Anaheim or Big Bear Lake?

Neither town has a beach of its own, but Anaheim is about half an hour from real Pacific surf beaches: the long sands of Huntington, the harbour and peninsula at Newport and the coves of Laguna. Late summer is the time to swim without a wetsuit.

Big Bear Lake has a cool mountain reservoir with a mostly rocky shore and only one supervised swimming spot, at Meadow Park. Time on the water there means kayaks and boats rather than a towel on the sand.

Anaheim's resort district eats at chains and park counters, but a short drive brings you to Little Arabia on Brookhurst Street, the pho and banh mi of Little Saigon and good taquerias across the county. That gives you real choice once you step away from the parks.

Big Bear Lake sticks to mountain comfort food: diner breakfasts, burgers, barbecue and brewpub pints, with no local cooking to speak of. Many visitors simply cook in their cabins.

Neither is a culture destination, but Anaheim has more to offer. Disneyland itself is a piece of American history, and within a drive are the Bowers Museum, the Nixon Library and the glass Christ Cathedral. Big Bear Lake has a discovery centre, a small history museum and the gold-rush remains in Holcomb Valley, enough for a rainy hour and little more.

Both are places for early nights. Anaheim at least has bars along the promenade between the parks, a few brewpubs and cocktail bars in the centre and packed stadium bars on game nights, with Long Beach and Los Angeles in reach by car. In Big Bear an evening out comes down to après-ski drinks or a brewpub, then the hot tub, and nothing stays open late.

Here Big Bear Lake pulls clearly ahead. It sits in pine forest beside an alpine lake. There are two ski areas in winter, hiking on Castle Rock, Cougar Crest and the Pacific Crest Trail, mountain biking on the summer slopes, and the San Gorgonio Wilderness close by.

Anaheim itself is flat suburbia, though a drive brings you to the chaparral trails of the Santa Ana Mountains, the tide pools at Crystal Cove and whale-watching boats from Newport and Dana Point. It is all pleasant, but it needs a car and lacks the scale of the mountains.

Anaheim is the better base by some distance. Los Angeles, Long Beach, Catalina Island, Mission San Juan Capistrano and the Temecula wineries all make workable days out, and trains run to Los Angeles and San Diego.

From Big Bear Lake, winding mountain roads slow every outing. Lake Arrowhead and the orchards of Oak Glen are the easy ones, Riverside is a longer drive, and most people simply stay on the mountain.

Anaheim is far ahead for families. It can fill a whole week of big days out, with rides, characters and evening shows all within walking distance of hotels built around children. There is something for every age, from toddlers on gentle rides to teenagers on the roller coasters, and the dry weather means few plans are lost to rain. The cost is long queues at busy times and a car for anything outside the resort.

Big Bear Lake suits families who want a slower trip. For children from the lowlands the snow is the main event, with sledding hills and first ski lessons. In summer there are the alpine slide, go-karts and pedal boats, and the rescued bears and bobcats at the Alpine Zoo take an hour or two. A cabin with a kitchen gives everyone room. It fills a long weekend better than a week, and small children may feel the thin air and the cold nights.

Both depend on the car, in different ways. Anaheim's resort district is compact enough to walk or take the shuttles to the parks, and Metrolink and Amtrak trains run to Los Angeles and San Diego, but the rest of Orange County is freeways.

In Big Bear Lake the Village is walkable, and a bus and a seasonal trolley run to the slopes. The drive up, though, is steep, slow on busy weekends and sometimes needs snow chains, and most cabins sit on forest roads.

Anaheim's shopping is in malls: Disney merchandise in the resort, a major luxury mall in Costa Mesa and outlets nearby, though there are few independent boutiques. Big Bear Lake has a few blocks in the Village with fudge, bear souvenirs, antiques and outdoor gear, a pleasant place to browse but not a reason to go.

Neither is cheap, but Big Bear Lake can work out somewhat easier on the wallet. That is especially true midweek or out of season in a shared cabin where you cook for yourselves, and hiking and sledding cost little. Winter weekends and lift tickets close that gap quickly.

In Anaheim the costs come from multi-day park tickets, pricey hotels near the gates and park food, with car hire on top. Staying in a motel further out and eating in Little Saigon or Little Arabia helps.

Anaheim has much more on stage. Beyond the polished Disney parades and night-time shows, the Segerstrom Center in Costa Mesa hosts the Pacific Symphony, touring Broadway productions and ballet, and the arena books big pop and rock tours. Big Bear Lake has a small community arts centre, free summer concerts by the lake and Bavarian bands at its autumn Oktoberfest.

Big Bear Lake is the more restful of the two. A cabin with a wood stove, a deck among the pines and often a private hot tub makes slowing down easy on quiet midweek days, though the crowds on winter weekends break the calm.

Anaheim's long park days are rarely relaxing. Unwinding there means a hotel pool, a Korean-style day spa in the suburbs or a drive to the clifftop resort spas at Laguna Beach and Dana Point.