As we watch our vacation budgets carefully, a question that arises is “Where’s a great destination with lots of variety?” I might suggest you consider a SoCal vacation. There you will find theme parks, beaches, great weather and a lot more.
Another possibility would be Hawaii. It’s hard to beat the beautiful warm ocean water, but it does not offer as much overall variety as Southern California. Check this out for a brief comparison between Southern California vacations and vacations in Hawaii. Keep in mind that there are way fewer underwater rocks to worry about in the California surf, and the humidity and sun intensity are a little easier to handle in the summer. The water temperature is higher in the Aloha state, but in the middle of summer, the cooler water can be more refreshing.
Hawaii does have an advantage with such beautiful natural countryside and vegetation, enhanced by the local Polynesian culture. On the other hand, there are many different cultures to be experienced in the Southern California melting pot.
Southern California offers much more than great beaches. Don’t forget about the seven world-class theme parks waiting for your visit. In particular, Six Flags Magic Mountain and Knott’s Berry Farm top the list for thrill rides, with the Six Flags roller coasters being in especially great abundance and variety. Those parks both boast many coasters and similar adrenaline-pumping rides. In fact, they offer more thrill rides than Disneyland, although the Magic Kingdom does include some fast attractions such as the Matterhorn and Space Mountain.
There aren’t many roller coasters to be found in Hawaii, unless you consider wintertime surfing to qualify in that category. It may be that California offers more ways to trim the budget, but sometimes there are great Hawaii vacation packages to be found on the internet or in the newspaper Travel section.