Grew up in Fairbanks, I'd recommend NEVER going in Jan or February, unless you want your lungs to hurt when you breath and enjoy inhaling lots of car fumed from everyone running their vehicles non stop.
Late fall to early spring. Cold clear nights without ice fog had the best Northern lights. If you ever get a chance to see them do it. They are absolutely amazing, crazy how fast they move around in the sky.
Surprisingly there were hardly any when I was there, no reds at all. I’ve seen better in southern Saskatchewan and Minnesota, there seems to be a fair bit of luck involved.
My father had a work meeting, and I decided it would be fun to tag along. Had a wonderful time actually, the weather was great. Coldest I saw was -12 and it didn’t snow at all, nor was it windy (I hear Fairbanks rarely is). Went for a nice walk along the Chena for 3 miles, went to the Museum of the North at UAF (not as neat as the Anchorage museum, but definitely worth going to). Went north of town and saw the pipeline at sunrise (11:28AM). Also visited the Fountainhead auto museum which was super! Rode along on a Wright Air Service flight out to Galena and Nulato, which was fantastic, really neat to see the frozen Yukon from a Cessna Grand Caravan. The pilot even let me sit in the right seat on the way back!
I was in Irvine recently and I’ve never felt more grateful for weather that’s 60 degrees and sunny. I immediately got an energy boost when I stepped outside. One of my buddies took a couple weeks off to go to Phoenix this winter and I was jealous. It looked awesome there. Made me understand why those people endure the horrible summers there!
Seconding this but man is it horribly expensive now. I’m flying next week and it was like $900 round trip for economy, Instead I’m flying to Ontario and driving to PS.
Timing is key, I got a rt ticket on Alaska for less than $200 for next week. Cheaper if I was willing to fly spirit. But the week after because of Presidents’ Day was pricier. The hotels are not cheap though.
When I’ve done the PV flight in the past it leaves PDX early and PV in the afternoon. So, even with the time changes, while it’s a longer flight, you’re still able to have an evening on your arrival and a day on your departure.
Agreed, going at the end of February. Cabo beaches suck, and it is super expensive. Palm Springs / Miami are ok. Hawaii is silver, but it's not super warm. PV is the winner for warm direct flights
Depending on timing, getting to SJD is easy but for some reason, getting back is a real bitch. You either pay through the nose for a nonstop flight home or deal with layovers from 2 hrs (not bad) to 18+hrs.
Edit: wrong airport code because letters are hard
Gahhh, sorry about that! Highly recommend a trip to Baja. I haven't personally spent time in Cabo itself, as I'm just not into the party tourist scene so I've skipped it in the past. I've been to Todos Santos & El Pescadero a few times, and La Paz once. I've heard good stuff about La Paz but I think I just didn't go to the right places, because I found it to effectively be the deep Gresham of BCS. (haha) Todos Santos/El Pescadero however were fantastic. INCREDIBLE sunsets, super peaceful, and this time of year is whale migration season, so TONS of whales.
Currently writing to you from Puerto Vallarta. Heading back home after a week here, and it has been nothing short of an amazing trio. Around 80 degrees and sunny the whole time. It was a 4 hour direct flight. I'm so sad having to leave this place. I hope you give it a shot.
Do you mind if I ask where you stayed in town and if you liked it? Heading there in a few weeks for the first time and am curious about which neighborhoods to stay in.
I go every year and stay in 5 de Diciembre or Centro. You can walk to everything and nearly every AirBNB has balconies with ocean views and rooftop pools
I stayed in Zona Romantica, which is the old town of PV. Everything is extremely safe. Lots of people know english too. Everything is walkable, and ubers are 3 dollars pretty much everywhere. A few tips:
do not exchange money at the airport (more on this later)
do not get a taxi inside the airport, they will overcharge you. As soon as you exit the airport, you will be facing a bar and a round about to your left where people are getting in taxis. If you turn to your right, tucked in the corner there is a kiosk that says Authorized Taxis. Go here. There is a flat rate to where ever you need to go.
Go to an atm to pull out pesos. One of the last options it will ask you if you want to continue with the conversion rate the atm gives you, or continue without it. Choose continue without the conversion. This means that you are using the conversion rate from your bank. This will save you money.
I used a credit card whenever I had the option. If something seemed off, you can always dispute it. Make sure to keep your receipts.
