Anyone take winter warm up trips? (Walla Walla, Sequim: to rent, hotel, home)

[MtnSurfer]

With all the serious posts, I thought I'd post something a little lighter. As we approach winter in the WA with lots of rain and more snow to come along with colder waters, I'm reminded of good times visiting Florida during the winter. It's definitely a fun place to snowbird and enjoy some warm beaches.

If you've taken a winter warm up trips during winter, where have you gone? So far, I've headed to FL, CA, AZ and NV all of which were a nice reprieve. Sometimes its enough to dream a bit about tropical winter days.





Derek

[StealthRabbit]

SWA just had their $29 fares within CA sale.

I booked several. This year Sacramento was $39 from PDX, so I go there and then $29 to San Diego (walkable city) free Pipe organ concerts and international village on Sunday afternoons. Don't need to stay overnight, but we have a nice place walking distance to airport, downtown, old town and balboa park. It used to be $20 / night, but since we go so often it's now free. Separate space in an older home 3 bedrooms + kitchen + LR and 2 baths in the space we use. Great view of the water and airport / city lights. Not quite as handy as when Spirit had direct flights to SAN for $19.90 Down at 5 AM and return at midnight.

We often go to Burbank (Nethercutt museum and concerts), Santa Barbara, or Palm Springs (All currently booked for early Jan) Each trip to CA has about 8 hops to different cities including Las Vegas $29 (to qualify for companion pass).

2 flights to HI booked for early 2023 ($79 + one person flies free)

Have Tucson booked for 1 Feb, PHX later in month.

I find FL kinda 'worn-out' / crowded. But we do go to Panama City / Beverly / Rosemary Beach frequently to meet relatives from Atlanta.

Of course we're in San Antonio frequently at least 1x / month (as in now) 73F
As well as Colorado monthly (good for sun, even in winter)

But... NZ and Australia are the preferred destinations for all of Dec - March.
Take the Air NZ out of LA and get a free stopover in Cook Islands for a few weeks. \
Thailand and Malaysia are nice for our winter months, and good (inexpensive) food too. https://www.city-data.com/forum/64542362-post113.html
It's really cheap to travel overseas at the moment, so don't be hanging around the USA if you have an itch to scratch elsewhere.


or... drive to Goldendale or Walla Walla.
We run to Royal City, Ione, Sandpoint, and Rockford for 'sun / dry' visits

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

SWA just had their $29 fares within CA sale.

I booked several. This year Sacramento was $39 from PDX, so I go there and then $29 to San Diego (walkable city) free Pipe organ concerts and international village on Sunday afternoons. Don't need to stay overnight, but we have a nice place walking distance to airport, downtown, old town and balboa park. It used to be $20 / night, but since we go so often it's now free. Separate space in an older home 3 bedrooms + kitchen + LR and 2 baths in the space we use. Great view of the water and airport / city lights. Not quite as handy as when Spirit had direct flights to SAN for $19.90 Down at 5 AM and return at midnight.

We often go to Burbank (Nethercutt museum and concerts), Santa Barbara, or Palm Springs (All currently booked for early Jan) Each trip to CA has about 8 hops to different cities including Las Vegas $29 (to qualify for companion pass).

2 flights to HI booked for early 2023 ($79 + one person flies free)

Have Tucson booked for 1 Feb, PHX later in month.

I find FL kinda 'worn-out' / crowded. But we do go to Panama City / Beverly / Rosemary Beach frequently to meet relatives from Atlanta.

Of course we're in San Antonio frequently at least 1x / month (as in now) 73F
As well as Colorado monthly (good for sun, even in winter)

But... NZ and Australia are the preferred destinations for all of Dec - March.
Take the Air NZ out of LA and get a free stopover in Cook Islands for a few weeks. \
Thailand and Malaysia are nice for our winter months, and good (inexpensive) food too. https://www.city-data.com/forum/64542362-post113.html
It's really cheap to travel overseas at the moment, so don't be hanging around the USA if you have an itch to scratch elsewhere.


or... drive to Goldendale or Walla Walla.
We run to Royal City, Ione, Sandpoint, and Rockford for 'sun / dry' visits

Stealth, those are some crazy deals with SWA!! How do keep track of all the deals? Is there a website you frequent or do you go to each airline independently? I always seem to miss the deals. Though I guess I'm not looking as much as I could/should be.

Derek

[StealthRabbit]

I'm on the weekly 'deals' spam, direct from air carriers (I always book direct with carriers)

Years ago I would get emails on Weds from the bigger carriers who were trying to fill flights (short notice). Such as Tokyo for $300 RT. And London for $100 RT. I haven't kept up with those deals, but did just get PDX>London direct on BA for $300 OW. It was really a nice flight (787 w/ very few passengers) and schedule (out at 10pm, arrive at 9am). - not warm, but a cheap flight to Spain or Portugal gets you warm. We've flown London to Portugal or Italy for 12Euro. ! (Ryan)

SWA I use the Low Fare calendar, but really miss their Low Fare Finder, that they debuted for only a month about 4 yrs ago. You chose a departure date and airport, and moused over their route map, and lowest fare popped up and you could directly book. It was terrific for quick get-away to places you might not had considered. IiRC, last month I found a similar site for international flights. Choose your departure airport, and the cheapest fares to each airport are displayed on world map.

