Best cool weather places in the US to spend summer and fall?

[the_fixer]

What about the San Juan Islands?

I would love to spend a summer or even a year in that area.

As a kid we would go out to Orcas Island and go hiking and take the ferry to different areas suck an amazing place.


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[use2betrix]

I’d head to the Ouray, Colorado region for camping, hiking, and exploring. Can also venture up to Wyoming and take advantage of all the dispersed camping on BLM land.

It’s a shame that you can’t get into Canada, otherwise you can easily spend a month or two in Banff/Jasper without running out of stuff to do.

Following the continental divide trail gives tons of exploring opportunities.

[nereo]

m not positive and neither is SO but I still feel like I'm being a dick wanting to leave so I can actually feel safer without having to stay home 24/7 for another few months. What say the Mustashian hordes? not positive and neither is SO but I still feel like I'm being a dick wanting to leave so I can actually feel safer without having to stay home 24/7 for another few months. What say the Mustashian hordes

?

I say what matters is how you approach it. If you self quarantine and/or get tested and keep following guidelines I’ve got no problem with traveling to newer, hopefully safer areas.

[Jtrey17]

In the Midwest, Door County in upper Wisconsin is popular in the fall if you like woods, Lake Michigan, hiking, dunes etc.  Wisconsin is a pretty open state and that might freak you out a bit coming from California as people are less affected by it (and thus more lax on covid prevention measures) Edit-  I looked it up, Door County has 73 cases TOTAL since it began which is pretty crazy coming from an urban market perspective

All due respect, please don’t come here. Our only hospital has 25 beds.

[MrGreen]

Port Angeles, WA would fit the bill nicely. Or the south end of the Olympic Peninsula around Westport or Long Beach. Depends  what kind of home base you are looking for. If you go east of the Cascades you will have to go higher up than Spokane for cool summers. Priest River and Sandpoint ID are nice enough but my reference point is friends on top of a 4000' mountain. And you'll have to be aware of fire season when in the inland NW.

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I would love to spend a month or two in the Port Angeles area of the Olympic National Forest. There were awesome rivers, waterfalls, mountains, a lake, and even beaches all within driving distance, and some off the beaten path camping spots if you wanted to spend a night or two away from home. I was having a very difficult time finding a place that wasn't a shared space (renting a room with others in the house) that wasn't a total budget buster. For us that was anything over $100 a night.

I just read your thread about the difficulties you are having finding a place you could stay awhile since long term camping road trips might be too difficult. We are still closed down in most (all?) Calif state and Nat Parks for camping (my original plan if I wasn't going overseas) and am hearing other states might close all camping too - at least for non-RVers.

So where are you now and have you found an affordable place yet? I'm planning to leave next Sat and hope to have a place ....somewhere... by the Aug 1st. No luck yet.

Shockingly we haven't truly left yet. We came to Maryland to visit family before launching and our van worse have reached the point where we're getting another vehicle. Then it's back to NC briefly for outfitting and then departure.

I know CA, OR, and OR are much more cautious but I would be surprised to see Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming close campgrounds. We're hoping to still rely heavily of those, or boondocking, and change it up with AirBnbs at times. It seems like immediate availability of long term stays 4+ weeks) in these areas are tough to come by right now. Most openings we're seeing for reasonably priced places don't start until what I'd call the shoulder seasons. Like late Sept into Oct in the Olympic peninsula, which can be fairly chilly for one used to SoCal type weather.

It's definitely tough right now to find stuff, but at this point I'd even consider some off the beaten path locations or less desirable towns in those areas if that's what it took to get some distance at a reasonable price.

[nereo]

m not positive and neither is SO but I still feel like I'm being a dick wanting to leave so I can actually feel safer without having to stay home 24/7 for another few months. What say the Mustashian hordes? not positive and neither is SO but I still feel like I'm being a dick wanting to leave so I can actually feel safer without having to stay home 24/7 for another few months. What say the Mustashian hordes

?

I say what matters is how you approach it. If you self quarantine and/or get tested and keep following guidelines I’ve got no problem with traveling to newer, hopefully safer areas.

