Sunshiny, peaceful holiday destination in June?
March 26, 2016 5:28 PM Subscribe
It's getting colder and darker here in Australia and in an effort to prevent the winter blues I will be taking a two week holiday in early June. Where in the world should I go that is a) sunny and b) not humid?
Around 20-25°C/68-77°F would be great but I don't mind warmer as long as it isn't humid. I love trees and I like the ocean but I'm more of a "clifftop ramble" than "sit on a resort beach" sort of person. I'd like to get outside; easy cycling, day hikes etc and I'm not averse to a city destination if it has interesting history, good museums/ galleries and lots of green spaces for sitting and reading. I can go anywhere (although if it's difficult to get to from Australia it will cut down on my actual holiday time).Thanks for any suggestions you might have!
Around 20-25°C/68-77°F would be great but I don't mind warmer as long as it isn't humid. I love trees and I like the ocean but I'm more of a "clifftop ramble" than "sit on a resort beach" sort of person. I'd like to get outside; easy cycling, day hikes etc and I'm not averse to a city destination if it has interesting history, good museums/ galleries and lots of green spaces for sitting and reading. I can go anywhere (although if it's difficult to get to from Australia it will cut down on my actual holiday time).Thanks for any suggestions you might have!
Warm, sunny and not humid = California!
posted by Rash at 5:46 PM on March 26, 2016 [7 favorites]
posted by Rash at 5:46 PM on March 26, 2016 [7 favorites]
With California just stay close to the coast, the futher east you go, the more unbearable it gets as it is a desert. But there are tons of oppertunitues for hiking, biking, and outdoor things in a variety of different settings (there is ocean, forest, mountans ect).Los Angeles and San Diego have plenty of interesting things to do as well. You will have to rent a car.
posted by AlexiaSky at 5:57 PM on March 26, 2016
posted by AlexiaSky at 5:57 PM on March 26, 2016
Borneo would be really easy to get to. It's also cheap.
Whoops: I didn't read the 'not humid' part. California would be great, as well as most other places in North America/Europe, considering that most places hit those temperatures in June.
posted by kinoeye at 6:05 PM on March 26, 2016
Whoops: I didn't read the 'not humid' part. California would be great, as well as most other places in North America/Europe, considering that most places hit those temperatures in June.
posted by kinoeye at 6:05 PM on March 26, 2016
San Diego
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 6:12 PM on March 26, 2016
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 6:12 PM on March 26, 2016
Echoing California! It was June when I went to SoCal, and I was expecting the hot, lung-crushingly humid weather we're used to in New York. I was amazed to find it so moderate due to the lack of humidity that I was comfortable in trousers and long sleeves. I feel like I would have been equally comfortable in shorts and a t-shirt, though. My arthritis and psoriasis symptoms disappeared within a couple of days.
And if you do feel like taking one day out of your vacation to play tourist, you can always drop in on Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, SeaWorld, Six Flags Magic Mountain, or other charming amusement parks.
Although Napa is in the northern part of the state, there are still lots of wineries in SoCal to tour if you're into that.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 6:23 PM on March 26, 2016
And if you do feel like taking one day out of your vacation to play tourist, you can always drop in on Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, SeaWorld, Six Flags Magic Mountain, or other charming amusement parks.
Although Napa is in the northern part of the state, there are still lots of wineries in SoCal to tour if you're into that.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 6:23 PM on March 26, 2016
San Diego is my recommendation too, and it boasts lots of great bluff-top hikes, plus the desert is an hour away on the other side of the county, little hill-mountains (including a robust winery-tour-and-pie district in Justin) 45 minutes and real actual mountains 2-3 hours (to Lake Arrowhead or Big Bear). In sheer bang for geological buck, you can't beat it.
It will not be hot or really even terribly warm (if you have the best luck, highs around 20-22 and you'll need a jacket at night; you will probably want a wetsuit if you want in the water), and May tends to dawn foggy pretty much every day, but it almost always burns off by midmorning (and the fog hugs the coast, so more than 2-3 miles inland will generally be sunny.