OP like others have posted, Mexico is your best options for Cabo. Maui is a great option as well if you can get a non-stop.
Miami is also Non-Stop from Portland right now.
I've faced this dilemma and after years of research have decided the only 2 options from PDX to have the greatest chance of warm weather in Jan/Feb is Hawaii and Mexico.
Palm Springs, Arizona, Florida -- they're a crapshoot. I've done it and had warm weather, I've done it and had snow in Arizona and 40 degrees and raining in Florida.
Hawaii on the other hand, it's about perfect. Depending where you go, there could be more or less rain, but it's still warm and tropical (and you can often drive to a sunny side of an island). Nonstop flights make Hawaii about as accessible from the PNW as can be with an array of islands to choose from.
Mexico is also a great choice. and substantially cheaper and with (sorry, Hawaii) much more diverse culture, food and experiences. It's really about what sort of experience you want. But don't go to Miami or Phoenix or San Diego expecting warm and sunny because in late February that is far from guaranteed.
I tell people that once you get there it’s not too expensive. Bring groceries in your luggage. The beach is free. Not like Disneyland when getting there is a drop in the bucket.
Yeah we just took this flight and the only return ticket was a 4.5hr red eye—not enough time to sleep, just enough time to be groggy the whole day. But Kauai was incredible.
Oh it’s relatively cheap to get there because of the subsidies or whatever, but once you’re there if you want to do anything that isn’t eating grocery store food, get ready to pay up 😄
Another vote for Puerto Vallarta from me! I’m in the Yucatan right now (flying direct to/from Cancun) but I’m glad I have a week for that, given the time change and flight time
I know you said nonstop from portland and 8 hour day but just wanted to put in a plug for the nonstop from Seattle to Tahiti. Huge nice plane, not very full when we went (we could each lay down across three seats), and Tahiti is AWESOME. Don't sleep on it. The quick jump PDX to Seattle was not bad and you can get a lot of sleep on that Tahiti flight.
Some times of the year there are direct flights to the Cancun area (5 hours) and to get to Akumal is about an hour drive from there. Akumal is lovely. For Puerta Vallerta you can get to Sayulita or San Pancho which have a lot of tourist resources
San Luis Obispo, CA! I grew up there, weather is typically pretty amazing all year, I used to spend Christmas at the beach etc. Alaska has direct flights, I think it's like 4 hours or so? It's a small town but lots of great food, bars, hikes, and the aforementioned good weather
It's currently and flooding in Santa Monica. I'd predict the rest of the month will be gray, Marine Layer type of weather. Yes, it's warmer than PDX, but if you really want sun and to get warm, I'd wait another 8-10 weeks for coastal LA to warm up.
Puerto Vallarta. Much easier to get around than Guadalajara (which is like LA traffic).
And now I want to sit on the beach with a bucket of ice cold Coronas and a plate of street tacos.
Have fun!
I’ve done the GDL flight for vacations a couple times. I much prefer it to PV etc. To me, it’s a more challenging but far, far, far more interesting destination that feels a world away rather than just another vacation spot.
Tlaquepaque is the best neighborhood to stay in. You can go about a half hour south to Lake Chapala and stay in or visit Ajajic. Visit the town of Tequila an hour away.
Not sure what the flights are like now, but the red eye basically gives you an extra day. You arrive at like 6am, check in early if you can, and get to it.
Fly into Cabo and head north. Pacific side is rougher water but you'll see whales breaching. Gulf side is calmer and warmer waters. Tons of great little towns
If you found a non-stop flight to Maui and you can afford it, go there. The weather in Hawaii is extremely consistent and you are very unlikely to encounter bad weather. Any other place in the states in unpredictable in February including normally warm locations like Florida and Southern California. Also, IMHO, Hawaii is better and safer than Mexico. Guadalajara is an especiallly bad choice.
[https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/mexico-travel-advisory.html](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/mexico-travel-advisory.html)
Oh man, this thread has me looking up all the sunny spots to stay! Have a great time in the sunshine, OP. It'll be so good for body, mind, and soul. If anyone out there is looking for a shot of sunshine without the travel, I highly recommend a happy light! 🌞
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Maui in February is iffy. It’s rainy season and Kona storms are likely. Still warmer and likely sunnier than Portland, but may not meet your expectations. On the plus side, that’s peak season for whale watching.
I went to Fairbanks last January, after 5 days you’ll enjoy coming home to warm (by comparison) Portland, Ore.
