Here's the Best Time of Year to Visit These 13 U.S. Cities
What you want to do on your vacation: Relax, sightsee and maybe get some sun. What you don’t want to do: Spend half the time waiting in lines. Or get heat stroke. Or pay a million dollars for a hotel room. Check out the best time of year to travel to these 13 U.S. cities—and plan your next getaway accordingly.
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MAUI: APRIL THROUGH JUNE
The winter is the most popular time for sun-seeking tourists to visit. When you go in the spring, you’ll miss the crowds but also avoid the rainy season and dog days of summer.
NEW YORK: SEPTEMBER THROUGH OCTOBER
If you don’t mind jam-packed sidewalks, by all means, go for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. But if you’d prefer to see the leaves change as you stroll through an empty(ish) Central Park, early fall is your best bet.
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AUSTIN: SEPTEMBER THROUGH OCTOBER
If you can stand the heat (and bustle), go during the iconic Austin City Limits festival in late September. The city slows down after that, so if you’re looking for a quieter vacation, October is your best bet.
LAS VEGAS: NOVEMBER THROUGH DECEMBER
Sin City is slow in the summer, but unless you want to spend the entire trip inside an air-conditioned casino, try for a winter getaway--you can nab great deals between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and the temps are blissfully mild.
CHICAGO: APRIL THROUGH MAY
Summer is the busiest season for tourists, so avoid it like the plague unless you want to elbow people out of the way to get a photo of “the Bean.” Instead, visit in spring, when airfare and hotels are affordable and you won’t turn into a human icicle.
LOS ANGELES: OCTOBER THROUGH APRIL
The city is covered in smog on hot days--so for the clearest view of the Hollywood sign, book a trip during the less steamy fall months. (Don’t worry, it’s still great beach weather.)
WASHINGTON, D.C.: APRIL THROUGH MAY
The cherry blossoms, people. The cherry blossoms. Expect peak blooms in early spring. (You will, however, have to contend with crowds--so time your museum visits for early in the morning.)
SEDONA: DECEMBER THROUGH FEBRUARY
Skip the touristy spring season and check out Sedona’s mild winter, when temperatures hover in the 50s and 60s and you just might get to see the gorgeous red rocks dusted in snow.
SAN FRANCISCO: SEPTEMBER THROUGH OCTOBER
Summer is cooler than you think, and it’s also the most crowded. Stick with early fall, when it’s comfortable light sweater season and the skies are relatively fog-free. It's also perfect hiking weather.
MIAMI: AUGUST THROUGH SEPTEMBER
The beaches are the most crowded in the spring, but if you wait for June, it’s likely to be sweltering. Go for late summer and early fall instead--it’s still the low season, but the humidity won’t be quite as oppressive.
BOSTON: JULY THROUGH AUGUST
Airfare may be cheapest during the winter, but the likeliness of your flight being delayed or cancelled due to snow is high. Book a trip for summer, and spare yourself the worry about ice, snow and sub-arctic temps.
NASHVILLE: SEPTEMBER THROUGH DECEMBER
Music City summers are hot and humid, so opt for a trip during the more manageable fall and winter months.
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ORLANDO: SEPTEMBER THROUGH OCTOBER
We’re not condoning pulling your kid out of school, but when it comes to Disney vacations, the lines are about half as long when school is in session. Soooo maybe Bobby should get the “flu” this September.