Seattle, Denver, or Miami As Destinations?

[Man In A Box]

Recently I planned on staying in California for a month or two to see what all it had to offer and the great climate. I recently read that California passed a law against this so I'm changing my course. I plan on staying in each area for 1-3 months to be able to fully immerse.

So right now as an alternative I plan on going to Seattle, Washington; Denver, Colorado; or Miami, Florida as these are places I've always wanted to visit. Anyone from these areas and can give me a little insight on the climates and atmosphere. I did an excel pro cons list with what I could find online and I'm still in a dilemma lol!

I've lived in my van in Oklahoma for a year and this will be my first grand adventure. Trying to make it easiest and relaxing as possible!

 

[WheelEstate USA]

Calif isn't my turf, but plenty here who can expound on that part of the west. I've spent time there, but years ago.
We're based in Az, my turf, tho we do love to travel. Winter here is great, but its time to split for cooler places. Altitude is the trick for summer, in my opinion. Az has that, but we're into seeing more of the country also.

The following is my opinion of places you mentioned...
All of Washington, great in summer, beautiful places, nice people, diverse cultures (Especially coastal), thanks for legalizing pot.
(visit Or, especially coast while you're up there)

All of Colorado...don't stop with Denver. Great sights and history, good fishing in remote places, much more. Thanks for legalizing pot.

Some of Florida...Forget Miami. Forget Orlando. Lots of history, interesting fishing villages (coastal), good fishing, diverse visitors, especially winter. Hot and muggy in summer. Loved my 5 yrs on my sailboat there.

There's so much to see, so many places in this beautiful country that you can always find interesting places to go. Utah is very beautiful and often overlooked in some of the best places. Lots of free dispersed camping.
In this last year of travel we parked anywhere it looked good and were only rousted (gently) once and were told a place where we could park.
Our public land is there for your use...know the rules and you find many places you can camp free of cost, other than getting there.

Enjoy your travels. Hope to meet up out there sometime.

 

[Free Range Human]

California passed a law against...what, exactly? Staying there for a month? Who told you that? And even if there were some kind of law like that somewhere in the state, that wouldn't be a statewide law, but a regional (city or county) one.

Also, you're doing yourself a disservice to think of CA as one "place", because it so isn't. There are places in CA where the temperature rarely gets above 70 all year, and places where it rarely goes below that. San Diego is different climate-wise from LA (which, frankly, you can skip...well, except maybe Venice beach, that's fun), which is different from the central valley. When you get to SF and parts north, the climate is completely different from southern and central CA. It's damp and foggy quite often.

So if you're really trying places on for size, you'd be wise to pick somewhere in southern CA and then spend another month somewhere in northern CA. (I was born in northern CA and have lived in Sonoma County, Santa Clara County, LA County, and Ventura County.)

You asked about atmosphere. You could think of southern CA as kind-of laid-back surfer-land and Northern CA as the place where all the hippies never left. These are incredibly broad generalizations, of course, and both southern and northern CA--as, I imagine, all states--are fractured into pieces where there are very different people from the "norm" and from each other. Central CA is all farming, flat and boring and hot in the summer (that's inland, not the coast).

If you love humidity (you mentioned possibly going to FL), don't come here. We don't have any.

If you want lots of sun, stay south. If you want cooler weather, stay north and on the coast. If you want a real adventure, start in San Diego and just keep moving up the coast. FWIW, if there's anywhere in the US where you could more easily blend in and live in your van without being hassled, it would be many of the towns on the CA coast.

BTW, CA has a species of tree that is found nowhere else in the world. The Coast Redwoods are magnificent, smell incredible, and are something you should not miss. Google them.

I live in WA state now. Seattle can be a nice place, but the weather is DEPRESSING. It's almost always overcast. I'll let someone who lives there give you more details, though.

 

[WheelEstate USA]

Free Range...I like your assessment of Ca. Almost makes me want to visit again, maybe someday.

We like small quaint places, if rich in history, even better. We've found most to be welcoming and easy to visit when it comes to what we refer to as "creative parking". Its usually easy to meet locals and "get the lay of the land". Been times a local cop will show us a cool place to hang for a couple days while we check out the town, just for the asking.

I'm not much for all that depressing, wet weather in up in Seattle, nor Portland, Or...but both have a wonderful variety of cultures due to their early history of ships and lumber industry. Old, ensconced families of Russians, Swedes, Finns, Norwegens, and other culturally rich nationalities have lent to the great foods, interesting art (all types), and eclectic architecture that offers a bit of old world charm in some of the old neighborhoods. Everyone drinks lots of coffee
We traveled the Or Coastal Hwy 101 last June/July without paying for parking/camping, except for the one night we met up with 2 other old RV friends at Coos bay (Parking w/ full hook-ups/internet $25... Good friends, BBQ, spa, heated pool, bay front view...priceless).