Google flights is pretty quick but goes not list SWA (which is often not the cheapest at the time)

[MechAndy]

Dang they recently kept emailing me about cheap air fares and I just trashed them.
I have their app on my phone and use them a bit.

I’d love to get some of them super cheap Asian flights because I’ve never been.
I think we will head down to the Keys in February or when the mini lobster season opens.

I took a part time job because I was bored.
I’m starting Monday.
I wonder if Tuesday is to soon to ask for vacation time?
Oh well .

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by MechAndy

...

I took a part time job because I was bored.
I’m starting Monday.
I wonder if Tuesday is to soon to ask for vacation time?
Oh well .

Yes, ask for Vacation on your second day to get a new employer trained! I prefer gigs that pay me to travel to sun-breaks.

Enjoy Asia, we lived in Singapore, and Chinese New Year, and Lantern Fest are very nice times to visit (But Singapore is really expensive for lodging, ) we stay with friends, but they must register us each day with the government . Formula 1 is great time to visit too, and get a room in the Stamford (360 degree round hotel with 68 stories of nice rooms). Thailand is far better for food, culture, and beaches (and price). I lived in a rural fishing village while establishing a printer factory for previous employer. Great sun break for a few years. Food and fun. (But noisy roosters and dogs at 5am)

The Philippines is also nice and cheap. 7000 islands to explore. Spouse would meet me there and we'd go find an island. Often we were the only tourists on the island. Same in Malaysia. (Langkawi or Tioman are resort islands) Each country is fairly safe, but there have been USA abductions in each country.. = a longer sun-break than planned. Each destination can be reached for $800 RT during weekdays. I prefer a 10 pm to midnight departure from SFO and arrive 18 hrs later ~6am + 2 days. We met a WA friend in Philippines who had sailed there, so it was quite nice to have transportation and lodging. (sailboat). Very tempting to rent one there. (Maybe with an firearm protected captain)

Cambodia and Vietnam are weekend escapes for western expats living in SE Asia. Australia is usually quite cheap from SE Asia via low cost carriers like Scoot or Air Asia. It's good to combine trips, since you traveled so far. But I commuted every month for many years.

Enjoy the job... Retirement with paid vacation is quite the perk.

[wolfdog]

Sedona and Vegas recently, but wasn't very warm.

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by wolfdog

Sedona and Vegas recently, but wasn't very warm.

Yeah, Sedona at 4300' gets snow. Vegas gets lots of wind in the winter and can even get a little snow @ ~2000'. I actually got stuck in a freak blizzard out there as a kid on a drive back to Cal. The interstate (I-15) through the desert completely shutdown and we had to sleep on a local roadside dinner's floor.

That said, we went a couple winters ago and while windy, it was still warmer than WA. I paddled the nearby Black Canyon which was fun. The Colorado River was in the upper 50s and dock workers were warming me about its dangers. I had to sign all of these waivers absolving them of any liability when renting a paddleboard. I couldn't help but laugh since the water felt warm compared to WA rivers I had just been paddling in the upper 30s.





Derek

[MechAndy]

Wintering in California or Nevada really doesn’t do that much for escaping the cold
A month or so ago it was 10 degrees colder in the outer east Bay Area at 10:00 am with 33 in Danville compared to 43 near Sequim.
We use Washington to escape the summer heat and that works every time .

I imagine the Cabo San Lucas Area would normally work to escape the cold but can I remember freezing down there and in Ensenada more than once in cheap hotel rooms.

My niece and her hubby are in Costa Rica right now getting away from the California chill.
I’ve never been there but I sure do like the Yucatán Peninsula.

My wife always wants to go to new places while I’m happy with places that I know I like.
Maybe if stealth can share his secret for them cheap $100 London or the $300 Tokyo flights that doesn’t include the term stand-by I could venture out more.
I jest .

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by MechAndy

Wintering in California or Nevada really doesn’t do that much for escaping the cold

Yes, CA is just less cold and really depends 'where' in CA you go. For example, we have relatives in SD which is always going to be warmer than WA. Really anywhere in coastal SoCal will be mild in the winter. I grew up there and any winter day in the 50s is considered 'freezing.' lol However, its not what I would consider a true 'warm up' which is more of a place that actually feels warm out including the ocean like HI, FL, Caribbean, Cabo, etc.. or go down under to AUS/NZ or South America and catch their summer.

I imagine the Cabo San Lucas Area would normally work to escape the cold but can I remember freezing down there and in Ensenada more than once in cheap hotel rooms.

Ensenada and Cabo are two entirely different climate zones. Ensenada is more like San Diego while Cabo is completely tropical and warmer, clearer waters, etc... Cancun and other more southern Mexican destinations are similar - very tropical. For example, the water temp is 77 degrees right now in Cabo while 59 in Ensenada.

My niece and her hubby are in Costa Rica right now getting away from the California chill.
I’ve never been there but I sure do like the Yucatán Peninsula.

Always wanted to visit Costa Rica. I hear its beautiful.

My wife always wants to go to new places while I’m happy with places that I know I like.
Maybe if stealth can share his secret for them cheap $100 London or the $300 Tokyo flights that doesn’t include the term stand-by I could venture out more.
I jest .

I would love to take a trip to Europe and visit some of the southern parts around France, Spain, Portugal and Italy. I wonder when the best/cheapest times to go are?

Derek