Longing for a Sunny Break from Rainy Portland

It’s not yet 5 o’clock on a Tuesday afternoon in November, and it’s nearly dark outside my suburban Portland window. It’s been raining off and on (mostly on) all day, and no amount of fleece or wool is keeping me warm. In other words, I’m itching for a vacation.

Portlanders are a sturdy bunch, generally able to withstand the urge to plan a warm-weather getaway until January or February – after the cold and rain has been burrowing into our bones for a good two or three months – but somehow I’m not ready for the cold just yet. I spent most of October in Italy, and while October tends to be a great time to be in both the Pacific Northwest and much of Europe, I got rained on almost everywhere I went on the Italian peninsula. I’m not begrudging my time in Italy, but since I got soaked there I feel a little cheated by being thrust into winter so abruptly back home.

If you’re like me and already eyeing your suitcase longingly, wondering where it could take you that might leave you less sopping wet, then allow me to point you to a site that will surely distract you from whatever you’re doing and occupy you for hours if you let it – the deals from Portland page. There are temptations listed at the moment that stretch from California to New Zealand, including some round-trip flights to a place I know to be warmer than here (AKA Long Beach) for as little as $185. Pair that with any of the cheap hotels in Los Angeles and you’ve got a nice southern California vacation where you can soak up a little bit of sun before the holidays without breaking the bank.

And if you’re not yet pining for a sunny escape, keep that page bookmarked for when you really need it – like right after the first of the year or long about mid-February – and see what warmer climes are calling to you (AKA really cheap) at that point. Oh, and if you’re not fortunate enough to have a willing friend or family member to drive you directly to the covered area of PDX, you might consider booking PDX airport parking in advance – one option even includes immediate transfer from the lot to the terminal, rather than waiting (let’s face it, in the rain) for the airport lot’s bus.

photo by Ctd 2005