I'm just sayn', check out some cities, but smaller towns have really been great too.

 

[rvwandering]

First of all welcome to the forums!

I highly recommend the Denver area for the summer. If it gets too hot you can escape to higher elevations very easily. Public campgrounds close to Denver are very busy in the summer and you may need reservations. We stayed in Walmarts on the outskirts when we wanted to be near the city but otherwise we mostly boondocked around the rest of the state.

The west side of the mountains is absolutely gorgeous and not nearly as crowded as the east side. I make maps for my own use and to share with fellow travelers - Colorado The picnic table symbols are free camping spots.

Seattle is also good in the summer. Most summers are dry and sunny but it could be cool and wet all year. With Rainier, Olympic, the Cascades and Mt. St Helens and the national forests there are lots of free and cheap camping options. Around the city Walmarts do not allow camping but the rest areas are good for 24 hours and the casinos allow overnighting. The industrial areas of Seattle should be okay too.

Florida is great in the winter but it's one of the most expensive states as far as camping goes especially in southern Florida. Walmarts around the popular tourist cities do not allow overnight parking. We found that Cracker Barrels are the best alternative. A few casinos allow overnight parking. Northern Florida is much better because of the national forests.

 

[decodancer]

As a Florida native, I can offer some info on that state. I've never been out west but will be next year so watching the posts for info. Forget Miami unless you speak fluent Spanish and like congestion. The Florida Keys on the other hand are pretty cool with lots to see and do. Never consider Florida in June through September unless you want soaking wet clothing from constant humidity. Even at night it's pretty unbearable. Go through Alligator Alley and up the gulf coast. Sarasota and Fort Meyers are cool (not temperature wise) and Clearwater will give you the Miami Beach atmosphere. Tarpon Springs is a great place to visit for good Greek food. Northern Florida is better but still best to avoid in the summer months. St Augustine is my favorite place to visit in Florida. Gainesville is a cool college town. Ocala has lots of camping. Weeki Wachi is a fun place to spend a day. Out of Florida, my favorite places are Nashville (cleanest city I've ever been to) and NYC but don't even try to take anything larger than a van into the city.

 

[Man In A Box]

I read somewhere that California has banned people living in their vehicles and the second offense could be a year in jail. I wanted to stay around the San Diego area for a few months until I heard about that law. I heard you can camp there but it is expensive which I can't afford. I only budgeted gas, food, cell phone, etc.

Humidity doesn't sound like fun at all. I wanted Florida for the crystal blue beaches. I don't really care for the everglades as much. I chose Seattle for the mountains/forests/ocean and colorado for the mountains and wildlife.

Decisions decisions!

Thanks for the help guys. Keep it coming!

 

[Suanne]

All such large cities -- Seattle, Denver and Miami. I'm curious if it is the city life that you want to be immersed in, or the surrounding small towns and undeveloped lands, or both? You compared the state of California with cities in your considerations about where to go next. Is there a city or cities in CA that you are specifically interested in. It's a big state with distinct cultures and climates -- north and south, east and west. If you compare cities with cities, it might prove beneficial in your pros/cons list.

Here's my take on the 3 cities that you mentioned -- Seattle (near my home base) is wet, but on those clear summer days you can't beat it for beauty and comfortable weather (note: eastern WA is not wet like west of the Cascades); Denver (have never stayed here, only driven through) would be very cold in the winter and nice in the summer (due to its high elevation); Miami (just returned from that area) is very humid, both winter and summer (unbearable in the summer). All 3 cities have really wonderful undeveloped lands nearby to explore (National Parks, forests, wet lands, bodies of water, NFs, etc.).

Please let us know what it is about the states and/or cities that you want to explore. That'll help us make better suggestions.

Suanne

 

[WheelEstate USA]

There at least a couple our community members in San Diego currently. I think one lives there. I'd imagine either can offer advice on the area.
Let's see if we can beat the drums and call them to the circle

 

[Man In A Box]

What I'm looking for in a city is:
-lots of culture (I love asian culture)
-Mountains or Ocean
- Great climate so I can have a relaxing atmosphere
-people I love immersing and meeting new people but also want a calm place to park my van that I don't have to pay for.
-Lots of stuff to do. I plan on scuba diving, mountain climbing, hiking/backpacking, camping, surfing, etc. I would love to surf which is why I chose california.

