Before we knew it, autumn had arrived. The end of the year was rapidly approaching and a lot of those vacation spots we had considered - Denver, St. Louis, Buffalo - seemed less appealing. We weren't relishing the idea of driving in snow or bundling up in parkas.

Which is how San Diego immediately jumped to the top of our list. Here's a city designed for year-round vacations. The average temperature is 70 degrees, it's mostly sunny with minimal humidity and has an annual rainfall of less than 10 inches. The city's also a quintessential playground for any age group or interest - a good thing considering my travel party consisted of my husband, 12-year-old stepdaughter and 18-year-old niece.