I spent a long weekend in Wisconsin a couple of weeks ago. The family had already been on holiday there for about ten days when I arrived, staying with the in-laws. We visited with my wife’s aunt and uncle one beautiful Sunday afternoon at their home along the banks of Lake Wisconsin (map).
The weather was absolutely perfect, a magnificent combination of sunny skies, a moderate temperature of about 75° f. (24° c.), and low humidity. We slowly motored around the lake in their party boat for much of the afternoon and feasted on barbecue and microbrews into the evening as the sun set.
I prepared myself for the usual conversation, their annual attempt to convince me that Wisconsin would be a wonderful place to move the family permanently. I’ve said before and I continue to maintain that there’s no better place in the world in the summer.
I would relocate to Wisconsin immediately if it was within my power to replicate this day every day. They are aware of this vulnerability and that’s when they strike. However, I’m from an area much further south and I cannot stand the downside found at the opposite end of the calendar. Wisconsin is the coldest place I’ve ever been in my life when winter rolls around.
Searching for Perfect Weather
It didn’t convince me to relocate but it did make me wonder where I could find the most perfect weather on the planet. I do realize that’s incredibly subjective. To some people — my wife’s family included — it would be somewhere similar to Wisconsin with its four very distinct seasons. Perfect to me would be a place that replicated that recent August day in Wisconsin, but for every single day of the year. I could always hop on an airplane and fly to a tropical beach or a ski resort whenever I missed the seasons.
Southern California Coast?
I really enjoy the California coast from San Francisco to San Diego (map). Certainly that would be a possibility. My job takes me to the west coast a few times every year and I’ve always experienced great weather.
There was that one time in San Diego though. I arrived at the airport amid chaos. Everyone else was going in the other direction. They were trying to escape wildfires further inland that were pouring smoke and raining ash onto the city at a ferocious pace. At the hotel, the clerk informed me that they only had smoking rooms available (and she wasn’t being sarcastic). I took the room because it hardly seemed to matter – the entire city was already engulfed in a thick smoggy layer as dark as dusk.
Still, the middle to southern California coast would rise to the highest levels on my list.
Quito, Ecuador?
I’ve always understood that Quito, Ecuador (map) has a nice, constant temperature due to its remarkable elevation (9,350 ft / 2,850 m) near the equator.
It’s like perpetual springtime. The average high temperature ranges between 64°-67° f. (18°-19° c.) all year long. Well, maybe that’s a bit chilly but I think I’m still a fan of Köppen climate classification “Cwb” which is the Subtropical Highland variety. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia falls within the same classification and it’s just a tad warmer. I’m not sure I’m adventurous enough to relocate to Ethiopia anytime soon and I know my family wouldn’t follow me. I have about as much of a chance of moving to Ecuador or Ethiopia as, well, Wisconsin.
The search for perfect weather continues. What location would you consider optimal?
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