That would be amazing if its still possible to stay in San Diego. I would change my plans back to going there for sure!

 

[Suanne]

Point by point Seattle-centric responses:
-Can't beat Seattle for immersing in Asian culture on mainland US. Seattle is the closest large city to the Pacific Rim. Seattle has a large downtown International District with all "flavors" of Asian culture. Nordic culture is also well represented in Seattle.
-Seattle is right on the Puget Sound and within a hour of both open ocean and mountain passes.
-If you're adverse to overcast skies or misty rain, then Seattle probably isn't the best place for you. July and August are usually the sunniest months, but that's never guaranteed. The good news is that hard rain is pretty rare. San Diego has the most temperate weather of all of the cities you've mentioned.
-There're National Forests within an hour's drive of downtown Seattle for free dispersed camping. A few Walmarts in the suburbs allow overnight parking. Can you explain more of what you are looking for?
-Seattle has lots of scuba diving opportunities, with an underwater park in Edmonds (just north of Seattle). We don't have the clearer waters of San Diego, nor the super clear waters of Miami. Many mountain climbing, hiking/backpacking and camping ops near Seattle (too many to list). Although there is surfing about an hour west of Seattle on the open ocean, it's nothing close to the number of opportunities you'll find in/near San Diego.

If I were you, I'd visit all 4 cities ... it's just a matter of which one first

Hope that helps. Suanne

 

[Man In A Box]

You got that right. I plan on touring the entire US and maybe try some Canadian areas as well. My goal is all 50 states eventually. Transporting my van to Hawaii and Alaska should be interesting lol.

 

[highdesertranger]

I live in the peoples republic of kalifornia and although there are many stupid laws, I haven't heard that one. if in fact it is a law, it's a local law not state wide. kal has many ltva's so I can't see it being a state wide law. I would do a little research. highdesertranger

 

[SoulRaven]

As a Florida native, I can offer some info on that state. I've never been out west but will be next year so watching the posts for info. Forget Miami unless you speak fluent Spanish and like congestion. The Florida Keys on the other hand are pretty cool with lots to see and do. Never consider Florida in June through September unless you want soaking wet clothing from constant humidity. Even at night it's pretty unbearable. Go through Alligator Alley and up the gulf coast. Sarasota and Fort Meyers are cool (not temperature wise) and Clearwater will give you the Miami Beach atmosphere. Tarpon Springs is a great place to visit for good Greek food. Northern Florida is better but still best to avoid in the summer months. St Augustine is my favorite place to visit in Florida. Gainesville is a cool college town. Ocala has lots of camping. Weeki Wachi is a fun place to spend a day. Out of Florida, my favorite places are Nashville (cleanest city I've ever been to) and NYC but don't even try to take anything larger than a van into the city.

Greetings!

ahhh... the Weeki Wachee Mermaids, one of my favorite places...

I like the Tin Can Tourists camp up in the panhandle too.

And of course the Key's, free camping all over the place. And Key West i a must see for anyone visiting the area.

Just remember there's alligators & snakes in some areas.

Cheers!

The CamperVan_Man

 

[SoulRaven]

I read somewhere that California has banned people living in their vehicles and the second offense could be a year in jail. I wanted to stay around the San Diego area for a few months until I heard about that law. I heard you can camp there but it is expensive which I can't afford. I only budgeted gas, food, cell phone, etc.

Humidity doesn't sound like fun at all. I wanted Florida for the crystal blue beaches. I don't really care for the everglades as much. I chose Seattle for the mountains/forests/ocean and colorado for the mountains and wildlife.

Decisions decisions!

Thanks for the help guys. Keep it coming!

Greetings!

I don't know what you're driving, but last May in San Diego they were rousting cargo vans left and right, but in my high top all window, obviously a camper van, one cop told me that as long as I wasn't trying to hide, and I wasn't bothering anybody, they were okay with it.

The cops told me in several different CA locations: "It's the ones who try to hide that are the problem, they're the trouble makers, the thieves and drug dealers. We like tourists, and it's people like you we try to keep safe."

I just picked neighborhoods with largish apt. complexes that had overflow parking on the street, and except for cargo vans, and obvious motor homes or travel trailers, they didn't seem to care a lot. I returned to one place I liked every day for several weeks, and even stayed parked for a couple 2-3 day stretches, no problems, and everybody including the cops had to know I was living in my van.

