Where to spend winters and summers

[KuxW04]

I am soon to be retired and getting ready to join the nomad tribe. i have a minivan that I've built.
I understand nomadic life moves with the weather.
As part of my homework, would like to know what areas would you recommend for winter and summer? i intend to stay within the Midwest. Montana, idaho, all the way to Arizona, new Mexico. Will not go east coast.

Thank you.

 

[maki2]

I am soon to be retired and getting ready to join the nomad tribe. i have a minivan that I've built.
I understand nomadic life moves with the weather.
As part of my homework, would like to know what areas would you recommend for winter and summer? i intend to stay within the Midwest. Montana, idaho, all the way to Arizona, new Mexico. Will not go east coast.

Thank you.

That is easy. Head to the mountains in summer and lower desert areas closer to Mexico for the winter. During the spring and fall seasons stay at mid elevation levels in between the high and low elevations. There are thousands of towns with dispersed camping near them for resupply.

 

[bullfrog !]

The major difficulty most have is learning how to live outside or with the lack of enough power to control the temperatures in their living areas so they migrate. Even that doesn’t work as well for some so they seek full hookups by either getting it furnished by seasonal work, developing property for a home base or renting if they can find and afford it.

 

[WanderingRose]

Think about wintering to include Louisiana, and maybe also consider the southeast, as in the Florida Panhandle, Georgia and South Carolina.

Temps are usually mild, tho can have cold snaps, and lots of inexpensive public campgrounds in there, but for the coastal areas which are very expensive.

These are beautiful parts of the country

 

[Gr8ful]

You can't beat Michigan in the late spring, summer or fall.

 

[maki2]

The problems with heading to Louisiana and Florida is that you will be fighting biting insects on a regular basis. Both of those states have a lot of standing water as well as high humidity levels.

The Western States other than in some of the coastal areas have a lot less humidity. Plus you can get by without air conditioning by changing the elevation you camp at. You do not even have to drive a really long distance to switch from summer camping to winter camping. Also there is a much greater abundance of free, legal, dispersed camping. There is a much smaller population demand on those camping areas other than when they are a very short drive, adjacent to large cities. Then they get crowded from after work on a Friday night until midday on Sunday.

Somewhere in the collection of Bob Wells cheaprvliving YouTube videos is a video about how you can comfortably spend the whole year around doing free dispersed camping staying in the State of Arizona. It is true, that can easily be done!

 

[eDJ_]

Here's a youtube video for you that shows the movement of 70 degree weather for each day of the year. (it is also in the bottom link of the signature lines below)

It may help you to plot a course to travel north or south thru the year. Some have found a way of living on the slope of mountainous areas where they can winter over in one spot in the winter where it is 70 degrees until warmer weather comes and with a 200 mile drive that is mainly up hill they can spend the summer there in 70 degree weather. 400 miles travel a year to be in 70 degree weather year around. But there are many possibilities.

 

[KuxW04]

Thank you all for your input. I will not go to east coast so FL and surroundings is out i lived in FL years ago and don't want to go there again.
Plan is to stay in the midwest, montana, idaho, colorado, arizona, new mexico, nevada.
Was thinking to find some spots in Montana or Idaho for summer ( maybe north Wyoming) and move south for winter.
Interesting about spending all year in AZ will watch that video.

When i retire i will be new to this and have no connections so I'm trying to get a much info as i can beforehand.

Thanks!

 

[maki2]

Here is Bob Wells talking about where to spend summers and that you can stay all year in Arizona. This is the video that convinced me to give it a try and this is my 4th summer doing exactly that. Colorado is too high for me as I have mild chronic bronchitis but I can handle the elevations in the flagstaff region.


This year Bob Wells bought himself a homestead acreage property in the high country in Northern Arizona over close to the border of New Mexico. He spent some time there this summer. I just missed seeing him by a few days when he was camped near Bellemont, AZ.
He does go to Southern AZ for the winter and of course he will be in Quartzsite during the RTR in January.

Me, one motivation is for me to keep my tow vehicle in the category of very low miles for its age. I have a small travel trailer.
I have traveled and camped a lot over the years, even in France. Also lived in Alaska, the Pacific NW, Texas, New Orleans, etc. So I have no bucket list of must see places and I am content to just enjoy the mountain forest in summer and desert warmth in winter with some trips over to the Pacific coast now and again.
This coming week I will leave the Flagstaff area and move about 60 miles over to free dispersed camping immediately adjacent to the Grand Canyon National Park. September is a great month to be there

 

[abnorm]

Welcome Back to the forum.......

My wife and I travel a circuit ......(read stuck in a rut)......"Nomad Haven" Quartzsite AZ in the Winter .............

OREGON/NorCal in the Summer .....(We can't get enough of those TREES !)..........with a Month Lay-over each way in Pahrump NV........and a series of wonderful stops in between

We have learned WE have to SLOW Down when changing Latitudes..................100° in Quartzsite might still be Freezing 1000 miles away in Oregon !

