September 09, 2010 
Maybe this is the time for you to look into an Amtrak vacation, especially if it is not something you’ve done before. Many North American destination cities are easily accessible by train. Getting there can be half the fun on some of the more scenic routes.
Of all the many great vacation destinations accessible by train, San Diego must be near the top of the list. The train runs into the depot not far from downtown, with easy local public transportation to get you to your choice of many San Diego hotels, and most of the attractions. San Diego is spread out over a tighter radius than other parts of southern California, notably Orange County and Los Angeles. You can even get around to a lot of vacation attractions by walking .
Maybe it’s your idea to spend one or more of your vacation days at a southern California theme park that offers thrill rides. Here we’re speaking of Knott’s Berry Farm and Six Flags Magic Mountain (aka Magic Mountain to the locals). According to the SoCal Vacation Guru website, these parks have made roller coasters a strong priority in competing against The Mouse.
You won’t find any place with more edgy thrill rides and coasters than Six Flags Magic Mountain. Of course some in your group may not be roller coaster fanatics, and there are many other rides and activities to be enjoyed, as you can learn at the SoCal Guru website.
Knott’s Berry Farm also has really focused on thrill rides, although they offer Camp Snoopy, Ghost Town and many other fun attractions and themed areas within the park. My daughter worked on the new Silver Bullet ride and she says that is one of several coasters that will really help you lose your dinner.
Of course Disneyland is the first park that comes to mind, with Dumbo, Mickey, Goofy and the others. If you’d like some good information about planning a trip to the Disneyland Resort, check out the SoCal Vacation Guru, which can fill you in on hotels near Disneyland and other places. Disney has no-doubt done the most effective job of bringing imaginary characters to life, much to the delight of us all.
Universal Studios up in Hollywood would be a good next stop in your vacation, where you can chill with the likes of Homer Simpson, the Flintstones and Rubbles, Betty Boop and Spiderman. Pick up some useful information and tips about Universal Studios and other southern California hotels from the SoCal Vacation Guru.
Whatever your primary vacation objective may be, it is important to be smart about where you stay. If you are not a little bit careful, a major part of your vacation will be spent on the freeway driving to your destinations. That would be valuable time to waste since you only have so long for your vacation.
