Endless summer: 8 American islands that are warm NOW

AMELIA ISLAND, FLA. (Average highs of 65/71 in February/March): About as far north as you can go and still be in the Sunshine State, Amelia Island's 13 miles of beaches are mostly deserted until March—so it's easy to find a spot where there are no other people in sight. Horseback riding along the sand is one of the most popular off-season activities. Kids have a blast exploring the nooks and crannies of Fort Clinch, one of the country's best-preserved 19th-century fortifications. It was also one of the last of its kind, as new weapons made brick forts obsolete during the Civil War. Boutiques and lovingly restored Victorian mansions make up the historic district. (Photo: Gary W. Carter/Corbis)

Amelia Island is an easy escape from Jacksonville (33 miles) or Gainesville (101 miles). (Photo: Dave G. Houser/Corbis)

AVERY ISLAND, LA. (Average highs of 65/72 in February/March): Things get hot here, and not just because of the steamy weather. At the Tabasco Pepper Sauce Factory, you can taste the fiery mixture during free daily tours. E.A. McIlhenny, son of the company's founder, converted his private estate into a bird sanctuary, which he opened in 1935 as Jungle Gardens. He was intent on saving snowy egrets, then endangered because their plumage was popular for ladies' hats. You can still see the brilliant white birds inside the sanctuary and out. Surrounded by bayous, the mostly undeveloped island is also a great place to spot alligators, deer, and raccoons. Base yourself in one of the nearby communities; New Iberia, a half-hour drive north, has a good selection of restaurants and gracious homes transformed into B&Bs. (Photo: Jan Butchofsky-Houser/Corbis)

Avery Island is an easy escape from Baton Rouge (85 miles) or New Orleans (140 miles). (Photo: courtesy Ron Baker)

CALADESI ISLAND, FLA. (Average highs of 73/77 in February/March): The three miles of white-sand beaches on this pristine barrier island offer some of the best shelling on the Gulf of Mexico. And because it's a state park, you won't search for sand dollars in the shadow of high-rise hotels. In fact, there's not a single place to stay on the island, unless you count the 108-slip marina. There are no cars, either. Once you disembark the ferry ($14 roundtrip from Honeymoon Island, a short drive from Dunedin), the only way to get around is with your own two feet. The boardwalk nature trail passes through stands of mangroves and around sand dunes. You may spot a rare gopher tortoise. Kayaking is popular in the sea-grass flats are populated with ospreys, herons, and other birds. Pack a picnic lunch because there's just one small concession stand on the island. (Photo: courtesy Visit Florida)

Caladesi Island is an easy escape from St. Petersburg (20 miles) or Tampa (24 miles), Orlando (103 miles). (Photo: courtesy Bob Hakesley)

CATALINA ISLAND, CALIF. (Average highs of 64/65 in February/March): You won't entirely escape the state's notorious traffic on this island 22 miles off the southern California coast. But since golf carts are just about the biggest things on the road, you probably won't mind. You can rent your own cart, but to explore the island's rugged interior, you'll need to rent a two-wheeler from Brown's Bikes ($20 per day) or enlist the help of an outfitter like Discovery Tours. The island is an hour and a half from Dana Point on the Catalina Express ferry ($74.50 round-trip), which drops you off at the town of Avalon, a pleasant place for window-shopping. That cylindrical building on the edge of the harbor is the Casino, an art deco movie house that still screens the latest releases. (Photo: Ralph A. Clevenger/Corbis)

Catalina Island is an easy escape from Los Angeles (60 miles) or San Diego (66 miles). (Photo: Alison Wright/Corbis)

DAUFUSKIE ISLAND, S.C. (Average highs of 61/67 in February/March): Still weaving baskets from the sweetgrass that grows wild along the coast, Daufuskie Island's tiny Gullah population—descended from slaves—carefully tends to its traditions. Take a peek into local life at landmarks like the white clapboard First Union African Baptist Church, built in the 1880s and still in use. Less than a quarter of this 5,000-acre island has been developed, leaving plenty of open spaces to explore. (And we mean exploring by foot or by golf cart, as no cars are allowed.) One especially nice excursion point is the Haig Point Lighthouse, with a tower extending from the roof of an antebellum-style house. (Photo: Bob Krist/Corbis)

Daufuskie Island is an easy escape from Savannah (44 miles) or Charleston (116 miles). (Photo: Bob Krist/Corbis)

MOLOKAI, HAWAII (Average highs of 76/77 in February/March): When Hawaiians talk about Molokai, they often say it's "how the islands used to be." It's true that there are no traffic lights or sprawling hotels. The least visited of the major Hawaiian islands has a rugged northern coast with the world's highest sea cliffs, a southern coast that gently wades into the sea, and a rocky interior punctuated by three extinct volcanoes. The biggest town, Kaunakakai, has barely 7,000 people, along with a three-block-long main street and a tiny airport. The top tourist attraction is the former leper colony in what is now Kalaupapa National Historic Park, a peaceful place reachable only on foot or by mule. There's also a nearly endless string of beaches, including the lovely Papohaku, a three-mile-long stretch of glimmering gold sand. (Photo: Douglas Peebles/Corbis)

Molokai is an easy escape from Honolulu (50 miles). (Photo: Richard A. Cooke/Corbis)

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, TEXAS (Average highs of 70/75 in February/March): The building industry is in full swing here—if you count building sand castles, that is. Professional teachers have specialties ranging from one-on-one instruction to creating huge sculptures for weddings and other special events. Sons of the Beach, which has been around for more than 20 years, charges $25 for private lessons. This barrier island off the southern coast of Texas also attracts kids with rowdier activities in mind: spring breakers. Get there before the college crowd and it's still a sleepy beach town. Among the dive bars are boutiques selling goods like rustic pottery and silver jewelry, much of it from Mexico. (Photo: Bob Daemmrich/Corbis)

South Padre Island is an easy escape from Brownsville (26 miles) or Corpus Christi (179 miles). (Photo: Erich Schlegel/Dallas Morning News/Corbis)

TYBEE ISLAND, GA (Average highs of 61/67 in February/March): Unlike nearby islands with higher profiles (and higher prices), Tybee Island isn't out to impress anyone. It's more akin to Coney Island than Jekyll Island, and therein lies its nostalgic charm—imagine boardwalks, food vendors, and stalls selling beach-themed kitsch. This is the kind of place where the restaurants have place-mat menus and the lodgings are of the park-at-your-door variety. Stroll the wooden pier and five miles of sugary beaches fringed by sea oats. The Tybee Island lighthouse was picture-perfect enough to make it onto a postage stamp. On nearby Cockspur Island is Fort Pulaski National Monument, with a magisterial brick fort used during the Civil War. (Photo: John Elk III/Getty)

Tybee Island is an easy escape from Savannah (17 miles), Richmond Hill (34 miles) or Charleston (124 miles). (Photo: Bob Krist/Corbis)