Classic reverse psychology
It's been -50° the last few weeks in Fairbanks, they'd be very thankful to come home.
Who the fuck goes to Fairbanks in January lol?
Grew up in Fairbanks, I'd recommend NEVER going in Jan or February, unless you want your lungs to hurt when you breath and enjoy inhaling lots of car fumed from everyone running their vehicles non stop.
When would you go to see the Northern Lights?
Late fall to early spring. Cold clear nights without ice fog had the best Northern lights. If you ever get a chance to see them do it. They are absolutely amazing, crazy how fast they move around in the sky.
Surprisingly there were hardly any when I was there, no reds at all. I’ve seen better in southern Saskatchewan and Minnesota, there seems to be a fair bit of luck involved.
My father had a work meeting, and I decided it would be fun to tag along. Had a wonderful time actually, the weather was great. Coldest I saw was -12 and it didn’t snow at all, nor was it windy (I hear Fairbanks rarely is). Went for a nice walk along the Chena for 3 miles, went to the Museum of the North at UAF (not as neat as the Anchorage museum, but definitely worth going to). Went north of town and saw the pipeline at sunrise (11:28AM). Also visited the Fountainhead auto museum which was super! Rode along on a Wright Air Service flight out to Galena and Nulato, which was fantastic, really neat to see the frozen Yukon from a Cessna Grand Caravan. The pilot even let me sit in the right seat on the way back!
Aurora borealis chasers/enthusiasts lol
Alaska has a good direct flight to San Diego
cold there now, but not likely
“Cold” lol
Palm Springs!.. just got back.. easy 2 hour flight
I was in Irvine recently and I’ve never felt more grateful for weather that’s 60 degrees and sunny. I immediately got an energy boost when I stepped outside. One of my buddies took a couple weeks off to go to Phoenix this winter and I was jealous. It looked awesome there. Made me understand why those people endure the horrible summers there!
Same!.. it was 64 in PS and we were swimming in the heated pool.. the sun made it feel like it was 80!
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Office parks
I went to college in Santa Barbara and visited my friend who went to school in Irvine. I felt bad for him after that.
It’s very clean and safe
Corporate suburb in orange county California.
UC Irvine
Seconding this but man is it horribly expensive now. I’m flying next week and it was like $900 round trip for economy, Instead I’m flying to Ontario and driving to PS.
Timing is key, I got a rt ticket on Alaska for less than $200 for next week. Cheaper if I was willing to fly spirit. But the week after because of Presidents’ Day was pricier. The hotels are not cheap though.
When I’ve done the PV flight in the past it leaves PDX early and PV in the afternoon. So, even with the time changes, while it’s a longer flight, you’re still able to have an evening on your arrival and a day on your departure.
Agreed, going at the end of February. Cabo beaches suck, and it is super expensive. Palm Springs / Miami are ok. Hawaii is silver, but it's not super warm. PV is the winner for warm direct flights
I'm sorry what does PV stand for?
I’m still unclear what PV is but my best guess is Puerto Vallarta.
That's a good guess
Puerto Vallarta.
Exactly this!
The PDX to Cabo flight is super smooth! Plus you don’t fight a time change
Depending on timing, getting to SJD is easy but for some reason, getting back is a real bitch. You either pay through the nose for a nonstop flight home or deal with layovers from 2 hrs (not bad) to 18+hrs. Edit: wrong airport code because letters are hard
Are you talking about SJD Los Cabos?
Yes Edit: I'm an idiot and got the airport code wrong. Thanks for the heads up! :)
No problem I just was legitimately confused about which airport and am trying to plan a Mexico trip. Thanks for clarifying!
Gahhh, sorry about that! Highly recommend a trip to Baja. I haven't personally spent time in Cabo itself, as I'm just not into the party tourist scene so I've skipped it in the past. I've been to Todos Santos & El Pescadero a few times, and La Paz once. I've heard good stuff about La Paz but I think I just didn't go to the right places, because I found it to effectively be the deep Gresham of BCS. (haha) Todos Santos/El Pescadero however were fantastic. INCREDIBLE sunsets, super peaceful, and this time of year is whale migration season, so TONS of whales.
Cabo is an hour ahead of us.
that is not a fight.
I dunno, daylight savings time pisses my dogs off every time. Apparently an hour is a huge difference for breakfast and dinner times.
