Is there anywhere suitable for a fly-drive in February?
We'll be visiting from England for a 10 days holiday in mid-February and we've still not decided where to go. Any suggestions would be more than welcome. We realise that mid-February might not be an ideal time to visit but it's the only period when we can take time off. We're both in our mid 30s and like the outdoors and beautiful scenery combined with nice bars and restaurants!

Thom, California probably has the most to offer then. It won't be Amazon hot, but the chances for good weather are excellent, and it will absolutely be an improvement over England in February.

Consider a fly-drive starting in San Diego and ending in San Francisco, or vice versa, with Los Angeles between, of course. Side trips to the wine country or the redwoods in northern California, or to the desert in the south, are easy to manage. Drive the coastal route between LA and SF for beautiful scenery.

The flight to the west coast from Britain is pretty long, but the time change is in your favor coming west. Also note that California is much farther south than England, so an added bonus is longer days in February.

Thom, my vote is also for California. Fly into San Francisco, spend a few days there, rent a car and drive through Northern California. Spectacular! You won't be disappointed, I promise you.

Not to be a wet blanket, so to speak, but February can be pretty rainy here in northern California. Just a warning -- I don't think it should stop you from coming.

If northern California is too damp that time of year, there's always Arizona and the Grand Canyon. Perhaps even a fly into AZ and leave via CA. Of course, it may snow near the canyon.

Ann,
What would the weather be like in the area around Arizona in February?
We have thought of flying into either Phoenix or Las Vegas and then visit Zion Park and Bryce Canyon but we were afraid that there might be snowy and icy road conditions.

The weather in Arizona will vary accoridng to the elevation. Expect day time highs of around 65-70 in the Phoenix area. You can run into snow and icy conditions in Northern Arizona around the Grand Canyon.

I personally would opt for California simply because it has a lot more to offer. However February is in our rainy season so you may not have "Chamber of Commerce" type weather. The weather will definitely be a lot nicer in Southern California then Northern though Northern may not be too bad, The one good thing is that ir rarely rains more then 1 or 2 days in a row so you you should have some nice weather. On the optimistic side, it can also be 75-80 in S. California in February.

You can fly British Air nonstop from London into Phoenix and do a drive around Arizona. I am sure BA must have some kind of fly/drive available.

Miami or New Orleans would be my choices. Having flown to San Francisco from London, it's an AWFULLY long way. These two cities are somewhat closer.

Hi Thom:

I would second the suggestion for the southwest. My husband is a European and we love to make trips down to that area in Feb. If I were doing it, I would fly into Las Vegas (because if you haven't seen Vegas-you really should at least once) and then I would either fly or drive to Phoenix (an eight hour drive one-way).. Then I would head straight to the Chiricahua mountains in Southern Arizona-they are spectacular and the nearby town of Bisbee is a great little town-lots of artists and nice shops. Maybe you could fly back out of Phoenix.

I included a link to the Chiricahuas page off of the AZ tourism site-we love this whole area!!

http://www.arizonaguide.com/see/natp...iricahua.shtml


Jeanne

Live in the Phoenix are and have taken British Air non stop London to Phx. As I recall, it leaves London midday or later(?) and arrives in Phx. at around 11 a.m. Phoenix could be in the 60's to mid to high 70's...depends if a weather system is passing through. Problem with Az. is that once you leave Phx headed north you are going up in elevation and the weather gets a lot colder as you travel a couple hours north. The roads may also be icy etc. Just depends on the weather at that time. The Chirachuahs (sp) referred to in a prior post are beautiful especially if you are a bird watcher, but i dont know if i would plan a whole vacation from Europe there (IMO). Sedona which is north of Phx is beautiful but then leaving there unless you backtrack toPhx you may be at the mercy of weather. The areas of Utah that you mention get cold and snow. Frankly, California may be the safest bet. but Az is nearby and if the weather is good you can always make plans to view the grand canyon and sedona at the last moment as this is not peak season and rooms are plentiful.
Good luck with your planning.

one last tuhgt, las vegas is 5-6 hour or longer drive (DEPENDING ON ...YOU KNOW WHAT...THE WEATHER!)
Miami with the everglades gives you a lot of outdoor opportunities asn South beach gives you the bars etc. New Orleans is great too. again good luck!

The electiom may not be settled in Florida by February. Of course we will have our new president by then, but the law suits and recounting will still be going on in Florida. People may be a little edgy there by February.

The Gatwick - Phoenix flight leaves London at about 11 and touches down in Phoenix a few minutes before 3pm local time, the flight is fine.

As a Brit I would heartily recommend Arizona at that time of year.

New Orleans! Without a doubt! Mid Feb. is the beginning of Mardi Gras celebrations. Lots of fun but not too crazy yet. For specifics, contact me directly. I am a Brit living in "The Big Easy."

I think the Florida Keys sounds like a great plan right about February. It's time to get warm again!!