brenda

Couple, 52& 42 want to go for 1 week, last week in Sep 2000. We love the beach, but are afraid of hurricane season in the Carribean or East Coast. We are thinking of San Francisco, San Diego, or San Antonio. Which areas would not be too cold? We also like to take day trips and sightsee. Has anyone been to these hotels?
SF-Jackson Court, Nob Hill, Powell Place
SD-Coronado Beach Resort or Casa de la Playa in La Jolla
SA-Wynnwood Townhomes
These are timeshare resorts. Please give me your suggestions! Thanks!

Caitlin

SF is by far my favorite, but if you're looking for beaches and warm weather, I think SD is your best bet. The weather will be very comfortable in late September (though the Pacific is almost always too cold for swimming). There are pretty areas near SD for sightseeing, plus the zoo and Wild Animal Park, and a trip to Baja is definitely worth considering. Temperatures in the 70s.

SF is a beautiful city and has the best sightseeing/daytrip possibilities (Muir woods for the redwoods, Pt. Reyes Seashore, Monterey Bay Aquarium, etc., in addition to everything in the city), but if you have your heart set on beach, well, there aren't any. Temperatures in the 60s-70s, with the mornings and evenings on the cooler end because of the fog. Actually the best time of year in SF.

Don't know San Antonio.

julia wells

I can recommend San Diego and environs. We are a couple aged 54 and 50 and have just returned from a one week trip - our first ever visit to the States. There's a lot to see in San Diego, and we greatly enjoyed doing it all. We'd been recommended THe Embassy Suites to stay. It's well situated,being close to the very pretty Seaport. After three nights, however, we wanted a beach. We checked out La Jolla which is very chic, but we couldn't find the beach! On to Del Mar. We loved it there. We stayed at the rather expensive Auberge Del Mar. Good service and handy for the wonderful beach (one section of the beach was given over to the most beautiful dogs and owners), but the hotel was a little too good at holding conventions and not a great place to be restful. A timeshare appartment would be a better idea - you could always eat at the hotel for their lovely breakfasts. If you rent a car, there are beautiful drives inland around Mt. Palermo. We really loved it all. Have fun.

Daniel

Having been to both San Diego and San Francisco several times, I'd vote San Fran hands down.

Not only is the city itself spectacular, but with a car rental (not in the city, but for excursions) you can see some of the most breathtaking coastal scenery by driving up the coast.

One of my favorite spots on earth is a restaurant called River's End (it's also an inn) at the little village of Jenner on U.S. 1 where the Russian River flows into the Pacific. If you time your trip properly, you can arrive at the restaurant in time to watch a magnificent sunset over the ocean and the enormous rocks that break the horizon line. Dinner is always a treat, and the drive back to San Francisco can get you to your hotel before 10 or 11 if you take the road from Jenner to 101.

Other favorites for San Francisco include a ferry ride to Tiburon or Sausalito, a leisurely day in Golden Gate park touring the Japanese Tea Garden and the museums, watching the seals at Pier 39 (?), a drive up to Twin Peaks for its spectacular view, a drive across the Golden Gate Bridge for the superb viewpoints in the Marin headlands turnouts...I could go on and on...

SDSam

It all boils down to how important the beach is to you. If the beach is very important than San Francisco is not a viable contender. I live in San Diego and spend a lot of time in San Francsico as well. I love both areas for different reasons. For city life, class, character, etc., San Francisco is tops. For weather, beaches, etc., San Diego is the better choice.

I am a timshare owner ( 2 coastal California resorts ) and have stayed at Nob Hill. Nob Hill is very charming and quite nice. I cannot comment on the others.

Christie

Since everyone else seems to be California-oriented, I'll voice my opinion for San Antonio! I'm a native Texan, and I've been there many times and enjoyed every visit! San ANtonio has LOTS of stuff to do- good museums, historical sites, the Riverwalk, etc. Plus there is usually some sort of festival going on that makes the atmosphere even better.

I'm not familiar with the Wynnwood Townhomes. When in San Antonio, you really want to stay downtown, as close to the Riverwalk as possible, to get the real enjoyment of the city. (Downtown is quite safe- just don't venture really far off onto the side streets.) Some hotels that I have stayed at downtown are the Wyndham St. Anthony, and the Arbor Place by Lexington. Other people rave about the Masion Del Rio, and the Hilton. The Hawthorne Suites is also quite popular.

Look at www.traveltex.com or www.mysanantonio.com for more info. Feel free to email me!

Tim

Brenda, I would definitely go with either Coronado or La Jolla, depending on their availabilty! Both are beautiful areas to vacation in, guaranteed!! My first choice would be Coronado because of the wide, expansive beach! Either way, you are not too far from either destination and you should surely visit BOTH (and points nearby as well such as Del Mar)!

kal

Ms. Brenda,
One of my favorite FREE places in San Diego is the Cabrillo Monument, You sit up a few hundred feet overlooking San Diego Harbor and
North Naval Air station...The boats/ships go in and out of the harbor beneath you and the jets fly below you and you get a panoramic view of SD..Fantastic!

But, I just spent the past few days/weekends in SF and it is spectacular, too. You can't go wrong either way.
Kal