Shoulder season is what the travel industry calls the weeks, even months, before or after their busiest season. Peak season always is the winter holidays, whether we’re talking about a ski resort, a Caribbean resort, or spending New Year’s Eve in Times Square with a million or so of your closest friends.
But shoulder season varies in the rest of the world. Here’s a “cheap-o-meter” guide for January to June that can help you save up to 50 percent off top hotel and tour rates:
January
Best times to visit New York City, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. and its surrounding Maryland and Virginia. The weather is cold enough to keep tourists to a minimum, which means you have some of the best museums in the world all to yourself, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC (www.nycvisit.com) and The Smithsonian in DC. In the City by the Bay, take a cruise to visit the National Park at Alcatraz, www.alcatraxcruises.com.
February
The Netherlands, Ireland, and Dallas-Ft. Worth. Bicyling around Holland in winter will keep you warm, as will a pint of you-know-what anywhere in Ireland.
March
Italy, Spain, Los Angeles – Perfect weather for searching out the perfect olive oil and hiking the mountains of the first two, and searching for movie stars in Hollywood.
April
Asheville North Carolina -- The azaleas are in full bloom in the extensive gardens at The Biltmore Estate, the largest and most opulent mansion in the USA.
May
Hawaii, Portland, Oregon and Vancouver – Flowers in bloom everywhere, ideal weather for hiking or biking excursions, sailing and parasailing.
June
Park City, Utah; Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona and Albuquerque, New Mexico – Take the chairlift to the top of the mountain in Park City or the Sandia Tram in Albuquerque to inhale the view and bike or hike down. In Phoenix, you’ll have to walk to Camelback Mountain. In Scottsdale, the city’s first and only winery, Su Vino Winery in the Main Street Arts District, has a program to let you blend and barrel your own wine, www.suvinowineryaz.com.
The cheap-o-meter list of destinations is from www.cheaptickets.com
Evelyn Kanter - Ever since I fell asleep in the back seat of my parent's car and woke up at my front door, I have thought that travel is a magical ...
