My in-laws rent a place each winter in San Diego, and each winter we go out there for a visit. This year, we'd like to tie the trip in to someplace else. For example, one year we spent a few days with the family in SD and then my husband and I flew up to SF for a long weekend. This was great, but we'd like to go somewhere new this year.

Ideal suggestions would be someplace where we wouldn't need winter clothes in December (so no Northern California or Pacific Northwest suggestions, please). And we've already been to L.A., Santa Barbara, Del Mar, and La Jolla on past visits. We're not golfers, so we don't have a huge interest in Palm Springs. And we're not gamblers, so Vegas is out.

I'm looking forward to your suggestions!

Baja California? There are also cruise ships that go south in the winter, but we've never done that. You might post on the South American board because I think for "summer" you're going to need to go down into Mexico. Anything above Point Concepcion could be rainy and chilly.

Well with all of your criteria, there's not much left to recommend. Maybe you should just stay home. One suggestion that I would have is to head down to Rosarita Beach in Baja. While down there, plan on having a lobster dinner in Puerto Nuevo.

ANother idea might be heading over and spending a few days on Catalina Island. While the weather won't be perfect since it's off season, the island will be less crowded and you still have a lot of hiking and biking options as well as other activities.

Hawaii is out?
Los Cabos?
Puerto Vallarta?
Manzanillo?
Ixtapa?

Where is the best place to stay in Rosarito Beach? How warm is it and how warm and clean is the ocean New Years time? Is it better than Encinada?

Gab: How about Borrego Springs? There is more to do in Palm Springs than golf. Take a look at the web site www.palmsprings.com.

Judy: At that time of year, the ocean water is cold. You would need a wetsuit.

Barbara - thanks for the response. How cold is cold? I was at the beach yeterday ( New England) and the water was probably about 60 degrees, the kind of water that your feet get tingly numb. So I am used to cold water eventhough I don't like it. Do you know the temps of the water in Rosarito in Dec-Jan?

Judy: I live in San Diego and so there isn't much, if any,difference in the water temp between here and Rosarito. At that time of year, I would expect it to be in the 50s.

I wouldn't recommend Borrego Springs unless you love to hike in the desert. Not much going on out there in the middle of nowhere.