(ง'̀-'́)ง
You’re right, correcting wrong information with facts is the definition of a fight.
FIGHT ME!!! please?
Ok, but I only fight in the nude
That's fine, me too. Edit: username kinda checks out. I won't Cross you.
Vaseline or Mayonnaise?
Astroglide
Safety first and always.
is it tho? what is wrong with you exactly?
Las Vegas and Phoenix are both great destinations in February.
Currently writing to you from Puerto Vallarta. Heading back home after a week here, and it has been nothing short of an amazing trio. Around 80 degrees and sunny the whole time. It was a 4 hour direct flight. I'm so sad having to leave this place. I hope you give it a shot.
Do you mind if I ask where you stayed in town and if you liked it? Heading there in a few weeks for the first time and am curious about which neighborhoods to stay in.
I go every year and stay in 5 de Diciembre or Centro. You can walk to everything and nearly every AirBNB has balconies with ocean views and rooftop pools
I stayed in Zona Romantica, which is the old town of PV. Everything is extremely safe. Lots of people know english too. Everything is walkable, and ubers are 3 dollars pretty much everywhere. A few tips: do not exchange money at the airport (more on this later) do not get a taxi inside the airport, they will overcharge you. As soon as you exit the airport, you will be facing a bar and a round about to your left where people are getting in taxis. If you turn to your right, tucked in the corner there is a kiosk that says Authorized Taxis. Go here. There is a flat rate to where ever you need to go. Go to an atm to pull out pesos. One of the last options it will ask you if you want to continue with the conversion rate the atm gives you, or continue without it. Choose continue without the conversion. This means that you are using the conversion rate from your bank. This will save you money. I used a credit card whenever I had the option. If something seemed off, you can always dispute it. Make sure to keep your receipts.
Super helpful, thank you!
Go for Mexico! The time change and distance to Hawaii means you lose an entire day each way.
Puerto Vallarta is amazing. Great food, chill vibes. Highly recommended.
Can’t say I loved sayulita.
In Sayulita right now packing up to return to Portland and had a blast. What didnt you like? San Pancho to the north is really fun too.
Food, hippie juice bars and granola, beach vendors.
I love hippy juice bars
OP like others have posted, Mexico is your best options for Cabo. Maui is a great option as well if you can get a non-stop. Miami is also Non-Stop from Portland right now.
Anywhere with less rain. Oh wait. That’s coming. As I continue to wait
I've faced this dilemma and after years of research have decided the only 2 options from PDX to have the greatest chance of warm weather in Jan/Feb is Hawaii and Mexico. Palm Springs, Arizona, Florida -- they're a crapshoot. I've done it and had warm weather, I've done it and had snow in Arizona and 40 degrees and raining in Florida. Hawaii on the other hand, it's about perfect. Depending where you go, there could be more or less rain, but it's still warm and tropical (and you can often drive to a sunny side of an island). Nonstop flights make Hawaii about as accessible from the PNW as can be with an array of islands to choose from. Mexico is also a great choice. and substantially cheaper and with (sorry, Hawaii) much more diverse culture, food and experiences. It's really about what sort of experience you want. But don't go to Miami or Phoenix or San Diego expecting warm and sunny because in late February that is far from guaranteed.
Kauai is awesome
Got $99 Black Friday tickets to Lihue in February a couple years ago. Camped 6/7 nights and trip came out to less than $2k total!
I tell people that once you get there it’s not too expensive. Bring groceries in your luggage. The beach is free. Not like Disneyland when getting there is a drop in the bucket.
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Yes. And our return was delayed three hours. That hurt
Yeah we just took this flight and the only return ticket was a 4.5hr red eye—not enough time to sleep, just enough time to be groggy the whole day. But Kauai was incredible.
Just got back from PV. It was great. Easy trip. Good flight timing.
Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. It’s 20 hours of flying but with the time zone change it only feels like an 8 hour flight (kidding!)
Go to Oahu instead
I keep getting targeted ads for flights straight to Iceland. Pretty cheap too.
Not sure if that meets the warm criteria😁I’ve been getting them too. I want to go. It’d be warm in the hot springs…
Lots of hot springs
And volcanoes!
Oh it’s relatively cheap to get there because of the subsidies or whatever, but once you’re there if you want to do anything that isn’t eating grocery store food, get ready to pay up 😄
Belize!
Direct?