There's a lot of places, in darn near every state, that have laws against camping on the street. I think for the most part though that they are selectively enforced, rather than actively enforced. If you don't give cause for people to complain about "That Creepy Dude In A Van" you'll probably be fine. If you're legal, at most they may tell you to move, but if you ask, they may suggest where you can park legally and be safe. I've been told to park in the police parking lot more than once, and stay as long as I liked. In Venice, CA, while parked in their lot, they would bring be soda & hot pastries every morning (I don't drink coffee), and gave me a big book of tickets for free meals at various places. Really nice people there, and ooooohhhhh the boardwalk & surrounding area, quite entertaining.

Like another poster said, Portland & Seattle can be very depressing, sometimes we don't even get a summer. There have been summers when I counted a total of 5 days of real sunshine all summer long. Living in the rain forest is a beautiful place to live, IF you have web feet, and aren't depression prone. The guy that wrote that song "The bluest skies you've ever seen are in Seattle" obviously never left New York.

Cheers!

The CamperVan_Man

 

[akrvbob]

Are you looking for a place to live or to visit? Do you specifically want to live in a huge city?

All the places you mention have terrible weather part of the year!! Really miserable weather for a vandweller. Can you be a snowbird and travel with the seasons? Would you rather be surrounded by nature instead of concrete? You can camp for FREE in the National Forests or BLM land near most of those places.

I don't think any states have laws against vandwelleing, that is handled at the county and city level. One city may be very tolerant of vandwelleing and the city 10 miles away may hunt you down like a dog.
Bob

 

[Man In A Box]

I plan on staying at each location for a few months. I will also admit that I considered working at one of those locations. I like working and figured higher cost of living won't effect me so the higher pay would be a bonus and open up newer opportunities.

I was wanting to stay in San Diego for a few months or longer because of the climate. I don't get depressed easily and love the woods so that's why I was leaning towards Seattle.

I do like cities because of the different cultures, museums, and resources but I would be interested in other areas as well. What do you all consider the best climate places for vandwellers?

 

[akrvbob]

Nearly every place has a time when the weather is good for a few months, but if you are looking for good weather year-around, it really isn't out there. San Diego is probably the closest. I considered all these towns to retire to because they have a true 4 seasons but none of them too extreme I'd recommend:

Flagstaff, AZ Good sized town with a large university
Prescott, AZ good balanced weather and close to Phoenix
Asheville, NC reasonable weather, artsy college town
Port Angelese, WA protected from the worst rain by the rain-shadow of Mt Olympius, close to Seattle

I pulled this off wikipedia about Port Angelese:

Port Angeles is located in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains, which means the city gets significantly less rain than other areas of western Washington. The average annual precipitation total is approximately 25 inches (640 mm), compared to Seattle's 38 inches (970 mm). Temperatures are heavily modified by the maritime location, with winter lows rarely below 25 degrees Fahrenheit (−4 °C), and summer highs rarely above 80 degrees F (27 °C). However, in winter the city can be vulnerable to windstorms and Arctic cold fronts that sweep across the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Port Angeles receives about 4 inches (100 mm) of snow each year, but it rarely stays on the ground for long.

Pretty good weather with a third of the rain of Seattle but you get all of Seattles culture. It's also in a truly gorgeous location within an afternoons drive of 3 National Parks.
Bob
Bob

 

[mockturtle]

Seattle has a lot of Asian culture. Weather fairly mild but gray and drizzly much of the year. Summers are nice. Both mountains and ocean. VERY expensive. Good luck finding a place to park your van in the city [it's hard to find parking for a car for a few hours!] but there are plenty of outlying places that might do.

 

[SoulRaven]

Greetings Bob!

You might want to re-think Port Angeles, it seems as wet as Seattle to me, and it gets a lot windier than Seattle normally does too. While I'm not a huge Seattle fan, even though I spend a fair amount of time there, I would actually recommend the Seattle area over Port Angeles. While PA might technically get a little less rain, it has just about the same number of rainy overcast days I think. I think that the Seattle area gets fewer days below freezing too.

Regardless of what the thermometer might say, Port Angeles feels about 20 degrees colder than Seattle in the winter.

I love the PNW which is why I spend the bulk of my time here, but in all fairness, pretty much anywhere west of the Cascades in either Oregon or Washington, you're going to be running your heat pretty much every day for at least 6 months out of the year. (All day if you're home)

Now the summers are much better when you get them. It usually stays below 80-85, and for at least a month you won't need any heat at night. AC is rarely needed.

Most people from up here are snowbirds if they can be, so I'd say that pretty much sums it up...

Cheers!

The CamperVan_Man