mendota98

Would like to hear suggestions for a five day weekend to get out of the overcast, rainy weather.
Am considering San Diego, Palm Springs or Sedona.

Would like to spend a minimal amount of time in airports and traveling.

Thank you.

Andrew

Have you considered Hawaii? There are some pretty cheap direct flights on Hawaiian from PDX to Oahu and Maui, and on Oahu you might find some deals with the slow economy. Just a thought.

Supercilious

SoCal or Arizona are great choices and easy to reach from Portland. What are your interests? And when do you want to go?

I wouldn't go to Hawaii if I only had 5 days but I know people who do.

Alaska has some nice flights to Mexico too.

mendota98

Interests would be hiking, sightseeing and swimming.
Thank you

janisj

do you mean now? Late Nov/Dec isn't swimming weather in San Diego/Sedona and barely so in Palm Springs.

mendota98

Janisj,

It would be for January through May.

Thank you.

iamq

Of your three original choices I'd go with Palm Springs. If it were me, I'd probably find the cheapest deal to Maui or Cabo San Lucas. I don't think Sedona would be very warm until later in the spring like May. Look into Tucson for possibly warmer weather earlier in the year.

kimamom

San Diego is gorgeous with lots to do,we also love Laguna Beach. My daughter is sunning on a beach in Waikiki right now, that sounds wonderful, also! ***kim***

janisj

January to May covers a lot of territory.

There wouldn't be swimming weather in Sedona until the end of your time frame, and by then Palm Springs is getting VERY hot.

So narrow down a bit when you want to travel and folks can give you lots of good info/advice.

Fodorite018

If you consider Hawaii, I would avoid March/April around spring break. We were going to return there this year but flights out of PDX are running almost $1000 pp.

I don't know if a destination spa interests you at all, but I love Red Mountain Spa in St. George, Utah. There are flights to Las Vegas, and then you could rent a car or take a shuttle (I have done both), or you could take a short hop to St. George. The weather there can be fantastic during your timeframe, and the spa itself is great. Lots of options for outdoor activities such as hiking and biking, but also lots of great fitness classes and cooking demonstrations. Anyway, something else to think about

Supercilious

The swimming part is the most difficult if you visit the desert. All the resorts have nice pools but beaches are hard to find. San Diego has the beaches but the water will be cold in winter and spring.

For hiking and sightseeing, nothing beats the National Parks in the desert at that time of year.

Fly to Vegas and drive over to Death Valley. 5 days is a perfect amount of time to spend there. February thru April is the best time to visit.

Palm Springs has great resorts and is close to Joshua Tree National Park for great hiking. April might be the best time for Joshua.

Tucson is also fantastic in the winter and spring. Saguaro National Park is right there and close by are other hiking opportunities. Plus, there are interesting places like Tombstone and the Kartchner Caverns nearby.

Another great desert National Park is Big Bend in Texas. This is a little further away but an easy drive from El Paso. It's a great place to visit in April.