Flagstaff or South Lake Tahoe?

South Lake Tahoe has proper beaches on its doorstep: Pope, Baldwin and Kiva along the south shore, Zephyr Cove across the state line and the granite coves of Sand Harbor further round. The water is cold even in August, so swimming is short and seasonal, but the sand, the pines and the clear shallows are the real thing.

Flagstaff sits on a plateau with no lake shore at all. Its swimming means a drive down to the slippery creek pools at Slide Rock or a hotel pool, so anyone who wants water should go to Tahoe.

Neither town is a place to travel for food, and both do their best work with craft beer. Flagstaff's breweries are concentrated downtown and in the Southside, which makes an evening of walking between patios easy. Its university-town mix also brings in some regional flavour, such as Navajo tacos, frybread and green chile.

South Lake Tahoe eats like a resort, with casino steakhouses and buffets on the Nevada side, brewpubs and taquerias along Highway 50, and long waits on busy weekends. Many visitors end up cooking in their cabins.

Flagstaff has a short list, but it is a solid one. The observatory on Mars Hill, the Museum of Northern Arizona's Hopi, Navajo and Zuni collections and the Riordan Mansion fill a day or two, and the ancient pueblos beyond town add more.

South Lake Tahoe's sights come down to the lakeside estates at Tallac, the walk down to Vikingsholm on Emerald Bay and a small history museum. Its landscape matters far more than anything you can see indoors.

Both are small, but they go out in different ways. Flagstaff's evenings are a stroll between taprooms, cocktail bars and old Route 66 saloons in a compact downtown, livelier on student weekends but finished early. South Lake Tahoe's California side goes to bed early, while the casino towers at Stateline keep bars and gaming floors open all night. That means fewer places to choose from, but a late night is possible.

Both are outstanding mountain bases, but the landscapes are very different. Flagstaff is volcanic and forested, with the San Francisco Peaks, the black lava of Sunset Crater, endless ponderosa pine and some of the darkest skies anywhere. Its greatest asset is its reach, putting the Grand Canyon and Sedona's red rock within a short drive.

South Lake Tahoe is granite and water. You can kayak and paddleboard on the lake, hike the lake basins of the Desolation Wilderness and the Rim Trail, and ski several big resorts in deep winter snow, one of them reached by gondola from town.

The outings from each town are about equally good, but the history is very different. From Flagstaff you reach cliff dwellings at Montezuma Castle, Sinagua ruins at Walnut Canyon and Wupatki, hillside Jerome, the Hopi mesas and the old railway to the Grand Canyon. From South Lake Tahoe the theme is the Gold Rush and the silver boom: Virginia City's boardwalks, Coloma, Genoa and the Amador wine country, plus Reno for a bigger city. Both need a car.

The two are about equally easy with children, but they keep them busy in different ways. Flagstaff suits curious kids. The dinosaur and geology displays at the Museum of Northern Arizona hold their attention and give you somewhere to go on a stormy afternoon, and telescope evenings at the Lowell Observatory are a highlight on clear nights. There is also a drive-through wildlife park near Williams. The altitude tires small children for the first day or two, and most outings involve long drives.

South Lake Tahoe is about playing outside. Children get shallow sandy beaches, bike paths through the pines, the short trails at Taylor Creek, ski schools and the gondola ride. Nothing there is built for children indoors, though, so a snowbound day leaves little to fall back on. The casino strip at Stateline is no place to linger with children.

Both are car towns once you leave the centre. Flagstaff's downtown and Southside are pleasant to walk, a paved trail network suits cycling and long-distance trains stop at the station. The canyon, Sedona and the monuments lie beyond any useful public transport, though.

South Lake Tahoe makes up for this in winter with free shuttles to the ski areas. In return, it has summer traffic crawling along Highway 50 and around Emerald Bay, and winter chain controls on the passes in.

Flagstaff has a reason to browse. Downtown galleries, the museum shop and trading posts sell Navajo rugs, Hopi kachina carvings, pottery and silver and turquoise jewellery, alongside outdoor gear shops and bookshops. South Lake Tahoe's shops are mostly for practical needs, such as ski rentals, gear, groceries and souvenirs around the gondola base, with a few photography galleries.

Flagstaff is the gentler on the wallet. It is no bargain, since you need a car, park fees and tips, but motels along Route 66 and casual brewery meals keep a stay moderate, and it costs much less than sleeping at the canyon rim.

South Lake Tahoe charges resort rates for rooms, lift tickets and dinners in summer and on peak ski weeks. Its savings come from midweek casino-hotel deals in the shoulder seasons and from cooking in a rented cabin.

Flagstaff has a traditional concert calendar. The symphony orchestra and the university's music school play in the campus concert hall, the restored Orpheum hosts touring folk and indie acts, and community theatre runs through the year. It makes a pleasant evening rather than a reason to come.

South Lake Tahoe's shows come mostly from the casino showrooms, which bring touring rock acts, comedians and tribute nights. Summer adds Shakespeare on the beach at Sand Harbor and concerts at the Tallac estates, but there is no classical season.

South Lake Tahoe gives you more ways to unwind. Grover Hot Springs, a mineral pool in an alpine meadow, and the hot spring resorts of the Carson Valley are both an easy afternoon away, and lodge spas help after skiing.

Flagstaff has no hot springs and only a few massage studios. Its calm comes from pine air and starry nights, and for proper spa treatments you have to drive about an hour down to Sedona.