautiful country.

If a little larger is needed - Salida/Buena Vista/Pagosa Springs come to mind. Then if you want lot's of action look into Ski Towns for most of the year then rent the place out in the Winter

As you have noticed, my selections are focused in Colorado......as I like many have traveled all around this great country and while I can say there are many great spots to Visit - I have never not wanted to return to any of my time/travels in Colorado, as there is just sooooo much to see and do.

Work a little bit more on the Mission and we can really help with the selection.

JMHO,



On Edit; Might even look into a place like Custer, SD - taxes are good and every year as you were leaving to head south - Oh the places you could go......... Just a Thought.

Thank you for this. CO seems like it has lots of great choices for peak summer & have always been wowed by its beauty when I have been. And I will look into Custer SD. I do like no state income taxes a lot

[cinitall]

Petoskey Michigan- Great Summer temps/ Fall colors and a lot of things to see and do.

[JamBand]

IMO it's more difficult to find the "home base" in a warm part of the country for winter these days. To me there are far more nicer and more interesting towns in northern summer locations (CO, ME, VT, MI, WY, MT, WA, OR).

Florida 60 years ago was probably an interesting place, but now mostly too crowded, overbuilt, traffic choked. Outside of Phx/Scottsdale and Tucson, it doesn't seem like there is a vibrant nice smaller city to live in AZ say 6 mos a year late Oct-May. And Maricopa County now as 4.3 million people and is a giant sprawling area. But it does have good winter weather, things to do and a great airport. Tucson has some very nice desert nature around it, but has never blown me away as a nice town to live and has this odd somewhat run down feel to a lot of it. Palm Springs area doesn't jump out at me at this point in my life. None of the cities along the gulf coast really jump out at me. I lived in SoCal at one point, too crowded and too expensive, and just doesn't appeal to me anymore. Another place that was great I'm sure 50 yrs ago.

If I could just go back in time 50 yrs ago I would jump all over Key West FL in winter!

[Big Dude]

We enjoyed south central CO as it's nearly 8000' - Gunnison, Buena Vista area