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USA / Canada Cities
- Thread starter Beach Hut
- Start date
I'm based in Boston and would stay clear until May time, it's absolutely baltic.
If you had the time, driving San Diego / LA to SF would be a nice trip - if yo haven't been the Big Sur is stunning (and flights are usually reasonable in Feb)
Otherwise New Orleans would be perfect for 5 days / Austin also / and as others have said Key West (although pricey for hotels)
Juan Albion
Chicken Sniffer 3rd Class
After San Diego has been mentioned several times, I'm surprised you're still wondering, Beachie. Too much to do there in five days maybe, but great weather in February.
Detroit is a great place to visit. Not your typical holiday destination but absolutely fascinating from a US urban history perspective. Plus it has the Motown museum, Ford Factory tour is interesting from a political and industrial perspective, Henry Ford museum, African American museum and you can drive up 8 mile and Gross Point and then have dinner in Greek Town.
Am I missing something with Detroit? It has to be up there with the worst city to visit in the US unless you're some crazy die hard eminem fan.
Will also be freezing! Save your money, it's got to be the equivalent to a Feb five night break in Burnley!
Gazwag
5 millionth post poster
Did Seattle and train up to Vancouver in May and really liked both cities.
I was in Detroit this time last year. They had a discussion on the radio celebrating TWO consecutive days without a fatal shooting in the city. They had the mayor on and everything. It was a big deal.
On the plus side, thanks to the largesse of a local businessman they do now have a few working police cars and ambulances.
On the plus side, thanks to the largesse of a local businessman they do now have a few working police cars and ambulances.
Eggman
Well-known member
Not read this but I really want to visit New Orleans.
Mellor 3 Ward 4
Well-known member
Despite what others have said about the weather, we have been to both Chicago and Boston at New Year, and loved it. Yes it was cold,in fact Boston was snow covered, but wrap up warm and there's plenty to see and do, especially in Chicago.
Mellor 3 Ward 4
Well-known member
St. Louis is great, but I'd suggest 3 days is sufficient.
5 days, how about flying to Chicago, 3 days there and then up to Milwaukee for two nights?
footychick
Nicola
Vancouver is a lovely place.
I went there in 1986 where there was 'Expo 86'.
I went there in 1986 where there was 'Expo 86'.
Eggman
Well-known member
Lived in Tampa for a year and I would definitely recommend the Miami /Keys option. Enough to do for 5 days for sure.
If February wasn't the time. Washington DC is a fabulous city to visit and as mentioned on a personal level I want to visit New Orleans, Denver and Arizona.
So yeah. What about Phoenix? Death Valley etc. Warm in Feb no?
If February wasn't the time. Washington DC is a fabulous city to visit and as mentioned on a personal level I want to visit New Orleans, Denver and Arizona.
So yeah. What about Phoenix? Death Valley etc. Warm in Feb no?
Miami is one of my all-time favourite cities, love it, and Feb is a superb time to go - warm, dry and not humid. Depends on what you want to do but the beaches are great, loads of tours to do if you want organised stuff, shopping, fishing, golf, nightlife, restaurants, sport, Latin American vibe.....just brilliant. If you want to do the Keys and Key West as well, easily doable, hire a car and drive down. West Coast is a very long flight for a short trip.
Raphael Meade
Well-known member
Vancouver would top that list... and as mentioned by others, Seattle is great - incredible scenery in that whole area, and i'd throw Portland in too (some of the best food going, check out the Columbia River Gorge too for some great waterfalls and hiking) to round out the trip.
Never been to fond or excited by Boston.
Otherwise, California is your best bet at that time of year... it can be pushing 90f even in Feb. LA/SD, beaches, skiing, lots of things to do.
Basically, you can't go wrong with the west coast
Never been to fond or excited by Boston.
Otherwise, California is your best bet at that time of year... it can be pushing 90f even in Feb. LA/SD, beaches, skiing, lots of things to do.