I guess I shouldn't say neither of us is positive because we haven't been tested but rather neither of us have any symptoms and have both been pretty self isolated except for BFs volleyball side gig which got cancelled last week. So will have a bit more than 2 weeks away from other people before we leave on Sunday. Then we will be fairly isolated after that while heading north...or east...or ... ;-). Then, if we find a place to hole up for a couple or so months, we can self-quarantine there.

Why not get tested anyone?  Are tests available in your area?
Seems like the responsible thing to do, if you can.

[Just Joe]

In the Midwest, Door County in upper Wisconsin is popular in the fall if you like woods, Lake Michigan, hiking, dunes etc.  Wisconsin is a pretty open state and that might freak you out a bit coming from California as people are less affected by it (and thus more lax on covid prevention measures) Edit-  I looked it up, Door County has 73 cases TOTAL since it began which is pretty crazy coming from an urban market perspective

We vacationed in Wisconsin one year in August. MAN that water was cold. Was like swimming in a creek in April for us south of the Mason Dixon line.

[nereo]

I'm not sure someone can get testing without a doctors orders but I may be wrong. Hours long lines though but its a good idea. I don't have regular medical insurance since I use the VA and they won't test without cause, but I will check.around.  I'm 99.9% sure I've never had it but who knows?

This irritates me to no end.  Not you, Spartana, but the fact that 4+ months into widespread transmission in the US and in many areas one cannot easily get a test.  I think my state is smart in welcoming out-of-staters provided they get tested beforehand and follow basic Covid guidelines, but it's meaningless if tests aren't available.  Grr....

[feelingroovy]

Upstate New York is nice too. Definitely cool until the sun warms things up. Lake Placid area is really nice.

Is NY still open for us outsiders? Ibe never been to that area and no nothing about it but it looks beautiful. Like Vermont.

It seems to be open. I have a cycling buddy who takes his family up there on a regular basis (from NJ) and was there a couple of weeks ago.

I live in upstate NY and the summer and fall is truly lovely. But there is a 2 week quarantine for travelers from 31 states right now (though they keep adding more). 

https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/covid-19-travel-advisory

[Fishindude]

If you like woods and water, anyplace in northern Michigan, Wisconsin or Minnesota is pretty nice.   Lots of beautiful areas to spend time outdoors around the great lakes as well a thousands of inland lakes.

[Dicey]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Back in SoCal (where I am whining loudly about the heat and smog...well smoke). Got about 3 weeks of cool green coastal NorCal bliss but big fires now. Wild weather, very hot, smoky , things closing and people and firefighters looking for lodging. Too Smokey to head eastward into Calif so came home for a bit before giving it a try in another location next (somewhere in the upper midwest to new england maybe).

But otherwise it felt very safe from the covid angle, it was easy to social distance and avoid people and crowds. However campgrounds, even in the big Nat and state parks are still mostly shutdown - or very heavily booked.  So besides the wildfires it was a good covid-road trip trial. Gotta scope out the camping or lodging situation pretty closely though.

This is why our new-to-us RV is still sitting in the driveway.

[Dicey]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Back in SoCal (where I am whining loudly about the heat and smog...well smoke). Got about 3 weeks of cool green coastal NorCal bliss but big fires now. Wild weather, very hot, smoky , things closing and people and firefighters looking for lodging. Too Smokey to head eastward into Calif so came home for a bit before giving it a try in another location next (somewhere in the upper midwest to new england maybe).

But otherwise it felt very safe from the covid angle, it was easy to social distance and avoid people and crowds. However campgrounds, even in the big Nat and state parks are still mostly shutdown - or very heavily booked.  So besides the wildfires it was a good covid-road trip trial. Gotta scope out the camping or lodging situation pretty closely though.

This is why our new-to-us RV is still sitting in the driveway.

I hear ya! Although there seems to be many many more RVers out there then ever before so people are getting out and about a lot. I'm still car-less but will  buy a basic van for camping on the next journey which will likely after Labor Day. Hoping to have better cooler weather and fewer people then. Going solo this time.

My fingers are crossed for you!

[Dicey]

Note to spartana - I got confused for a second, then I remembered I answered this in Frank's journal (exflyboy). He and HRH are celebrating their 20th anniversary by going camping. You know, millionaire style.

