San Diego area hands down and come in late May..
Outdoors and gorgeous beaches are our MO.
great deals before the summer and La Jolla/Coronado are great areas for kids.
Kayaking, boogie boarding, snorkeling, hiking on cliffs at Torrey Pines..
Come for 4-5 days and then come back in September when the ocean water is warm, the hotel rates are down and not so many tourists in town.
expedia.com usually has some great deals and a good place to get some ideas too.

www.sandiego.org
www.hoteldel.com
www.thegrandecolonial.com

"I think she just wants to see it....no reason in particular."

Maybe the question you should ask her is, "when you think of California, what do you think about?"

If she thinks lying on a pretty beach, San Diego. It would be good for your son too. Oh, just saw ksucat's answer. So, for all the reasons in ks' answer. Both kids would be sastified, unless you daughter wants something with more museums, shopping etc.

Any suggestions on hotels/accommodations in San Diego?

There are so many great places, joebear. I personally love the Estancia hotel. It has an elegant Santa Fe feel to it. The Lodge at Torrey Pines is lovely and very San Diego with ocean views....it is also probably very costly. There may be reasonable deals for the Estancia. The Grand Del Mar is very posh but not near the ocean. It does have a wow effect though, also pricey.

I think the nicest time to come is July, August and September. September is particularly marvelous because it is less crowded. May and June can be a bit overcast.

I did a little research for you, joebear. Looks like Estancia is about $240 per night for end of July and first week of August. It is the number 5 ranked hotel on Trip Advisor. I looked up the top ten advised hotels out of curiosity and it is so interesting..... I don't agree with that list at all! I can extrapolate that to when I travel to other cities.

here is the list:

1. Hotel Parisi
77 Reviews
Last reviewed Mar 19, 2010
2. Empress Hotel of La Jolla
129 Reviews
Last reviewed Mar 14, 2010
3. The Grande Colonial La Jolla
144 Reviews
Last reviewed Mar 18, 2010
4. The Lodge at Torrey Pines
150 Reviews
Last reviewed Mar 19, 2010
5. Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa
6. Holiday Inn Express La Jolla
78 Reviews
Last reviewed Mar 6, 2010
7. La Valencia Hotel
96 Reviews
Last reviewed Feb 2, 2010
8. La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club
27 Reviews
Last reviewed Mar 4, 2010
9. Travelodge La Jolla Beach
54 Reviews
Last reviewed Mar 15, 2010
10. La Jolla Inn
116 Reviews

For a the type of stay your are describing San Francisco wins.

here is their listing for hotels in san diego: the ones I agree with are the #1 which is the Grand del mar, the Omni, Se, and Hotel Solamar. Of these the Solamar is the best deal, most affordable.... under $190/night. It is a Kimpton boutique hotel right smack in the happening downtown district called the Gaslamp. It is also a great choice.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/HACSearch...nameContains:S

You've already been to San Diego, and you indicatd that you're are not interested in beach stuff - and then you asked for hotel recs for San Diego. I'm curious - why wouldn't you want to see other areas of California???

Stu Dudley

I live in Orange County and think for this trip I would vote for SF. There is a strong chance the weather might not be good in May or June in San Diego - (one of my favorite cities in the entire world).

If you do opt for SF - I would stay in Union Square. I took my 16 year old dd there for her birthday in August and we had a great weekend!

If you opt for SD I would stay downtown - the US Grant is one of my favorite properties but I think you might like the Hyatt Manchester <sp> with the sweeping views and the water right there.

StuDudley....

I failed to mention we would like to see the pandas.

I am going to research both and see what would work best with the work/class schedule.

THanks everyone for all the ideas. I look to reading all the ideas. Will print and make pot of coffee....ponder it all.

If you are not renting a car, San Diego is not a good choice.

Your best option is SF.

joebear

Pandas? You should have seen them while in DC.

But, if you are set on seeing them, San Diego is a great option. I would think kids would be more interested in SoCal than NoCal. There's the San Diego Zoo, Wild Animal Park, Disneyland, Universal Studios, and don't forget - Legoland.

http://www.legoland.com/California.htm

The only real question is "are five days enough time?"

Oh,we did see them in DC!!!

Have already seen them in Atlanta and Memphis.

Not interested in the parks....just the pandas.