Basically, you can't go wrong with the west coast
Jim Van Winkle
Well-known member
I have been in the U.S. now for over 3 years. Two of them have been spent living in the mid-west (about a hour from Detroit). You would have to be head mental to vacation here January through April. When I say it's cold, it's cold. My first winter in this Arctic Tundra we had 85.5 inches of snow (and I shoveled every inch of it) and the coldest it got was negative 45F. You have been warned. Detroit is a true urban decaying jungle, some of those abandoned neighborhoods are scary - not a place for a family vacation, especially in Feburary or March.
If you haven't experienced New Mexico or Arizona I would highly recommend them. The missus just came back from New Orleans and said it was a great place.
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Tiptop24
New member
Depends on what you are looking for...
Austin is a fantastic city - lots to do, will have American football going, and warm most of the year.
Chicago is just amazing - but would be bloody freezing
Miami is pretty retro and still plenty going on
San Fran is decent, but can be a bit trashy.
Austin is a fantastic city - lots to do, will have American football going, and warm most of the year.
Chicago is just amazing - but would be bloody freezing
Miami is pretty retro and still plenty going on
San Fran is decent, but can be a bit trashy.
johnhammond
Neither John, nor Hammond
February isn't the best month for Seattle, but it's definitely worth visiting. Skiing, 3 national parks (which are mostly off limits in the winter due to snow), hikes and waterfalls, hundreds of microbreweries, Pike Place, Space Needle, San Juan Islands, and Portland/Vancouver within a couple of hours to the south/north.
The Montreal winter festival is in Feb and supposed to be fun.
Avoid Utah.
The Montreal winter festival is in Feb and supposed to be fun.
Avoid Utah.
Ha ha. I agree it's not your typical holiday destination, and the immigration guy did take some convincing of my reasons for travel. I stayed at this typical motel and I was the only white face in the attached diner. It was the same faces in the same places at breakfast and they were also incredulous I'd chosen Detroit for a holiday. But, I found it an absolutely fascinating city.
I was there in Feb as well.
Colonel Angus
New member
Having recommended St Louis and Chicago early on in this thread, I would on reflection agree that St Louis is worth 3 days (I certainly did it in 3 with family and in-laws). Question is whether your 5 day trip really is a 3 day trip with flights on first and last days or whether you're going for 7 days and have 5 days leisure time after flights taken out. If it is the former then St Louis could fit well. If it is the latter then I would pick somewhere else.
The other repeated advice on this thread is not to go anywhere in the north in Feb as many areas have a high risk of being snowbound which could affect your travel or the experience there or worse, both and you don't get any sort of break.
Now Chicago is a great place to see even in the winter as long as you can get there. The amount of things you can do indoors would make the weather less of a problem whilst you are there, but if you can't get there in the first place because they have 12" of snow then you may lose out. The same is true of Boston, Detroit, Milwaukee (I am going there for a couple of days as part of a bigger U.S. break in 1 week's time), etc...
To be honest, whilst there are loads of great cities in the North, North East and Mid West, the safest bet in February would be to pick as southern a destination as possible. I've never been to New Orleans or San Diego, but from others recommendations they sound like the lower risk options to me.
Detroit? 
Boston: lots of history, tech, architecture (for the U.S.) and is the location of my favourite restaurant in the world atm. Seriously cold in Feb.
Miami: lots of wintering arrogant folk from further North. Not my cup of tea, but lots like it. Everglades and Key West brilliant.
New Orleans: perfect for 5 days in Feb. brilliant music scene, great food, Mississippi, great architecture.
Boston: lots of history, tech, architecture (for the U.S.) and is the location of my favourite restaurant in the world atm. Seriously cold in Feb.
Miami: lots of wintering arrogant folk from further North. Not my cup of tea, but lots like it. Everglades and Key West brilliant.
New Orleans: perfect for 5 days in Feb. brilliant music scene, great food, Mississippi, great architecture.