Anaheim or South Lake Tahoe?

Neither is really a beach destination, and the water is very different. From Anaheim you drive about half an hour to the Pacific: the long surf beach and pier at Huntington, the harbour at Newport and the rocky coves of Laguna. Expect ocean swell, and bring a wetsuit outside late summer.

South Lake Tahoe has its beaches on the doorstep: freshwater sand under Jeffrey pines at Pope, Baldwin and Nevada Beach, in water clear enough to see the bottom. At this altitude the lake stays cold, so swimming is limited to high summer. Anaheim's coast gives a slightly longer season for getting in the water, along with surf.

Anaheim eats far better once you leave the resort district. Little Arabia on Brookhurst Street, the Vietnamese bakeries and pho houses of Little Saigon and taquerias across the county are all worth the drive. In the centre, the food hall in the old packing district adds a local option.

South Lake Tahoe has nothing comparable. Eating out means casino steakhouses and buffets, plus brewpubs, pizza places and skiers' breakfast spots along Highway 50. Local craft beer is the highlight, and many visitors find their cabin kitchen more reliable than eating out.

Anaheim's one real landmark is Disneyland itself, the original park and the only one Walt Disney saw finished, which makes it a piece of American popular culture as much as a ride. The rest takes a drive: the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, the Nixon Library in Yorba Linda and the glass Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove.

South Lake Tahoe's past is outdoors and by the water. The lakeside estates of the Tallac Historic Site and Vikingsholm at the head of Emerald Bay recall the summer retreats of wealthy San Franciscans, and a small museum tells the story of the Washoe people and the logging years. Neither place has enough to fill several days of sightseeing.

Anaheim's evenings usually end with the park fireworks, then a drink on the promenade or in a central brewpub. Bars near the stadiums fill up on hockey and baseball nights, and Fullerton's student bars are close by.

At Stateline, South Lake Tahoe's casinos keep their bars and gaming floors open all night, so staying out late is easy, even if there is little choice about where. Après-ski at the gondola base is the liveliest hour of a winter day. For a proper night out, Anaheim visitors drive to Los Angeles and Tahoe visitors to Reno.

South Lake Tahoe is in another league here. The lake with its ring of granite peaks, Emerald Bay, the lake-filled basins of the Desolation Wilderness and the Tahoe Rim Trail are all close at hand. The seasons move from deep snow at Heavenly to summer paddling and golden aspens in autumn.

Anaheim's outdoors are real but gentler: chaparral trails in the Santa Ana Mountains, tide pools at Crystal Cove and whale-watching boats from Newport and Dana Point. Its advantage is a dry, mild climate that allows cycling and paddleboarding all year.

Anaheim's central location gives it the stronger list. Los Angeles, with the Getty and Griffith Observatory, is about an hour away, and Long Beach and the ferries to Catalina Island are close. To the south are Mission San Juan Capistrano and, about two hours away, San Diego.

Day trips from South Lake Tahoe are smaller and mostly about the Gold Rush and the silver boom. There are Virginia City's boardwalks, Coloma where gold was found, and Reno if you want a bigger casino city. They are good for filling a day of bad weather, but not a reason to choose the base.

Few places are built for children the way Anaheim is. Disneyland and Disney California Adventure stand beside hotels within walking distance, and Knott's Berry Farm is ten minutes away. The dry weather means few days are lost, though queues at peak times test everyone's patience.

South Lake Tahoe works for families who like the outdoors. It has shallow lake beaches, the short trails at Taylor Creek, ski schools and sledding hills. With no zoo, aquarium or theme park, though, a snowbound day is much harder to fill.

In both places you can walk around a small core, but beyond it a car is close to essential. The obstacles are different, though. Anaheim's resort district has hotels within walking distance of the parks and a shuttle network. Beyond that, Orange County is freeways and slow buses, although the station near the stadium has handy trains to Los Angeles and San Diego.

The core of South Lake Tahoe around Stateline is walkable, and free shuttles run to the slopes in winter. Its problems are mountain ones: weekend traffic crawling round Emerald Bay in summer, and chain controls or closed passes when the snow comes.

Anaheim is the better bet, though it is mall shopping done by car. The luxury mall in Costa Mesa has most of the major fashion houses, outlet centres in Orange cover the mid-range, and for many families Disney merchandise is a draw in itself.

South Lake Tahoe's shops are there to serve the trip: ski and snowboard gear, rental stores, souvenirs around the gondola base and a few galleries selling lake photography.

Anaheim's costs are set by the parks: multi-day tickets, the premium charged by hotels near the gates and captive-audience food inside. You can trim the bill with motels a short drive away and meals in the Vietnamese and Middle Eastern districts, though car hire, fuel and parking add it back.

At South Lake Tahoe, costs rise and fall with the calendar. They peak at Christmas, on long weekends and in high summer, and lift tickets are steep. Midweek and shoulder-season deals at the Nevada casino hotels and a cabin kitchen bring them down, and the trails, beaches and lake views cost nothing.

Anaheim has the stronger offer, mainly thanks to the Segerstrom Center in Costa Mesa. It is home to the Pacific Symphony and hosts touring Broadway shows, ballet and visiting orchestras, and the city's arena books big pop and rock tours. The polished night-time shows inside the parks are a bonus for families.

In South Lake Tahoe the year-round shows are in the casino showrooms: touring rock and country acts, comedians and tribute shows. Summer is when it comes into its own, with concerts at the Tallac estates and Shakespeare on the beach at Sand Harbor.

South Lake Tahoe is the more restful of the two. Away from the casino corner, cabins in the pines and still mornings by the lake set an unhurried pace. Grover Hot Springs and the hot spring resorts of the Carson Valley make an easy afternoon soak.

Anaheim's park days, with early starts and crowds, leave little room to slow down. The options are resort hotel pools, a handful of Korean-style day spas, and a drive to the clifftop spa resorts around Laguna Beach and Dana Point.