Great Vacation Ideas

Topping my list of great vacation ideas is traveling in the off season, when the weather can be sublime and the Monarch butterflies (see below) are migrating.

Even in the dead of winter, you'll be treated to natural spectacles and high drama that summer vacationers miss out on. Here are my top five favorite things about off-season vacations.

1. The Savings

Getting a discount is always on my list of great vacation ideas. But this one's a no-brainer.

How does 50% off sound? In places like Santa Barbara and Oceanside, winter is not too much different than summer (especially if you're used to snow).

2. The Shoulder

For years, my husband and I have planned our trips during the "shoulder season" -- that oh-so-sweet spot between the dead of winter and the tourist-clogged summer high season.

In La Jolla the off-season begins just the other side of Labor Day in early September, still plenty sunny and warm. Southern California rates typically rise a little during the spring shoulder season (March through May).

If you book a couple of weeks before the start of the high season, you'll pay less for essentially the same experience.

3. The Solitary Experience

Picture your favorite beach the day after school starts. Divine weather, acres of sand and no kids. (Sorry families!)

4. The Storms and Other Natural Drama

I happen to love watching a good winter storm roll (as long as there's a fireplace to snuggle up to). But winter weather on the California coast is often more likely to brilliantly sunny with just a slight nip in the air. Take your chances!

And if you're a nature-lover, winter and spring are best for spotting migrating whales, birds and butterflies.

From January through April, the high cliffs of Bodega Head and Point Reyes offer great views of California gray whales migrating from Mexico to their summer feeding grounds in the Arctic (with their newborn infants in tow).

Morro Bay, on the central California coast, is one of the few remaining estuaries on the Pacific flyway. The mid-January Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival attracts an international crowd of birdwatchers, with festival bird lists topping 220 species in one weekend.

You can spot gorgeous Monarch butterflies migrating from San Diego to Santa Cruz. But the Pismo Beach Monarch Grove is the largest in the state. It has hosted an average of 25,000 butterflies over the last five years, which attract an average of 60,000 human visitors during the four-month Monarch season (late October to February).

Just 55 miles south of San Francisco, Año Nuevo State Natural Reserve is the site of the largest mainland breeding colony in the world for the northern elephant seal. During the winter breeding season (December through March), males battle for mates on the beaches and the females give birth to their pups on the dunes. Daily access to the reserve is available via guided walks only.

5. Scoring a Seat in the Hottest Restaurant

Definitely one the all-time great vacation ideas, if you're a gourmand.

Why fight the crowds? In the shoulder- or off-season, you can reserve a table at 7 (rather than 5 or 10 p.m.) and you might even be able to chat with the chef.

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