Destination: USA
LONELY PLANET'S OFFICIAL GUIDEBOOK INFORMATION
When to go
Snowing or sunny, anytime is the perfect time to see the USA.
Nevertheless, the main holiday season is summer, which is bounded by Memorial Day (the last Monday in May) and Labor Day (the first Monday in September). In summer, hotels charge more and crowds are more crowded, but sometimes you have to strike while the iron is hot: mountain parks and gorgeous beaches are just not the same without the presence of a warm, beaming sun.
That said, one region's high season can be another one's hell: July in the Pacific Northwest is wonderful, but in the deserts of the Southwest it's brutally hot. As a general rule, latitude and altitude are your main guides in determining weather and season: the higher you go, and the further north, the later summer arrives and the earlier winter begins. The USA is so big that exceptions abound, so see the Geography & Climate sections at the beginning of each regional chapter for destination-specific advice, and for current information, visit www.weather.com.
One travel truism is that spring and fall are often the best seasons. The shoulder seasons - roughly March to May (spring) and September to November (fall) - tend to avoid the extremes of weather, prices sometimes drop and scenery is often at its peak. Again, check your destination: spring may not arrive until May or even June in the Rocky Mountains or Sierra Nevada, or it may bring an off-putting amount of rain, as it can in Seattle.
Winter is high season in ski areas, and the cold drives the snowbirds south. With careful planning, however, a successful winter trip can yield the riches of America's landscape virtually all to yourself.
Whether you're planning to join them or avoid them, holidays and festivals are another thing to consider as you make plans.
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