What's a good summer roadtrip destination in the US that isn't too hot?

"MegaSuper" (megasuper) 05/04/2015 at 12:41 • Filed to: None

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Let’s say you wanted to go for a long trip by car in the US (or Canada! Didn’t have enough room in the title…) but you don’t want it to be brutally hot or humid-hot because you want to do some outdoors stuff, walk around, maybe go camping, etc when you get there. Plus some old classic cars can’t handle the heat!

Is there a city or surrounding area in either of these countries that has a climate sort of like Hobart, Tasmania, Australia? Where it’s never below 40 but never really above 75-80 degrees June 1-Aug 31? Just sort of mild and nice without too much fluctuation in temperature?

It’d be super-great if you could name a city on the West Coast, East Coast, and Mid-West (or any other sub-region I’m not aware of!) so I can kind of compare. For the West Coast at least, from what I’ve heard and read, San Francisco can be downright COLD in the summer, but some people told me that’s more Seattle or more Portland, so I don’t really know!

Thanks Oppo!

505Turbeaux > MegaSuper 05/04/2015 at 12:44

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Portland Maine! It does go over 80 once in a while, but not too often. Come on up!

Brian, The Life of > MegaSuper 05/04/2015 at 12:47

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San Diego. The majority of our tourist funtimes stuff is along the coast within the “cool zone” and it only gets hot inland. Even there it’s a drier heat and not as hot as, say, Arizona or Texas. There are also great driving roads if you go the back way to our mountain communities (like Julian - great apple pies!).

qbeezy > MegaSuper 05/04/2015 at 12:47

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Northern Michigan. Start in Shelby township or Utica and ride to port Huron then around the mitt. One of the best scenic areas I've ever been.

blacktruck18 > MegaSuper 05/04/2015 at 12:47

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Seattle, WA is the correct answer. Summer’s are amazing. It rarely get’s above 80, the sun is out all day and there is a ton of car related stuff to do within an hour or so drive.

justAnother G6 > MegaSuper 05/04/2015 at 12:48

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Hawaii. Seriously, anywhere in the continental US in that time frame can fluctuate to well above your target temp. I have been in San Francisco a few times when the temps have been 90 - 100 deg. F in the city. Even in MN (the land of Ice & snow) it rare to not be above the temps. you are looking for.

For Sweden > MegaSuper 05/04/2015 at 12:48

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Alaska

For Sweden > Brian, The Life of 05/04/2015 at 12:48

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Even there it’s a drier heat and not as hot as, say, Arizona

Yeah the humidity in Arizona is brutal.

Bandit > MegaSuper 05/04/2015 at 12:49

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Glacier National Park. The weather is always beautiful and seems to be stuck in the upper 60s - lower 70s during the summer.

E. Julius > MegaSuper 05/04/2015 at 12:54

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I’m going to submit the West side of Michigan. Some days may occasionally be quite hot, but usually it’s not too bad. Absolutely beautiful country. Great places for hiking and camping like the Sleeping Bear Dunes, Empire Bluff (first picture), and many many surrounding areas. There’s also Lake Michigan (which is amazing), cute small towns like Saugatuck, all sorts of attractions in and around Traverse City—I’m talking wineries, breweries, golf, beaches, boating, shopping, whatever. Some phenomenal driving roads once you get out into the more sparsely populated area outside the city (doesn’t take long). Amazing place to visit. Not too far from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula either, if you’re really looking to get away.

Depending on where you’re coming from, you can come up through Chicago, or visit Detroit and some of it’s many great attractions along the way. Detroit attractions include the likes of the Henry Ford museum, our professional sports teams, the famous Woodward Dream Cruise if you come at the right time. Not to mention the phenomenal Gilmore car museum on the west side of the state. I’ll be there as well, so come visit Michigan, we’d love to have you!

E. Julius > qbeezy 05/04/2015 at 12:56

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Yesss

Will with a W8 races an E30 > E. Julius 05/04/2015 at 12:56

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Guess what else is on the west side of MI?

http://www.gingermanraceway.com/

Short-throw Granny Shifter is 2 #blessed 2b stressed > MegaSuper 05/04/2015 at 12:57

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The Northern Pacific generally the place to be in the summer, or San Francisco. It gets hot pretty much anywhere in the Eastern US between July and early September. The nicest spot I’ve been is probably Acadia Maine; in August the weather was around 70 to 80 F max, with very mild nights. Halifax is probably nice too. Montreal was relatively mild last June, with daytime temps ranging from pleasantly warm in the shade to light sweating in the sun, but I can imagine it getting much hotter as the summer goes on.

You can also escape the heat in the East coast by going to the beach, or West into the Appalachian mountains. They typically have their own local climates. Places like the Poconos, the Catskills, or the Smoky mountains might be 10 to 15 F cooler than cities even 20 miles to the East.

E. Julius > Will with a W8 races an E30 05/04/2015 at 13:02

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Yes, that as well!

lone_liberal > MegaSuper 05/04/2015 at 13:05

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Seattle. It might get to the mid-80s but usually not more than that and summers in Seattle are spectacular. It’s the winters that suck.

