Daylight is fading, temps are dropping and the famous PNW precip is quickly turning to snow. Soon -- very soon -- we’ll be in the grip of another dark, chilly winter.

If this is causing you panic, perhaps you should consider the life of an RV snowbird -- heading south to bask in 70 degrees instead of planning your day around shoveling the driveway.

If you’ve never tried it, a snowbird winter in Arizona or Southern California is delightful. You can hike, golf, bicycle or just hang out by the pool to your heart’s content.

Our snowbird strategy has always been to tour an area, experiencing destinations for short stays but staying true to our Going Mobile mission. In other words -- we like to move around and see different places.

With that in mind, here are a few of our favorite snowbird tours of the southwest.

AZ from north to south

The Grand Canyon State has so many lovely destinations -- starting with that big hole in the ground. A winter visit to Grand Canyon National Park isn’t exactly balmy, but daytime temps often climb into the 50s. We highly recommend side trips to Flagstaff and Winslow.

Next, head south to Sedona, with amazing hiking, cycling and general good vibes. From Sedona, it’s a short drive to the Phoenix area -- and we have a favorite camp spot to recommend: Usery Mountain Regional Park near Apache Junction.

Plan on a long stay in Tucson. For us, Arizona’s second city is miles ahead of its rival to the north, with a lovely downtown, a huge network of recreation trails and a spectacular natural attraction of its own -- Saguaro National Park. Side trips to Bisbee and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument are highly recommended.

Desert SoCal

Don’t miss a chance to visit Death Valley in the winter. Winter temps sometimes reach 80 and this bone-dry, stark landscape is like no place else on earth. After a tour of Death Valley National Park, get your moisture fix while soaking in nearby Tecopa Hot Springs.

Heading southwest, check out our favorite hangout in the California desert: Palm Springs, where we park it at the community-minded Happy Traveler RV Park. This gem of a city is well worth a long stay, with hiking, cycling, golfing and lots of pool time. A side trip to Joshua Tree National Park is a must. Avoid the weekends at that busy destination and you’ll miss the mob scene.

Finally, Borrego Springs to the south is an under-the-radar destination to finish your Desert SoCal tour. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is filled with fantastic hikes, and the full-hookup camping is excellent.

SoCal Coast

A network of state parks dots the Southern California coastline, framing a tour from north to south. In the San Luis Obispo area, we’ve had wonderful stays at Morro Strand, Morro Bay and Montana de Oro state parks.

Continuing south, a state park tour looks like this: Pismo State Beach, Carpinteria State Beach near Santa Barbara, San Clemente State Beach in Orange County and, our fave,  San Elijo State Beach north of San Diego. We love watching the surfers while sitting high on the bluff and walking into Encinitas for fish tacos.

If you want to stay in the Los Angeles area, we like Dockweiler RV Park, an LA County park in El Segundo. The location is great -- Manhattan Beach and Marina del Rey are nearby, a short ride on the Marvin Braude Coastal Bike Trail --  but the downside is you must put up with the ever-present jet noise from Los Angeles International Airport. Leslie once waved at M.C. Hammer as he flew over. True story and proof that social media offers weird and wonderful ways to connect.

---

---