And Temperature swings can really surprise you..........Today in Oregon 90° high 52° low

We like it Toasty.............Less Clothes / More Happy

 

[WanderingRose]

The problems with heading to Louisiana and Florida is that you will be fighting biting insects on a regular basis. Both of those states have a lot of standing water as well as high humidity levels.

Not in the winter months.

 

[frodo2222]

The major difficulty most have is learning how to live outside or with the lack of enough power to control the temperatures in their living areas so they migrate. Even that doesn’t work as well for some so they seek full hookups by either getting it furnished by seasonal work, developing property for a home base or renting if they can find and afford it.

That is very true..full hookups are expensive AND at least for me is like living in a apartment complex..I choose to borrow some money and develop and install a solar system on my RV and lo g term it is much cheaper and allows me to go where I want and yes I run my mini split on solar as well..I found that cost of gas was a huge expense to chase the temps as well

 

[wayne49]

Here's a youtube video for you that shows the movement of 70 degree weather for each day of the year. (it is also in the bottom link of the signature lines below)

It may help you to plot a course to travel north or south thru the year. Some have found a way of living on the slope of mountainous areas where they can winter over in one spot in the winter where it is 70 degrees until warmer weather comes and with a 200 mile drive that is mainly up hill they can spend the summer there in 70 degree weather. 400 miles travel a year to be in 70 degree weather year around. But there are many possibilities.

That 70 degree spot in NW Wyoming is inside Yellowstone NP.

And there is nothing that says the weather someplace will be exactly the same year over year.

One needs to be flexible. 70 may not be comfortable given other weather aspects at any given time.

You want 70s year round? Oahu's windward side beckons.

 

[KuxW04]

Thank you all for the info. Now I have a better idea about this subject.

 

[Lance22]

I am soon to be retired and getting ready to join the nomad tribe. i have a minivan that I've built.
I understand nomadic life moves with the weather.
As part of my homework, would like to know what areas would you recommend for winter and summer? i intend to stay within the Midwest. Montana, idaho, all the way to Arizona, new Mexico. Will not go east coast.

Thank you.

I have research this extensively myself and my plan right now is as followed. North during summer South during winter.

North being Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Dakotas being coolest Montanta being coolest as well but more rual with no major cities ( need major city for employment ) Iowa and Nebraska being cool

Then during winter months Texas, I want to go to the gulf coast and enjoy those lovely winter gray sky's and cool empty beaches during off peak season! I am beyond excited for that so nobody else show up please when I go! haha!

Arizona is also nice during winter.. also decent during summer in Santa Fe if you need to do a smaller travel between season but can become overly crowded.

Also I am planning on eventually doing summers in Alaska I gravitate towards bigger cities so there is only a few cities up there that would meet my needs. Yes, gas prices be costly but if you can follow trends and plan to go up there during those extra hot summers then bonus comfort points you win!!!

I have a minivan so I think it's reasonable cost wise.. although when I plan on upgrading to a full-size van then I will put an AC unit in there during the peak sun hours with max solar on the roof I should be able to make places in the upper Midwest just as comfortable.

Global warming fake or not.. summers are getting warmer, and the weather is getting wilder. overpopulation or whatever the true cause I'm not here to debate it.. lack of quality building to codes likely a factor as well but planning is key to ensure quality of life these days.


Good luck and if you plan on being in major cities then going to the mall, or stores during the day can be a great way to keep cool. Our country really have a lack of 3rd places so living in a bigger size city with tons of things to do for when the temp is in the 90's is 10x better than going out of your way to be in a town with no where to go even if it's only in the 80's. But to each their own.

I've done the spray yourself with a water bottle to stay cool at a picnic area in the Texas summer and it was miserable, toleratable but really made me question my life choices. You gotta have strong mental health to deal with those doubt.. so always take some vacation and get comfortable with places ahead of time if you have plenty of time before you leave.

 

[maki2]

You plan sounds just fine. Go with your instincts.

 

[twomountainlions]

This Bob Wells' video was made before 2020s camping boom.
I didnt see it until now, funny how the areas he lists are now on my Avoid list, because they are crowded.
Crowds keep increasing, I noticed definite surge in 2024 compared to even 2023, well official homelessness rose something like 10-12% in one year, apparently, here you go.

I don't find 90f+ in summer to be a big deal if there's tree shade for the rig. I setup 10x10 double cover canopy where I spend all my time, its very comfy at 90f. 70s days usually mean uncomfortably cold nights in the West, hard frost even.
Wouldnt want to be camping out East in winter either, with all the tornados, hurricanes, straight line winds and downpours.

 

[maki2]

^^^ there is not necessarily going to over crowding happening in the southern border areas this winter of 2025.