MarquetteLa > MegaSuper 05/04/2015 at 13:17

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Centrally located for your convenience, Colorado offers outdoor activities, curvy mountain roads, and urban adventures all at a climate that won’t make you want to give up on life.

OPPOsaurus WRX > MegaSuper 05/04/2015 at 13:38

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For the East Coast you could do Mt Washington. The Auto road is a blast to drive up and the highway through the White Mountains is awesome. It is very close to Lake Winnipesaukee which is beautiful in the summer.

Burrito de EJ25 > Brian, The Life of 05/04/2015 at 13:56

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And he’ll be near LA! The mountains in Malibu, Angeles Creat, and Idywild are nothing short of beautiful. When they’re not charred, of course.

We also have the best food, possibly of any place in the country because of how huge of a melting pot LA is. More than New York, even.

Burrito de EJ25 > For Sweden 05/04/2015 at 13:58

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Can’t tell if you were being sarcastic or not. That comment either lacks reading comprehension or that and a general misunderstanding of Arizona’s weather.

TheTick247 > MegaSuper 05/04/2015 at 14:13

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The Pacific Northwest (San Francisco up to Vancouver, Canada) would fit the bill. Places like the Great Lakes and New England, sort of fit, but in the summer they can (but usually don’t) get 90+ degree days and DEFINITELY drop below 40 degrees almost all winter.

yamahog > MegaSuper 05/04/2015 at 15:08

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In addition to PURE MICHIGAN, I would like to suggest Vermont. Absolutely beautiful in the summer, and it’s off-season for the resorts so you can stay at all those nice ski lodges for way less than usual.

Mr. Van > MegaSuper 05/04/2015 at 15:22

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Northeast Kingdom in the awesome Republic of Vermont.

Rally stage dirt roads - Check.

Delicious beers - Check.

Land of Subaru’s - Check.

Twisty pavement - Check.

MegaSuper > OPPOsaurus WRX 05/04/2015 at 16:15

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Wow! What highway was that photo taken on?

MegaSuper > MarquetteLa 05/04/2015 at 16:16

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Any particular cities/towns/highways/sights worth seeing?

MegaSuper > TheTick247 05/04/2015 at 16:16

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Any favourite routes or towns to experience?

MegaSuper > yamahog 05/04/2015 at 16:16

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Any specific towns or routes that should be seen?

MarquetteLa > MegaSuper 05/04/2015 at 16:33

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Pikes Peak. Pikes Peak. There are a bunch of fun little towns in the mountains to visit as you experience the Rockies.

yamahog > MegaSuper 05/04/2015 at 17:29

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Bennington County , home to the Green Mountain National Forest, is gorgeous. There are canoeing trips, hiking trails, scenic Route 7, and Bromley Mtn has this sweet alpine slide thing in the summertime.

ranwhenparked > yamahog 05/04/2015 at 19:59

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I can vouch for this. Bennington and Windham counties were in my territory when I worked in sales, and I called on accounts in little towns all over them. Not much business there, but I really looked forward to those dives every few weeks. Vermont is one of the absolute prettiest places on the East Coast.

OPPOsaurus WRX > MegaSuper 05/04/2015 at 22:01

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thats the auto road to the summit of Mt Washington

dogisbadob > MegaSuper 05/06/2015 at 12:38

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Alaska?

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > MegaSuper 05/06/2015 at 14:29

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Anywhere along the West Coast meets this, including San Francisco (bring a windbreaker, because the wind will suck the heat right out of you). I’d do a drive up the coast. Start in San Diego and follow I-5 north to I-10 west in Los Angeles until it turns into highway 1 (Pacific Coast Highway, or PCH). Head north along the coast (some parts might be better on 101), but they mostly shadow each-other until San Luis Obispo, after which point you want to stick to 1 until it merges with 101 at Leggett, which you can then follow the rest of the way north. Once you get to Port Angeles, catch a ferry to Victoria, go north on Vancouver Island (there is so much to explore in here), catch a ferry to Powell River, then follow the coast back down to Seattle, Portland, or perhaps San Francisco for a return flight.

Midwest, I’d do Minneapolis north through Bemidji to cross into Canada at International Falls. Go East through Thunder Bay and on to Sault St Marie in Ontario. Cross back into the US and go west along the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Be sure to visit the Porcupine Mountains (Porkies) before heading south into Wisconsin. When there, make your way to the eastern edge of Wisconsin and fly back from Chicago.

East Coast, there are two good options off the top of my head:
1) Start in Boston, follow highway 1 to the first Canadian border crossing (Calais, ME, I believe), then stay coastal and either do the southern loop of Nova Scotia or around PEI. Not sure where I’d fly back from, except possibly Boston.
2) Start in Toronto, then go south into the US near Niagra Falls. Go east following the south shore of Lake Ontario until you reach Watertown. Head east across upstate New York to Lake Placid, then down to cross into Vermont at crown point. There are so many interesting drives in this area. I highly recommend 125 to 100 and north from there. After wandering a while, head back into Canada and fly back out of Montreal.

An alternate West, but not coastal, involves Yellowstone NP and Glacier NP, though some areas on this route might be hotter, particularly the start and end when you’re in a city. Start and end would be Calgary (via Banff) and Salt Lake City (could go either direction).

Sorry for the rambling...