I often tell Americans that LA is not worth the side trip unless there is something very specific you want to do in LA, but for Aussies - especially if you're coming for a week or more - you probably should if you've never been. And it's probably significantly easier to fly in and out of LAX anyway, and as long as you're a confident driver and either very patient or clever enough to do the bulk of your driving at off hours, it's a pretty 2.5-3 hour drive to SD once you get out of LA.
posted by Lyn Never at 6:54 PM on March 26, 2016
It will not be hot or really even terribly warm (if you have the best luck, highs around 20-22 and you'll need a jacket at night; you will probably want a wetsuit if you want in the water), and May tends to dawn foggy pretty much every day, but it almost always burns off by midmorning (and the fog hugs the coast, so more than 2-3 miles inland will generally be sunny.
I often tell Americans that LA is not worth the side trip unless there is something very specific you want to do in LA, but for Aussies - especially if you're coming for a week or more - you probably should if you've never been. And it's probably significantly easier to fly in and out of LAX anyway, and as long as you're a confident driver and either very patient or clever enough to do the bulk of your driving at off hours, it's a pretty 2.5-3 hour drive to SD once you get out of LA.
posted by Lyn Never at 6:54 PM on March 26, 2016
Basically anywhere along the California coast from Santa Barbara to San Diego fits your bill. This includes such places as Santa Monica, La Jolla, Laguna Beach, etc etc. Nice weather, very little humidity, and you can do as much as you want, or not. If you choose LA you can do day trips to the mountains or the desert, we have beaches, we have world-class museums and restaurants. You can even do the enormous amusement parks like Disneyland or Legoland. Tons of variety.
posted by BlahLaLa at 7:21 PM on March 26, 2016
posted by BlahLaLa at 7:21 PM on March 26, 2016
Chicago is lovely in the summertime but it can absolutely get humid -- if not humid is an important criterion for you (and it is for me!) I wouldn't choose it, especially because Chicago is also prone to Midwest summer heat waves which can send the temperature north of 30 C. For the same reason, I would not choose anywhere in the US or Canada east of the Rockies because no matter how warm it is in the summer all of those places are prone to humid summers.
California as suggested is wonderful*, but I came in to say the US Pacific Northwest and/or Vancouver, Canada -- the Pacific NW is at its absolute sparkling best in the summer. They do run slightly cooler than you've suggested, but they are sunny, dry and simply at their peak in the summer months.
*Please do be aware that the immediate California coast is prone to June Gloom at the timeframe you're looking at. Basically, in June because of the temperature differential between the cool ocean and the hot land, the immediate coast is prone to fogginess and cloud cover that can last all day. It will not be humid and it will (in 99.9% of cases) not rain, but it will also not be sunny.
The farther inland you go and the farther you get into the summer, the less this applies -- as Lyn Never says, 2-3 miles inland the cloud cover almost always burns off by midday, but I don't want you planning a sunny beach vacation in Los Angeles in June only to be disappointed by continuous gray skies.
posted by andrewesque at 7:25 PM on March 26, 2016
California as suggested is wonderful*, but I came in to say the US Pacific Northwest and/or Vancouver, Canada -- the Pacific NW is at its absolute sparkling best in the summer. They do run slightly cooler than you've suggested, but they are sunny, dry and simply at their peak in the summer months.
*Please do be aware that the immediate California coast is prone to June Gloom at the timeframe you're looking at. Basically, in June because of the temperature differential between the cool ocean and the hot land, the immediate coast is prone to fogginess and cloud cover that can last all day. It will not be humid and it will (in 99.9% of cases) not rain, but it will also not be sunny.
The farther inland you go and the farther you get into the summer, the less this applies -- as Lyn Never says, 2-3 miles inland the cloud cover almost always burns off by midday, but I don't want you planning a sunny beach vacation in Los Angeles in June only to be disappointed by continuous gray skies.
posted by andrewesque at 7:25 PM on March 26, 2016
Inland Northern California (so, north of say, Monterey Bay will be warm/hot and not desert and not humid. The coast may be cool and foggy (in San Francisco, we call this Juneary). Southern California sounds like it fits your desires pretty aptly.
posted by rtha at 7:41 PM on March 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by rtha at 7:41 PM on March 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
I'm going to recommend Yosemite and Lake Tahoe. Yosemite might be warmer than your target, but almost certainly won't be humid. If you're in California for a week or two, you could take a couple of days from the rest of your trip to see those two places.
posted by cnc at 8:11 PM on March 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by cnc at 8:11 PM on March 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
I agree that you may be looking for Southern California. Important point for you to bear in mind: in June along the California coast we have weather that we refer to as "June Gloom"; it's basically overcast and a bit chilly every day (it's true for May as well, which we call "May Gray"). But once you get about ten miles inland from the coast it's quite pleasant tee-shirt weather. So by all means come! But just don't expect to be down at the beach getting a tan.
