Been thinking about this recently. Maybe you road-trippers can help me. If a late-middle-aged (57) guy was to hang it all up and break away from the daily grind in search of a simpler life, and assuming no other ties or factors like population, housing, employment, economic conditions, social attitudes, etc, where would he head to find the best year-round weather?

I currently live in a suburb of Sacramento. Generally great weather but the summers can be sweltering. Not like Phoenix for example, but sometimes pretty close. It can be like riding into a blast furnace. The ideal for me would be warm, moderate, or even mildly cooler weather like they have in the Pacific northwest, but with much lighter rainfall for safe and enjoyable riding year-round. (thinking of getting rid of the truck and just staying on two wheels).

The desert is out for me. So is snow country. And high heat and high humidity are real downers. Spent a summer week in Hollywood, Florida once and always felt like I needed a shower. (even the ocean felt like bath water!) Spent a summer week in Hawaii once. It was warm but not too bad (while I was there?) and it did rain occasionally - but briefly. I just checked and found Honolulu will be in the mid eighties for the next week or so while Sacramento will be in triple-digits?

I grew up in the S.F. bay area and generally loved it. I heard once the government did a study to find the best overall weather in the county (what else do they have to spend our taxes on?) and came up with Redwood City, CA which is about 30 miles south of S.F. I kind of agree with that, but wonder if you guys have any suggestions. So, where is the rider's best-compromise, year-round Nirvana?

 

SoCal? I lived in San Diego County for several years and the weather cannot be beat. Lots of other reasons to NOT want to live there...crowds, traffic, politics (for me), etc. But the weather is fantastic and the scenery is 2nd to none.

 

+2 on San Diego! Best weather in lower 48!
Big island of Hawaii has some great riding and little rain on the Kona side.
I'm also a big fan of New Zealand. The North Island has great year round weather and great riding everywhere!
South Africa also has great weather and roads.

 

From my own travels, I'd say:

Redding/Mt. Shasta, CA. yea, it gets a touch hot there sometimes
Medford, OR
St. George, UT Superb riding out of there
Prescott, AZ