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Where do full timers go out west to escape the heat?

Thunder_Mountai
Explorer
Explorer
Ok... We are not full timers but thought this might be a good place to post our question. We are actually snowbirds but have sold our house in Colorado and are moving to Arizona. So, we will be leaving the summer heat for at least 4 months a year. As 40 year residents of Colorado, we know where to escape the summer heat in Colorado such as Buena Vista, Ouray, Silverton and Lake City. Looking for advice of places out west to go to.

We have a Jeep, ATV and our feet to explore back country places. Some very limited boondocking is ok. Really want to stay away from places like the Tetons, Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. Have explored around Lander, Cody and Dubois Wyoming. We are virgins to Oregon, Washington, Idaho and most of Montana. Might want to stay up to a month in a single place.

Thanks in advance! Private messages welcome.
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Two old hippies still trying to find ourselves!
23 REPLIES 23

BarbaraOK
Explorer
Explorer
ppine wrote:
There are hundreds of places in the PNW that do not require reservations. ONce you have seen the NPs, head out into the hinterlands I really like the eastern Cascades the best of all.


It isn't cool in eastern Washington during the summer.

Barb & Dave O'Keeffe - full-timing since 2006


Figment II

(2002 Alpine 36 MDDS) 🙂
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ppine
Explorer II
Explorer II
No specific suggestions. That is the best way to ruin them. Shout out to the world all of your favorite spots and the next time you go they will be loved to death.

The Olympic Peninsula is too wet for me, but people love it there. I like the Cascades, especially the East Side which is drier.

Thunder_Mountai
Explorer
Explorer
ppine wrote:
There are hundreds of places in the PNW that do not require reservations. ONce you have seen the NPs, head out into the hinterlands I really like the eastern Cascades the best of all.


Do you have any specific suggestions?
2016 Winnebago Journey 40R
2018 Rubicon
1982 FJ40 Toyota Land Cruiser
2020 Keystone Outback 327CG
2020 Dodge Ram 2500
Polaris RZR XP 1000
4 Cats
3 Dogs
1 Bottle of Jack Daniels
Two old hippies still trying to find ourselves!

ppine
Explorer II
Explorer II
There are hundreds of places in the PNW that do not require reservations. ONce you have seen the NPs, head out into the hinterlands I really like the eastern Cascades the best of all.

BarbaraOK
Explorer
Explorer
BarbaraOK wrote:
Bill.Satellite wrote:
There is so much to see and do in the OR/WA area, that would be my suggestion. I think if I could only pick 2 places to live it would be the NW in the Summer and the SW in the Winter.


That's essentially what we are doing!


Spend September in California (some days still hit 100 occasionally) slowly working south. We have friends in the SF area, so always spend a week or so at San Francisco RV Resort in Pacifica under our Thousand Trails membership. If you are going to do the PNW, really recommend at least a TT Zone Pass for the PNW (even better a 2-1 deal for both PNW and SW zones). It will pay for itself quickly, LOTS of TT parks in Washington and Oregon.

We usually cross the Colorado River into Arizona about October 1st, still a few hot days, but nights by then you don't have to run AC and, at least in the Phoenix/Mesa area, there is no one around. We really love October and early November when so few people are around.

Barb & Dave O'Keeffe - full-timing since 2006


Figment II

(2002 Alpine 36 MDDS) 🙂
2018 Ford C-Max HYBRID
[purple]FMCA - F337834, SKP #90761[/purple]
Our Blog

BarbaraOK
Explorer
Explorer
Bill.Satellite wrote:
There is so much to see and do in the OR/WA area, that would be my suggestion. I think if I could only pick 2 places to live it would be the NW in the Summer and the SW in the Winter.


That's essentially what we are doing!

Barb & Dave O'Keeffe - full-timing since 2006


Figment II

(2002 Alpine 36 MDDS) 🙂
2018 Ford C-Max HYBRID
[purple]FMCA - F337834, SKP #90761[/purple]
Our Blog

Thunder_Mountai
Explorer
Explorer
Thanks for all the suggestions. The Pacific NW is definitely on our target list. We understand reservations ahead of time will be required. We are trying to establish a long term routine such as we have when snowbirding in the winter from Colorado to Arizona.
2016 Winnebago Journey 40R
2018 Rubicon
1982 FJ40 Toyota Land Cruiser
2020 Keystone Outback 327CG
2020 Dodge Ram 2500
Polaris RZR XP 1000
4 Cats
3 Dogs
1 Bottle of Jack Daniels
Two old hippies still trying to find ourselves!

Second_Chance
Explorer II
Explorer II
We spent this past summer on the northern coast of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington. It was windbreakers most of the time except midday (when the sun was out) while the grandkids were at swim meets in Baltimore where the heat index was 130. I don't think we used the ACs and we were using the electric fireplace by the time we left on September 15.

Rob
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TexasShadow
Explorer
Explorer
we live in San Antonio TX area, so in late July, August and Sept, we head for high altitudes. We like camping up by Dutch John in Flaming Gorge, UT. We like camping near Pinedale, WY, and we love camping in the Tetons Nat'l park in Jackson Hole.
Sometimes, we go up the west side of the Tetons to Henry's Lake ID, and tool around Yellowstone Park from there. Then we head east over to Cody, which can still be warm but not overly so in Sept. Then we go to Custer SD to take in the big buffalo roundup festival at the end of Sept before heading south toward home.
TexasShadow
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Always remember you're unique, just like everyone else.

Bill_Satellite
Explorer II
Explorer II
There is so much to see and do in the OR/WA area, that would be my suggestion. I think if I could only pick 2 places to live it would be the NW in the Summer and the SW in the Winter.
What I post is my 2 cents and nothing more. Please don't read anything into my post that's not there. If you disagree, that's OK.
Can't we all just get along?

mockturtle
Explorer
Explorer
Alaska is nice! 🙂 Although last summer had a week or two of hot weather.
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ItsyRV
Explorer
Explorer
jdc1 wrote:
ItsyRV wrote:
Depending on where you'll be moving to in AZ, the summer (100+) can be up to 6 months a year. In 2019, the first 100 degree day for the metro Phoenix area was in April and the last in October. Some areas can get even hotter.



We're talking 120* in the Phoenix area.

Yep and last year the Phoenix metro area broke the record for the most 110+ degree days in a year. I had people try telling me some sob story about where they come from and hitting 100 degrees one time. I have to remind them that in this area it may never get below 100 degrees even at night so be prepared.
1994 Itasca SunDancer 21RB - Chevy G-30 chassis.

jdc1
Explorer II
Explorer II
ItsyRV wrote:
Depending on where you'll be moving to in AZ, the summer (100+) can be up to 6 months a year. In 2019, the first 100 degree day for the metro Phoenix area was in April and the last in October. Some areas can get even hotter.



We're talking 120* in the Phoenix area.

ItsyRV
Explorer
Explorer
Depending on where you'll be moving to in AZ, the summer (100+) can be up to 6 months a year. In 2019, the first 100 degree day for the metro Phoenix area was in April and the last in October. Some areas can get even hotter.
1994 Itasca SunDancer 21RB - Chevy G-30 chassis.