Tale of Two Cities: San Diego & Orlando

A vacation critic would likely give San Diego and Orlando five-star ratings for being exciting family destinations-it doesn't get much better than these two cities. Over the years, both areas have thrived as popular, international sites. Yet, both have retained a strong sense of community.

Though Los Angeles is only 2 1/2 hours to the north, San Diego is almost a lifetime away in personality. San Diego considers itself a southern California sea resort, peppered with a rich Latino flavor. Its downtown airport has a runway carved into terrain alongside bobbing sailboats and mirrored skyscrapers, offering immediate visual gratification for even the most jaded traveler.

The seventh-largest city in the nation, San Diego has gained visibility over the years as a major military site, international port, and neighbor to Baja, Mexico-a colorful, 30-minute jaunt south of the border. San Diego is filled with top-notch hotels, resorts, and restaurants, many of which sit on prime seafront property. Spotted with neighborhoods linked together by an efficient, people-friendly freeway system, San Diego is considered a maneuverable destination in which visitors frequently rent a car and hop from beach to zoo, downtown to uptown, and north county to east county.

"San Diego is the perfect vacation spot," says Bob Baker of Houston, Texas. "We have four kids who all want to do different things, and there's never a problem in satisfying them in San Diego."

For more information about complete family vacation packages,
visit our KidSmart Vacations section and contact your travel professionals
at Carlson Wagonlit Travel.