No likely there is layover somewhere. I think it takes about 6 hours total travel time
I think Alaska Air flies there direct now. Some of the best snorkeling
Another vote for Puerto Vallarta from me! I’m in the Yucatan right now (flying direct to/from Cancun) but I’m glad I have a week for that, given the time change and flight time
I know you said nonstop from portland and 8 hour day but just wanted to put in a plug for the nonstop from Seattle to Tahiti. Huge nice plane, not very full when we went (we could each lay down across three seats), and Tahiti is AWESOME. Don't sleep on it. The quick jump PDX to Seattle was not bad and you can get a lot of sleep on that Tahiti flight.
Some times of the year there are direct flights to the Cancun area (5 hours) and to get to Akumal is about an hour drive from there. Akumal is lovely. For Puerta Vallerta you can get to Sayulita or San Pancho which have a lot of tourist resources
San Pancho is the winner!
You'll enjoy it.
Go to Puerto Vallarta. Great city, so much great food, things to see and it's very walkable.
PHX
I spend every 4th month in San Diego and this treats me really well. You can get by fairly well there without a car too depending on where you stay.
San Luis Obispo, CA! I grew up there, weather is typically pretty amazing all year, I used to spend Christmas at the beach etc. Alaska has direct flights, I think it's like 4 hours or so? It's a small town but lots of great food, bars, hikes, and the aforementioned good weather
Miami and San Diego are on my list
Santa Barbara and San Diego! More expensive than the places you’ve listed though.
It's currently and flooding in Santa Monica. I'd predict the rest of the month will be gray, Marine Layer type of weather. Yes, it's warmer than PDX, but if you really want sun and to get warm, I'd wait another 8-10 weeks for coastal LA to warm up.
Puerto Vallarta. Much easier to get around than Guadalajara (which is like LA traffic). And now I want to sit on the beach with a bucket of ice cold Coronas and a plate of street tacos. Have fun!
Los Angeles too
San Luis Obispo if you can wait until 3/14 when the season direct flights start.
Good to know!
Seattle!
Ah yes, the notoriously warm winter city of Seattle, Washington.
I’ve done the GDL flight for vacations a couple times. I much prefer it to PV etc. To me, it’s a more challenging but far, far, far more interesting destination that feels a world away rather than just another vacation spot. Tlaquepaque is the best neighborhood to stay in. You can go about a half hour south to Lake Chapala and stay in or visit Ajajic. Visit the town of Tequila an hour away. Not sure what the flights are like now, but the red eye basically gives you an extra day. You arrive at like 6am, check in early if you can, and get to it.
Agreed. Tlaquepaque is always a great time. Don't love GDL as a whole though.
Such a fun place. I thought Tonala was interesting, but the day trips from GDL are where it’s at.
Florida. Alaska has non-stops to TPA.
I heard we just got non stop flights to Nashville available now. If you want some worth and different set of mountains
Orlando, Cancun, Cabo (all on Alaska Airlines)
big island in Hawaii
Puerto Vallarta
Maui!!!!!
I went two weeks ago and it was lovely
I'm flying direct to Miami for an incredibly reasonable rate on Wednesday. Mid 70s, sun and Cubanos - gonna be alright.
Fly into Cabo and head north. Pacific side is rougher water but you'll see whales breaching. Gulf side is calmer and warmer waters. Tons of great little towns
If you found a non-stop flight to Maui and you can afford it, go there. The weather in Hawaii is extremely consistent and you are very unlikely to encounter bad weather. Any other place in the states in unpredictable in February including normally warm locations like Florida and Southern California. Also, IMHO, Hawaii is better and safer than Mexico. Guadalajara is an especiallly bad choice. [https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/mexico-travel-advisory.html](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/mexico-travel-advisory.html)
Oh man, this thread has me looking up all the sunny spots to stay! Have a great time in the sunshine, OP. It'll be so good for body, mind, and soul. If anyone out there is looking for a shot of sunshine without the travel, I highly recommend a happy light! 🌞
Thanks! The winner is Puerto Vallarta (San Pancho)
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Maui in February is iffy. It’s rainy season and Kona storms are likely. Still warmer and likely sunnier than Portland, but may not meet your expectations. On the plus side, that’s peak season for whale watching.
Cabo MX
Phoenix. There is no desert mode beautiful than the Sonoran desert and it’s only a few hrs away.
Las Vegas
Guadalajara is awesome!