When the weather is cold and gloomy, there's nothing better than grabbing the Airstream out of storage and pointing it south.
But where should you go?
For most people, the primary goal is to find 70 degrees somewhere. After that, it's just a matter of what you value: beaches, sports, family, friends, cheap getaways, Disney, privacy, adventure, etc.
Honestly, when I've been facing winter gloom for too long, the details tend to matter less—I just want to get the heck away. I suspect a lot of people feel similarly.
The easy part is heading south. Race down the map via the route of your choice, then de-winterize the Airstream when the days and nights are reliably above freezing. Then slow down.
After that, the west coast, southeastern coast and southwestern desert are your playground. Once you get there, you're free! Put those wheels to good use, and start roaming.
Florida never fails
In the east you've got an abundance of Gulf Coast and Atlantic beaches to choose from. Obviously the biggest target is Florida, and for good reasons. The Florida State Park system is unsurpassed for natural beauty, and there's 30-amp power in every campground.
But that's not all: there are great camping options almost everywhere south of I-10, including RV resorts right on the ocean, Disneyworld, Everglades National Park, and great little historical parks in many places.
For guaranteed warmth you'll need to stay south of I-4 in Florida, but I say "take a chance" and travel northwest to the panhandle and beyond.
The Gulf Coast states may surprise you
Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana are often under-appreciated as winter camping spots. There are some fabulous Gulf-facing camping spots on barrier islands in Alabama, and if you're a car buff there are some very cool automobile factory tours in Alabama and Mississippi (BMW, Mercedes, and Nissan for example). Louisiana, of course, has New Orleans and the entire Cajun country to offer.
If you stay long enough you may get a freezing snap, but in my opinion it's worth it. Traveling in the Gulf Coast states opens up weeks of adventure and learning opportunities. Just stay south of I-20, and if the forecast is for extra cold, stay on I-10 or take the scenic route along Route 90 from Lafayette to New Orleans. Maybe drop in on the Tabasco factory on Avery Island.
After you're done in the central Gulf Coast, roam your way over to Texas and check out Padre Island, or the famous Texas Barbecue Trail.
Did somebody say West Texas?
It's a whole 'nother world once you exit east Texas. Suddenly the humidity that might have made the Gulf states seem colder than they really were, disappears. Get past Houston, to Austin or San Antonio, and you'll start to feel the desert approaching.
Austin and San Antonio hardly need explanation; each city is worth exploring.
Gradually heading west from Austin you'll have the opportunity to explore the beautiful Hill Country with several great state parks, historic towns like Fredericksburg, and a little spot that used to be LBJ's place.
Duck south west of San Antonio on Route 90, and check out Amistad National Recreation Area or Big Bend National and State Parks—all of which are well worth the detour.
West Texas gets no respect, which is a shame. Sure, it's long couple of days driving through it and a whole lotta "not much to see" from the highway, but that's because people don't give it a chance. You just need to wander a bit.
Off I-10 you should check out unique spots like Monahans Sandhills State Park, Marfa, Balmorhea State Park and (just over the border in New Mexico) Carlsbad Caverns. It would be easy to spend a couple of weeks enjoyably roaming from San Antonio to El Paso.
Soak up the warmth in the low deserts of New Mexico and Arizona
Once you're into the desert southwest (New Mexico, Arizona, and southern California), you have to think about elevation. The northern parts of New Mexico and Arizona are at high altitude, so while a winter trip along I-40 to visit Santa Fe, Albuquerque, some Route 66 towns, Petrified Forest National Park, Flagstaff, and Grand Canyon might sound good, you're be back in freezing weather and run the risk of hitting a major snow event.
Instead, the safe route is I-10. It's less interesting to drive but you'll still pass some interesting destinations in New Mexico like Old Mesilla (in Las Cruces), Rockhound State Park, and City of Rocks State Park.
In Arizona, I-10 will bring you close to worthwhile low-elevation stops like Kartchner Caverns State Park (with a nice camping area), Picacho Peak State Park, and Lost Dutchman State Park (near Phoenix). Keep in mind that the popular state parks need to be booked well in advance.
And of course if you come down I-10 you'll pass through Tucson. In early February you can check out our city-wide & world-famous Gem Show season (but check for campground availability first). Tucson is a top snowbird destination; cheaper than Phoenix and less crowded.
Southern California
You can avoid the worst of winter weather by hugging the west coast tightly, but it's easier and more reliably warm to stick with the southern California desert region. You'll find good campsites in Death Valley National Park, the Palm Springs area, and Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Closer to the coast, there are some interesting parks operated by San Diego County.
Be careful about the tempting national parks like Joshua Tree, Kings Canyon/Sequoia, and Yosemite. They're at higher elevations and there are significant restrictions in winter. Joshua Tree is the lowest of them so it's a "maybe" depending on weather.
Be a snowbird on a budget
It's easy to live cheap and stay a long time if you want. The first tip is to find a place you like and then stay put. When you're not actually moving around, your daily cost to live in the Airstream plummets.
Almost any campground that suits you is a good choice. In particular there are huge snowbird communities around Tucson, Phoenix, Yuma, and Quartzsite. No doubt the combination of endless sunshine, reasonable temperatures, and large & inexpensive campgrounds are the drivers. Yuma is also a popular spot for those looking to cross the border repeatedly for medical or dental procedures.
1 comment
Jeffery Hammonds
Thanks, as always, for your posts. You know what is sometimes said about the best laid plans, though. We winter in the Panhandle of Florida. A week ago we had 7" of snow, I-10 was closed for a couple of days, and the nighttime temperature was in the very low 20’s (with an accompanying constant stiff wind). Of course, it was a rare event. We were very comfortable in our Airstream, though. It will be almost 80 degrees today. Nice!