Miami's average high temperature of 76 degrees Fahrenheit in February draws visitors to its sandy shores from across America and around the world. Opulent hotels line the Atlantic beaches, and deep-sea fishing is immensely popular. Rent an automobile, and drive the Overseas Highway to Key West, the southernmost point in the continental U.S. Sports fans enjoy Miami Heat basketball and Florida Panthers hockey early in the year, Hialeah Park hosts thoroughbred horse racing, and golfers have scores of area courses to choose from.
Following a huge curve of the Rio Grande in west Texas, appropriately named Big Bend National Park is an ideal winter getaway for visitors in search of wilderness and warm weather. Even in February, temperatures there can climb into the 90s. This is dry country, a land of enormous open spaces where the sun bakes whatever isn't shaded. But more than 150 miles of trail carry hikers across a beautiful landscape and to several oases, as well as along the the banks of the great river that slices a course between the U.S. and Mexico.
Settled at a ford across the Colorado River, Yuma ranks among the sunniest places on Earth. This small but thriving city in the desert of southwest Arizona is steadily gaining popularity as a retirement community. February days average a pleasantly warm 74 degrees, and nights are cool. Wetlands to both the east and the west of Yuma draw birdwatchers to see some of the 400 species that either call the area home or that pass through during the semiannual migration seasons.
If you're vacationing in Hawaii, you may want to consult your calendar to remind yourself that it's February; one month in the Aloha State feels much like the next as temperatures tend to linger in the 80s year round. Surf at Waikiki Beach, or dine at any of hundreds of restaurants in Honolulu, on Oahu. Explore the great stone temple of Puukohola Heiau, on the Big Island. While you're there, visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and see Kilauea, a volcano so active that its lava flows have created nearly 500 ares of new land. This small state in the South Pacific is a tropical wonder.
