SoCal spot: Big Bear Lake

Lay out your blanket: Hit up Grizzly Manor Café for chocolate chip pancakes the size of tree trunks. Afterward, stroll over to the lakefront where the view is a stunning setting for an afternoon picnic on the sand. Nearby Meadow Park provides shaded picnic areas, barbecues, horseshoe pits, playground equiptment and more so you can burn off some calories from those pancakes.

Family time: Kids are sure to love a tour on Time Bandit, a 1/3-scale replica of a Spanish galleon pirate ship. There's also the Alpine water slide, with unexpected twists and turns, and the zoo, Moonridge Animal Park. For older visitors, challenge yourself with one of the park's hiking trails. They range in difficulty and anywhere from 1 mile to 15 miles.

Make it a weekend: Put your feet up at one of the Big Bear hotels like Northwoods Resort, or rough it at one of the park's campgrounds.