• Santa Monica Pier offers rides, entertainment, food and a trapeze school.pier image by Byron Moore from Fotolia.com
  
  Southern California advertises itself as the ideal vacation spot and in many ways it most certainly is. It has a mild climate all year long with sunny days prevailing during the summer. The beaches are open all year as well and much less crowded than during the summer. Planning ahead is crucial to getting the best deals. Many events and facilities allow online purchases at a discount.
  
  

Marine Life

• The Cabrillo Marine Aquarium showcases the marine life living in, on and around the Pacific Ocean in Southern California. One of the more unusual exhibits is that of the football fish, a deep sea creature that has a huge mouth and expandable stomach. It was caught by a local fisherman and is now on display. The Birch Aquarium at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography in San Diego is open to the public. Marine life from all over the Pacific is on display in the Hall of Fishes, Shark Tank, and Tide Pools. The Kelp Forest is a 70,000 gallon tank which displays the sea life off the coast of San Diego. It includes a living forest of kelp seaweed, sharks, barracuda, moray eels and sea bass.
  
  

Sports

• Southern California is an outdoor lifestyle. Sports and fitness play an important part. Surfing is available at most beaches in designated spots. Be aware of rip currents during certain times of the year. Rent surfboards, belly boards and other water paraphernalia at local beach shops. Some of the more popular beaches like Venice, Laguna and Santa Monica have bike paths along the shoreline. While you're visiting Santa Monica stop by the Pier and learn how to fly with the greatest of ease. The Pier is home to the New York Trapeze School. Go kayaking and snorkeling at La Jolla beach. Or visit the Children's beach, which is closed to swimmers but open to sea lions cavorting just beyond where the waves break. The sea lions come up on the beach to sun themselves.
  
  

Amusement Parks

• It wouldn't be a vacation in Southern California without a visit to at least one amusement park. Sea World is located in San Diego and features mostly marine wildlife shows although there are rides and a pirate playground. Cirque de la Mer is one of Sea World's more unusual shows featuring acrobatics, theatrical costumes, music and special effects. The Lego Land, just a bit up the coast from San Diego, is a fantasy land created with all sizes of Lego toys. Knott's Berry Farm claims to be America's first theme park. It started out as a farm in 1920. In 1928 the restaurant was opened. Today there are 23 restaurants, rides, exhibits and special seasonal events. And, of course, Southern California is home to Disneyland.