South East question

[cpd520]

We have never had the opportunity to travel the southeast. We will get the opportunity in 2018. We will be on the coast of Louisiana on May 1st. We are looking for where to play for the summer. Plan to winter in Florida.

Where do we go to chase decent weather in the Southeast. looking for interesting things to see and do.

Help an Arizona boy out.

[jergeod]

cpd520













On the road

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Joined: 06/21/2007

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Posted: 09/27/17 11:54am

Thanks folks, you have me rethinking our route. How far north do we need to go to be comfortable in July and August. Sticky, hot and buggy doesn't sound appealing.

Maine. Then start a slow trek south about mid Aug checking out the complete east coast and you should reach Fla some time late Oct early Nov

[Parrothead_Mike]

We've only touched on the Cumberland Plateau area of the SE ourselves, but have some friends that retired to the area several years ago. The summer temps are supposedly moderate as much of the area is about 1,000 ft. above sea level with some parts higher.

Attached is a Wikipedia page regarding the Cumberland Plateau that at least maps out the specific states that encompass the areas you might find mild during the summer months.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumberland_Plateau

[charlestonsouth]

cpd500 -- try khflorida.blogspot.com which is a couple who follows the weather down to Florida. They provide maps of their routes, campgrounds with photos, etc. However, they usually by now have set up their routes for the 2017-2018 camping season, but because of the devastation of Irma in Florida, they may have delayed their planning. They do not activate their blog until the planning stage. However, what you will find will be a detailed account with maps of their 2016-2017 routes and campgrounds. You will see that they are into canoeing.

[kerrlakeRoo]

Not sure how fast you wanted to travel. Do you want to park somewhere for 7-10 days and explore within 50 miles, and then move 100-200 miles? Do you want more leisurely?
If you want a May 1 to Dec 15 itenerary and this is to be a one time East Coast visit, what I would suggest is different than a summer in just the south and head to Fl.
If this is just the summer in the south, I would suggest leave La, head up to Nashville area, see a couple of the state parks, continue to mammoth caves, and then east to the Smokey Mountains national park by mid june, Gatlinburg, Dollywood, Boone N.C. then up to West Va by August, Hot Springs/ Natural Bridge, keeping to higher elevations until after labor day and visit Shenandoah valley, Harpers Ferry, down Skyline Dr to Blue Ridge Pkwy Stop for a day or two in Galax and at Fairey Stone state park, then down to Mt Airy and Boone NC, Blowing Rock area is beautiful, Mount Mitchell if you can. and then run east to the Outer Banks, Hatteras Island around late September, down to SC state parks around Charleston, then On to Savannah Ga. See the old cemetary, spanish moss in the trees is awesome and many of the older tombstones tell the life stories of the person interred. If you want a city swing west to Atlanta, Aquarium there is awesome, Athens mansions are impressive examples of late 1800's style construction. And by now November should be ending, so go to Fl and snooze,

[agesilaus]

PghBob wrote:

agesilaus wrote:
-- and dare I suggest Washington DC --

DC is as hot as anyplace in FL and humid too, so I don't know how that helps you escape the heat. I can see the NC or North GA mountains as a cooler location but not the rest of your suggestions.

Agree that DC is also hot & sticky in summer. However, someone from the west (Arizona) who has not seen the Smithsonian Museums, National Archives, various other venues, might get something out of a visit to the capital, especially if air conditioned.

That is certainly true, but prepare to fight heat stroke walking from one museum to the next on the National Mall. And we are Florida acclimated to heat. Boston was also hotter than h*ll in July as we found out on our NE tour that year. Maine was nice and cool tho. If possible do DC in the Fall or Spring, at least that's our plan for the next visit.

[PghBob]

agesilaus wrote:
-- and dare I suggest Washington DC --

DC is as hot as anyplace in FL and humid too, so I don't know how that helps you escape the heat. I can see the NC or North GA mountains as a cooler location but not the rest of your suggestions.

Agree that DC is also hot & sticky in summer. However, someone from the west (Arizona) who has not seen the Smithsonian Museums, National Archives, various other venues, might get something out of a visit to the capital, especially if air conditioned.

[Bill___Kate]

Cape May County, NJ, has good summer climate, and plenty to do .....

Camping in Cape May County

[Merrykalia]

Head to Natural Tunnel SP in Virginia. It can be hot (mid 80s are normal) during the summer and even humid, but it is usually in the 60s and 70s in the evening and a good campfire is welcome. There are many campgrounds that are in the area - we are in the mountains and have lots of hiking, biking, fishing, canoeing, kayaking and the most beautiful scenery around.

Natural Tunnel State Park

[cpd520]

Thanks folks, you have me rethinking our route. How far north do we need to go to be comfortable in July and August. Sticky, hot and buggy doesn't sound appealing.

[pawatt]

cpd520 wrote:
Not sure why this was moved to "SNOWBIRDS". The gist of the question is where to go in the southeast for the summer. Not sure snowbirds will be the best group to ask.

Many snowbirds like to follow the decent weather.

[agesilaus]

-- and dare I suggest Washington DC --

DC is as hot as anyplace in FL and humid too, so I don't know how that helps you escape the heat. I can see the NC or North GA mountains as a cooler location but not the rest of your suggestions.

[PghBob]

Consider spending the hot months a bit further north. Many interesting, fun, and historical things to do. Consider the outer banks of NC, the historic triangle in Virginia, the blue ridge parkway, Virginia Beach, Shenandoah National Park, and dare I suggest Washington DC. If you are into music, consider Galax VA for "early music", esp. the Rex Theater on Friday night. Or, if you are a fan of Andy Griffith, consider Mt. Airy NC the model for Mayberry. Lots to do here.

Have a great trip.

[naturist]

Not quite sure what an Arizona boy might consider a good place for summer play. Both Arizona and the southeast share in summer is hot weather. The difference is humidity. Mostly the entire southeast experiencies 70% or greater humidity, which can be uncomfortable for folks used to dry heat. Heck, it's uncomfortable for those of us who are used to it. I'd suggest either the beaches, say the outer banks of North Carolina or South Carolina OR the mountains say along the Blue Ridge Parkway between Asheville NC and Waynesboro VA. It's what we who live here try to do.

[kerrlakeRoo]

Most anywhere in the southeast in the summer will be hot and humid. Florida winters are wonderful but summers are sticky at best. A basic suggestion is to follow the weather, as winter ends move north, see Savannah, gorgeous town, Charleston, and there are several state parks, the state will send you visitors guides and campground info if you dont want digital, Early summer the Outer banks of NC, and when July heat rolls in head west to Boone NC and Mount Mitchell. 5000 foot elevations will provide some relief. Va, and NC have some wonderful state parks in the mountains and plenty of hiking and biking trails.
If you want to go touristy in the mountains, add Gatlinburg, while down in Ga, add Atlanta and the Aquarium.
Or you can reverse the order and follow the warmth south ending in Fl come early to mid dec.