FAMILY FUN
Family fun begins in California. Watch as thousands of whales cruise along California's golden coast from December to March. This migration is celebrated with spirited festivals, up-close whale-watching cruises, and splendid viewing areas in nine counties stretching from sunny San Diego in the south, to the towering redwood country and Crescent City in the north. Stand with the family at the rail of a whale-watching boat and feel what it's like to be lifted into another galaxy-one of billowing clouds, noisy sea birds, grand horizons and soft breezes. It is perhaps the greatest free show in the world.

The newest shining star on the Southern California coast is the spectacular Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. Designed with kids in mind, this ocean playground is home to 12,000 creatures of the deep in colorful eye-popping settings and 30 focus exhibits. Further north, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, smack-dab in the heart of Cannery Row on the Central Coast, celebrates the community of living beings at this meeting place of the sea and the Monterey Bay sanctuary, which holds the nation's most diverse marine life.

For more sea life, hop the boat to Catalina, a laid-back island where bathing gear rules and underwater characters abound.
For meccas of fun up north, try Six Flags Marine World and the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.
If the kids love Legos, they'll fly into orbit at the new cool of cool, LEGOLAND California, a unique Lego twist for themed attractions.

At SeaWorld in San Diego, find playful dolphins strutting their stuff along with the world's first interactive killer whale attraction and animal shows guaranteed to make you smile, or visit the giant pandas at the San Diego Zoo.
There are a lot of activities to do in Southern California. Their wide variety includes beaches, deserts, mountains, urban city nightlife and cultural events. Probably the biggest draw is the wide variety of amusement theme parks.

ROMANTIC CALIFORNIA

Romantic indulgence abounds in California for those in search of sweet moments in settings bursting with endearing character-stylish Carmel on the Monterey Peninsula, San Francisco, the magnificent Mendocino Coast, Santa Barbara and Newport Beach, where sailboats and yachts are a way of life and nightlife sizzles.

Some Romantic Suggestions:

• Napa Valley, a small basin an hour or so north of San Francisco but an eternity removed, embraces a precious catch of blue ribbon wines and is a wonderland of Victorian architecture, historic stone buildings and European-style chateaus and estates.The wine makers of Napa City, Yountville, St. Helena, Rutherford and Calistoga enjoy the fragrant air, tend to their vines and quietly celebrate one of the most attractive settings on earth.
• North Coast - Along the coast at Mendocino-Fort Bragg, where one might believe romance was invented, the sheer-sided bluffs and picture-perfect towns such as Mendocino Village weave in a graceful design across a landscape that has been a setting for films and television shows.
  
• Santa Barbara - Further south in Santa Barbara, wide-ranging influences, including Spanish, Mexican and Moorish, have created a dashing Mediterranean-style city of red tile roofs, statel fountains and fluttering palm trees framed by miles of prime Pacific coastline and acres of wine country.