San Diego or Snowbird?

These two aren't really comparable on beaches. San Diego's coast runs from Coronado's wide sand past the Mission Beach boardwalk to the cliff-backed coves of North County, with La Jolla Shores and Mission Bay gentle enough for children. Its one drawback is the cool Pacific.

At Snowbird, swimming means the resort's heated pools or a cold mountain reservoir about an hour away in the Heber Valley.

San Diego eats casually but well: Baja-style fish tacos, late-night taco shops, a craft beer culture built on West Coast IPAs, and Convoy Street's long run of Asian kitchens. It isn't a city of famous chefs, but you'll eat well every day.

At Snowbird you eat whatever the lodges serve, and it's competent at best. Most guests drive down to Salt Lake City a night or two a week just for a change.

San Diego has a real day or two of sightseeing. Balboa Park's exposition buildings hold most of its museums, and the USS Midway, Old Town's adobes and the first California mission fill out the list, even if none of it is world class.

Snowbird is a 1971 concrete ski village with almost no visible history. Any museum means a trip down the canyon.

San Diego gives you a choice of scenes. There are rooftop bars and clubs in the Gaslamp Quarter, a student bar strip in Pacific Beach, taprooms in North Park, and gay nightlife in Hillcrest. It's sociable rather than late-running.

Snowbird's evening peaks with après-ski on a sunny deck and is mostly over by mid-evening. A real night out means driving to Salt Lake City or Park City.

Snowbird is the stronger outdoor destination. The tram climbs to about 3,350m, the canyon gets enormous snowfalls of dry powder, and the bowls, chutes and trees draw serious skiers. In summer, Albion Basin's meadows and the wilderness trails take over.

San Diego's outdoors is softer and works all year. You can walk the bluffs at Torrey Pines, kayak to the sea caves at La Jolla, explore the tide pools at Cabrillo and surf all along the coast, and the Anza-Borrego desert lies inland.

San Diego has the more varied outings, mainly because of the border. Tijuana is a trolley ride away, the Valle de Guadalupe vineyards are about two hours south, and Temecula's wineries, Julian's orchards and the coastal towns are closer to home.

From Snowbird, the main options are Salt Lake City's Temple Square and Park City's Victorian Main Street. Beyond those two there are only pleasant smaller towns and a lot of open country.

San Diego is one of the easiest places in the country to take children. The zoo and Safari Park, SeaWorld, Legoland and the Birch Aquarium give you a different big day for every day of the week, and restaurants are relaxed about noisy tables.

Snowbird suits families only if the family skis. Even then, the steep mountain favours older, confident children over toddlers. The car-free base and the summer coaster and alpine slide help, but the altitude can tire small children.

The two are about level, but the problems are different. San Diego's compact downtown and trolley give way to a sprawl where the beaches, La Jolla and the theme parks need a car.

Snowbird is a short walk end to end, but it hangs on a single canyon road that clogs on powder mornings and sometimes closes for avalanche control.

Neither place is a shopping destination, but San Diego at least gives you choice. There are luxury brands at Fashion Valley, an outlet centre by the border, boutiques and vintage shops in Little Italy and North Park, and Mexican crafts in Old Town. At Snowbird, shopping means a few base-area stores selling goggles and ski gear, and Park City's main street is the nearest place to browse.

Both are expensive, but San Diego leaves more ways to save. Its beaches and the gardens of Balboa Park are free, and taco shops keep meals cheap. The big theme parks, beachside hotels and a hire car are what push the cost up.

At Snowbird, lift tickets, slopeside rooms and resort meals add up quickly in peak winter weeks. The usual ways to cut costs are a summer visit or staying in Salt Lake City and driving up each morning.

San Diego has proper theatre. The Old Globe's outdoor Shakespeare stage in Balboa Park and the La Jolla Playhouse have both sent shows to Broadway, and the symphony plays a summer season on the bay. Snowbird has summer plaza concerts, oompah bands at Oktoberfest and the odd band at après-ski. Anything more serious means going down to Salt Lake City.

The two are about even, but they offer different ways to unwind. In San Diego that means resort spas in La Jolla and Coronado, the yoga culture of Encinitas and slow mornings by the sea. At Snowbird it's the rooftop pool and hot tubs facing the canyon walls after a ski day, quiet dark nights, and an hour's drive to soak in the warm mineral water of the Homestead crater.