[JoJo]

I'm hitting the road by Labor Day weekend.  Heading towards Wyoming, then SW Utah.  Combo of van camping and friend stays.   Glad to hear it's easy to distance.  I'm trying to hit some of the less visited parks and trails for sure.

[Dicey]

Note to spartana - I got confused for a second, then I remembered I answered this in Frank's journal (exflyboy). He and HRH are celebrating their 20th anniversary by going camping. You know, millionaire style.

Lol I read that on @Exflyboy journal. Millionaire plane camping. I swear he is really Richard Branson.

I think you are on to something...

[deborah]

Note to spartana - I got confused for a second, then I remembered I answered this in Frank's journal (exflyboy). He and HRH are celebrating their 20th anniversary by going camping. You know, millionaire style.

Lol I read that on @Exflyboy journal. Millionaire plane camping. I swear he is really Richard Branson.

I think you are on to something...

He doesn’t look anything like Richard Branson.

[Dicey]

Note to spartana - I got confused for a second, then I remembered I answered this in Frank's journal (exflyboy). He and HRH are celebrating their 20th anniversary by going camping. You know, millionaire style.

Lol I read that on @Exflyboy journal. Millionaire plane camping. I swear he is really Richard Branson.

I think you are on to something...

He doesn’t look anything like Richard Branson.

That's true, he's much more handsome. Younger, too.

[lhamo]

Nice and cool up here in the PNW!  Just sayin'....

[Exflyboy]

Note to spartana - I got confused for a second, then I remembered I answered this in Frank's journal (exflyboy). He and HRH are celebrating their 20th anniversary by going camping. You know, millionaire style.

Lol I read that on @Exflyboy journal. Millionaire plane camping. I swear he is really Richard Branson.

I think you are on to something...

He doesn’t look anything like Richard Branson.

That's true, he's much more handsome. Younger, too.

Oh.. right sarcasm.. Now I get it..:)

I wonder what my two man tent (which I cleverly didn't even pay for) says parked next to my private jet?

[Dicey]

Note to spartana - I got confused for a second, then I remembered I answered this in Frank's journal (exflyboy). He and HRH are celebrating their 20th anniversary by going camping. You know, millionaire style.

Lol I read that on @Exflyboy journal. Millionaire plane camping. I swear he is really Richard Branson.

I think you are on to something...

He doesn’t look anything like Richard Branson.

That's true, he's much more handsome. Younger, too.

Oh.. right sarcasm.. Now I get it..:)

I wonder what my two man tent (which I cleverly didn't even pay for) says parked next to my private jet?

F-R-U-G-A-L

[MrGreen]

Note to spartana - I got confused for a second, then I remembered I answered this in Frank's journal (exflyboy). He and HRH are celebrating their 20th anniversary by going camping. You know, millionaire style.

Lol I read that on @Exflyboy journal. Millionaire plane camping. I swear he is really Richard Branson.

I think you are on to something...

He doesn’t look anything like Richard Branson.

That's true, he's much more handsome. Younger, too.

Oh.. right sarcasm.. Now I get it..:)

I wonder what my two man tent (which I cleverly didn't even pay for) says parked next to my private jet?

How do you think I paid for this jet? :P

[Trudie]

UP of Michigan.

Yep.  We’re driving there in September.  Rented a cabin so we can prepare meals at home.  We’re packing a large cooler to stay out of the stores and are going to hike and socially distance.  With these precautions I am not worried.

[Fomerly known as something]

Work is picking up for me with travel, (I have a unique job).  I’ve spent more time in hotels (In 3 states) during August then at home.   I get tested on a semi regular basis, and so far have been negative as recent as last Friday, but it only means I was negative on Friday.  I constantly am self checking myself when getting my workouts in, is my breathing normal or harder, does this mean anything.  I mention this because I think the “or a negative COVID test” is BS, if a state wants to quarantine the. It should be 100% the quarantine, not a test when a positive only shows up most often 5-9 days after exposure.

[nereo]

Note to spartana - I got confused for a second, then I remembered I answered this in Frank's journal (exflyboy). He and HRH are celebrating their 20th anniversary by going camping. You know, millionaire style.

Lol I read that on @Exflyboy journal. Millionaire plane camping. I swear he is really Richard Branson.

I think you are on to something...

He doesn’t look anything like Richard Branson.

I, for one, think that’s a point in his favor...