st maarten weather Southern California including Los Angeles and San Diego is usually much warmer than the Bay Area, an

Also new is the San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum (& 619/544-9600; www.midway.org), the city s first museum devoted to naval history, located at the Embarcadero. You can t miss this attraction just drive south on Harbor Drive and look for the 1,001-foot-long aircraft carrier parked at Navy Pier. Climb aboard the USS Midway and explore this piece of military history.

If you haven t had chocolate nibs, you haven t lived at least that s what chocoholics are likely to discover upon visiting Scharffen Berger st maarten weather Chocolate Maker (& 510/981-4050; www.scharffenberger.com). California s runaway success chocolatier opened its factory and retail shop doors in mid-2001. Within the brick building, visitors can taste the nibs (crunchy roasted and shelled cocoa beans) and see how the chocolate company uses vintage European equipment during regularly scheduled tours (call for details). And there are plenty of tasty products, from candy bars to cocoa powder and chocolate sauce, available in the retail shop. The factory is located at 914 Heinz Ave.; from I-80 East, take the Ashby Avenue exit, turn left on Seventh Street and right on Heinz.

name our price game (though the site has recently added a feature that lets you purchase fares knowing the airline and flight for a slightly higher set price). If you re new at this, the helpful folks at BiddingForTravel (www.biddingfortravel.com) do a good job of demystifying Priceline s prices. Priceline and Hotwire are great for flights within North America and between the U.S. and Europe.

Southern California including st maarten weather Los Angeles and San Diego is usually much warmer than the Bay Area, and it gets significantly st maarten weather more sun. This is the place to hit the beach. Even in winter, daytime thermometer readings regularly reach into the 60s (15 C 20 C) and warmer. Summers can be stifling inland, but Southern California s coastal communities are always comfortable. The area s limited rainfall is generally seen between December and mid-April, and is rarely intense enough to be more than a slight inconvenience. It s possible st maarten weather to sunbathe throughout the year, but only die-hard enthusiasts and wet-suited surfers venture into the ocean in winter. The water is warmest in summer and fall, but even then, the Pacific is too chilly for many.