By the way, it generally clears up about the last week of June / first week of July. Come see us in July or August if you want to lounge on the beach.
posted by vignettist at 9:27 PM on March 26, 2016
By the way, it generally clears up about the last week of June / first week of July. Come see us in July or August if you want to lounge on the beach.
posted by vignettist at 9:27 PM on March 26, 2016
"Not humid" means Denver, Colorado. Doesn't get much less humid than that.
Bonuses: 300 days of sun a year, spot on in your temperature range, easy access to national parks with mountains, trees, hiking, and more.
posted by Dilligas at 11:24 PM on March 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
Bonuses: 300 days of sun a year, spot on in your temperature range, easy access to national parks with mountains, trees, hiking, and more.
posted by Dilligas at 11:24 PM on March 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
Closer to home, I was in Noosa last year and it fits your description. While that area gets very humid it's not at that time of year.
posted by jojobobo at 11:44 PM on March 26, 2016
posted by jojobobo at 11:44 PM on March 26, 2016
Santa Fe, New Mexico. It's the least humid of all of these places (indeed, less humid than most of Australia; I've lived in both). And it's lovely and not too hot in the summer (cooler and less humid than Denver, where I've also lived). Plus it has great art, interesting culture, and nice mountains nearby. A bit off the beaten path and would probably be much more memorable and different than many other locations. No beaches though!
posted by forza at 3:41 AM on March 27, 2016
posted by forza at 3:41 AM on March 27, 2016
June is the dry season in all the tropical parts of Australia, and the weather is generally gorgeous. Pack a hammock, get on the A1 and drive north until you're comfortable.
posted by flabdablet at 5:13 AM on March 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by flabdablet at 5:13 AM on March 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
I came to say Colorado, too. We've been living in Denver for two years and I feel like I've barely scratched the surface on day- and weekend-long trips out of Denver. Look at dayhikesneardenver.com and Rocky Mountain National Park to get an idea of the nearby stuff. This summer I'm really hoping to check out Southwest Colorado more, too - I want to go to Mesa Verde National Park, which has cliff dwellings from almost 10,000 years ago.
Anyway, your target temperature is typical but not guaranteed here in June. We have much more variability than Southern California or possibly the PNW coast. But two moderating points: first, it'll cool down a TON at night (think 20deg F swings, minimum), and second, if it's too hot you can just plan your day to be at a higher, cooler altitude.
posted by deludingmyself at 7:34 AM on March 27, 2016
Anyway, your target temperature is typical but not guaranteed here in June. We have much more variability than Southern California or possibly the PNW coast. But two moderating points: first, it'll cool down a TON at night (think 20deg F swings, minimum), and second, if it's too hot you can just plan your day to be at a higher, cooler altitude.
posted by deludingmyself at 7:34 AM on March 27, 2016
Yosemite National Park in California will be beautiful this year (we had decent rain and snowfall this year for the first time in a long time, so the waterfalls the park is famous for will be looking good, although it will be lovely and warm by June.) A lot of people have recommended San Diego and the thing is, it could be perfect, but you could also get some "June Gloom," which is cold fog and not fun.
posted by fingersandtoes at 9:29 AM on March 27, 2016
posted by fingersandtoes at 9:29 AM on March 27, 2016
San Francisco Bay Arean here- we haven't had June Gloom in about 5 years. To the point that I'm thinking that it might be part of climate change. Also redwood forests are dying back and the oak savannahs are expanding. I think California is just changing.
posted by small_ruminant at 1:27 PM on March 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by small_ruminant at 1:27 PM on March 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
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Biking and green spaces exist, and the lake is nice this time of year. But it's a bit harder to find lots of green. Lakefront trails are nice
Hiking around here isn't really all that interesting, because it is all plains, so wild grasses and the sort. We do have a bike rental/sharing program and you could easily ride around the city, but check with someone local because some areas of the city are not so nice.
posted by AlexiaSky at 5:40 PM on March 26, 2016