Looking for spring/fall transition places

[Pat]

I'm looking for places to stay during the transitions between winter home and summer home and vice versa. 

I'll winter in the Phoenix valley, which is comfortable from November till about the end of February.

I enjoy summering up here in Oregon from about June through September.  The rest of the year is rainy. 

So, what's ideal during October and March, April, May?  Somebody was recommending Austin.


--pat

 

[Buddy Tott]

San Diego...anywhere inland a little ways, away from the ocean or  Palm Springs, Indio and south Riverside County.

Buddy

 

[Carl L]

Bishop, CA and the Owens Valley along US 395 is particularly nice in October and again in May.  Fishing is usually outstanding too.  The Central CA coast,  SF to Santa Barbara is nice also in the spring.

 

[Smoky]

I was going to say Oregon in September.  But then I discovered that Oregon is your summer quarters, and you defined fall as October.

Nonetheless, this is the first time we have ever been to Oregon and we had an absolute blast trolling its lovely coastline during the month of September.  We liked it so much we may do it again next year.  We discovered that Oregon has a LOT more to offer than just the forests we had heard about.  Their dungeness crab, however, cannot match the Maryland Blue Crab though.

First week of October we arrived in sunny Phoenix.  Arizona is GREAT in October.

Montana also has lovely Septembers, but not my cup of tea in October.

I guess the best October we have spent was on the north rim of the Grand Canyon.  Also Sedona Arizona would be nice at that time of year.

 

[Pat]

Oregon has been wet this November.  October was fine.  It's a bit of a gamble here when the rainy season will run.    I agree Oregon is a delightful place.  I'm more of an inland fan than anything on the coast.  Place is gorgeous.

I found Marin Co CA to be all rain until around midJune.

AZ has great winters.  I love to bicycle a desert trail, but even on cold days it needs to be cloudy.  'Nother 6 days or so.

--pat

 

[Tom]

I found Marin Co CA to be all rain until around midJune.

Pat, Marin county is atypical of CA, but typical of areas close to San Francisco and the coast. Head just a little inland (sometimes only a few miles) and you typically won't see rain from April through October.

 

[Pat]

Tom:  And inland HAS to be a cheaper.  I hope.  Do you mean in the valley, or still by the coast? 

--pat

 

[Tom]

Do you mean in the valley, or still by the coast?

Pat, there are several valleys, including the Santa Clara Valley, the Livermore Valley, the San Joaquin Valley (aka Central Valley). All of the foregoing will have good climate April through October. Also going north or south from San Francisco on the coast will have better climate, although not as nice as going inland to one of the valleys.

 

[Pat]

Tom:  I tend to think of San Joaquin as "the valley."  I lived in Rodeo for a couple years, so maybe I picked the name up there.

Now I have two places I like in Oregon.  On my way to Fountain Hills AZ this weekend.

I was seriously planning to sell my motorhome, but I may try to keep it for a while.  Apartments depress me.  I dearly love changing locations every 3 months or so.  This is the first winter I haven't had any obligations in AZ, so I'm enjoying options for the first time.


--pat

 

[Smoky]

And of course "The Bay Area" refers to America's largest inland sal****er bay, The Chesapeake.

No, I don't want to hear anything about San Francisco.  Grrrrr.

 

[Tom]

Smoky, Chesapeake Bay is a long way from Marin County that Pat referred to. SFO is much closer  ;D

 

[Smoky]

He was referring to "The Valley" and I don't dispute him.? I am referring to "The Bay Area!? ?;D

 

[Tom]

"He" is actually a "she"  ;D

 

[rovinsteve]

Pat, the central Califorina coast is very nice.  We are in Morro Bay at the moment and it is wall to wall sun and 70 degrees.  Very nice!  Watched a Christmas decorated boat parade on the bay last night too.  We will be in this area all winter as we were 3 years ago and we like it a lot.

We decided some time ago that we like being near a coast so the California central coast and St. Pete, FL have been our choices--enough of the desert.

Smoky, we disagree.  Dungeness Crab is the best.

Regards,

--Steve, Jodie and Posie Cat

 

[Wendy]

Utah, pretty much all of it, is great in spring and fall. And there's the rally in Moab in May.

October in the Rockies has the turning of the aspen, crisp nights, and cool days.

Wendy

 

[Tom]

Steve,

We've stayed at Morro Bay several times on our way down/up the coast by sea, usually a refuelling stop before overnighting at the yacht club. If you get to visit the yacht club, check out the photos around the walls of the room upstairs; You'll see some really bad wrecks that occurred at the entrance to Morro Bay. It can be quite treacherous when the south westerlies blow.

 

[Smoky]

We find Dungeness crab a tad dry and fairly stringy.  The Chesapeake Blue Crab is soft, succulent, and packed with flavor.  Of course, the Dungeness, being a larger crab, is somewhat easier to eat.  The reward matches the effort in our opinion. 

 

[BernieD]

We find Dungeness crab a tad dry and fairly stringy.  The Chesapeake Blue Crab is soft, succulent, and packed with flavor.  Of course, the Dungeness, being a larger crab, is somewhat easier to eat.  The reward matches the effort in our opinion. 

Smoky

While I love the taste of the Blue, I was always hungrier when I finished from all the hard work getting the meat out ;D

 

[Bob Buchanan]

Tom:  I tend to think of San Joaquin as "the valley."  I lived in Rodeo for a couple years, so maybe I picked the name up there.

Now I have two places I like in Oregon.  On my way to Fountain Hills AZ this weekend.

I was seriously planning to sell my motorhome, but I may try to keep it for a while.  Apartments depress me.  I dearly love changing locations every 3 months or so.  This is the first winter I haven't had any obligations in AZ, so I'm enjoying options for the first time.

My "valley" definition leads me to the Sacramento Valley -- but, there are many valley's around the Bay Area. My Brother lives in San Jose in the Almaden Valley. I read somewhere that San Jose has the most ideal "year round" weather in the US, in that the annual highs and lows never get too high or too low. They are also blocked from much of the coastal fog that plagues the Bay Area certain months of the year. And if the fog lifts, it's an easy drive over the hill to Santa Cruz or Monterey.

But my favorite transition spot is Pismo Beach, CA. I usually transition from NCal (Sacto area) to AZ just after Christmas -- tho I have done it in October. I stay at the State Campground just over the Dunes from the beach. The nightly fee last time there was $12/night and there are no hook-ups. There are many other campgrounds in the area -- but the campsites by the dunes are just a great back to nature on the coast way to camp. Plus the Monarch's are there during December so they are a happening that always amazes me.

From Pismo I continue down the coast thru Santa Barbara -- then head east from Ventura to Valencia on I5 just North of the 14. From Ventura to Valencia one finds many many Orange groves with road side fruit stands. The Valencia's are ripe in December and I always stop and pick up a bag or two for myself and friends I visit after that. I take the 14 just South of Lancaster then over to the 215, then the 15 to the 10  -- and on the QZ.

If you haven't seen this page, it displays my thoughts on Pismo. Most of us probably have that special spot were we like to hang when we can -- and just relax and enjoy. A long walk on the beach, then to the end of the Pismo pier -- and then some great clam chowder is all that to me.

 

[Smoky]

Bernie:

I can drink to your observation!  In fact, that is why I have plenty of beer on hand.  Helps control the fatigue and adds some bult to the belly!  ;D