By Rachel Puryear

Happy new year, Free Range readers! Wishing you prosperity, freedom, and time with loved ones for 2022.

Winter blues getting you down? If you’re dreaming of warmer climates and sunnier skies, check out this list of places with just the right amount of heat and sunshine in January and February! Plenty of locations are within the USA, thereby eliminating current international travel concerns and making a spontaneous trip easier – accordingly, this post focuses mainly on USA locations, plus a couple close by.

Looking for affordable accommodations for your stay? Click here for a giant database of customer-reviewed hostels worldwide.

San Diego, California

Looking for a place with something for everyone to enjoy? This coastal, just-north-of-the-border city offers a diverse array of fun and adventure, or relaxation if that’s more your style. Kick back on the beach, enjoy the natural beauty of Balboa park (which contains the famous San Diego zoo) and other parks, take a road trip across the border to Mexico, try local cuisine, take the kids to Sea World, and more.

Better yet, you can enjoy all these activities without freezing your buns off. January temperatures in San Diego average highs of a comfortable 65° F/18° C, and lows of a mild 49° F/9° C. San Diego averages 7 days of rain in January, with two inches total rainfall for the month.

Mojave Desert Cities and Parks, California

Southeastern California features the haunting beauty of the Mojave desert, and an unspoken energy that stays with you. Amazing national parks include Death Valley and Joshua Tree; and for more urban fare, there is also Palm Springs and nearby Las Vegas.

Summertime brings lots of crowds to this region, as well as scorching temperatures. However, Winter is nice and mild here. As deserts cool off a lot at night, though, you will need a light jacket after dark. The crowds are smaller this time of year, too. For Death Valley, January high/low temperatures average 67°/40° F and 19°/4° C. For Joshua Tree, January high/low temperatures average 62°/36° F and 17°/2° C.

Tucson, Arizona

This southern Arizona city carries an artsy vibe, lots of cool pueblo-style architecture, and awesome Mexican and southwestern cuisine. Just outside the city is also the gorgeous and relatively quiet Saguaro National Park – where you can drive and hike through an array of desert plant life (there’s far more of it than you think). If you like, you can also take a day trip to Mexico – the border is about one hour from Tucson.

Tucson is also sweltering during the Summer months, but is mild and pleasant during the Winter. January high/low temperatures average 68°/41° F and 20°/5°. So a light jacket for nighttime is still a good idea. As this is a desert climate with frequently clear skies, there’s an excellent chance of amazing night-sky watching – Saguaro National Park could be a perfect spot for such!

Miami, Miami Beach and Florida Keys, Florida

American’s Caribbean region of southern Florida offers warm weather, sunny beaches, and a fun vibe year round; plus lush natural beauty thanks to the tropical climate. You can enjoy the plentiful amenities and nightlife that a large city like Miami has to offer. From Miami, you also can take a road trip through the Florida Keys – if you do so, be sure to stop by Dry Tortugas National Park, off of Key West. Either heading out to or coming back from the Keys; also visit Everglades National Park, and the neighboring Biscayne National Park, as they are both in the southernmost part of Florida near the Keys. See also Big Cypress National Preserve in that same area, just north of Everglades Park. If you have kids with you, you could also stop in Orlando and take them to Disney World.

Miami, along with its surrounding areas in southern Florida, enjoys warm and tropical weather all year round. Miami January high/low temperatures average 76°/60° F and 24°/16° C. Key West January high/low temperatures average 74°/64° F and 23°/18° C. Everglades January high/low temperatures average 81°/55° F and 27°/13° C.

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Cabo has something for everyone – beaches, whale watching (during this time of year), nightlife, great food, art scenes, colorful architecture, and more. January and February are outside the annual hurricane season. February also features the Todos Santos Art Festival.

Cabo San Lucas January high/low temperatures average 79°/61° F and 26°/16° C.

See here for requirements for travelers to Los Cabos regarding Covid.

Costa Rica

Costa Rica features sunny beaches, plenty of natural beauty and wildlife, and friendly people. January is the beginning of the dry season, and crowds are generally smaller then as it’s after the holidays. Enjoying warm, tropical weather year-round, January and February are a great time to visit Costa Rica.

Costa Rica lowlands January high/low temperatures average about 90°/80° F and 32°/27° C.

See here for requirements for travelers to Costa Rica regarding Covid, and also visas.

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Thank you, dear readers, for reading, following, and sharing. Here’s to taking a break from the cold, and visiting somewhere warm.

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