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If you are like me, you are watching your travel budget carefully, asking where you can go that’s interesting but affordable. Southern California would be a good possibility for your summer travel planning. SoCal offers beaches, amusement parks, Hollywood and many other attractions.

Another possibility would be Hawaii. You can almost feel that warm ocean water right now, but remember that there are offsetting advantages to the Golden State. For a discussion about differences between California and Hawaii vacations, check out the SoCal Vacations Guru. The beaches in SoCal do not have as many rock outcroppings and the sun is less intense (as is the humidity). As we noted, the Hawaiian waters are warmer, but in the middle of summer, the cooler California water can be more invigorating.

The beaches are just one of many attractions to be enjoyed in Southern California. Don’t forget about the seven world-class theme parks waiting for your visit. You will find world-class thrill rides at Knott’s Berry Farm and Six Flags Magic Mountain; the Six Flags roller coasters are particularly plentiful. Both offer many coasters and other fun rides. You won’t find as many true thrill rides at Disneyland as at the other parks, although Space Mountain and the Matterhorn Bobsleds certainly qualify.

You won’t find many roller coasters in Hawaii, although surfing on the North Shore of Oahu in winter would qualify as a thrill ride. It may be that California offers more ways to trim the budget, but sometimes there are great Hawaii vacation packages to be found on the internet or in the newspaper Travel section.