Southern California Family Vacation Deals

July 10, 2010, 2010— -- When it comes to landing a great deal on a summer getaway, sometimes it pays to procrastinate. If you've been California dreamin', it's time to wake up and get packing for one of these top SoCal resorts.

Snag up to $500 credit at San Diego's Paradise Point

Spend your vacation in a town with a lot of kid-friendly attractions -- theme parks, museums, zoos -- and you'll blow a good chunk of your budget on overpriced, concession-style meals.

So we were intrigued by the Experience More Paradise package at San Diego's Paradise Point Resort and Spa, which works on a sliding scale: Stay three nights and you get a $300 resort credit; four nights earns a $400 resort credit; five nights comes with a $500 credit. You can use the credit at the resort restaurants, shop and spa -- and, according to the reservations agent we spoke to, also at the kids' club and bicycle rentals (online, the site says the credit is only for dining). But even if you do only use it for dining, $100 a day would cover at least one meal a day at the resort.

And this is just the kind of resort that you would want to log some good time at, and not just as a base camp for area attractions. The 44-acre, 460-room resort, set on the edge of San Diego's Mission Bay, feels nicely isolated, thanks to the bay on one side, and the lush, tropical vegetation that surrounds the rest of the island-style resort (proof: they call the patios "lanais"). It has a bayside beach; five pools (one for adults, one for little kids); tennis; an 18-hole, kid-friendly putting course; water sports rentals and a summertime kids' club for ages 4-12.

The resort is also blessed with a fantastic location, just a couple minutes' drive into the heart of Mission Bay and funky, neighboring Pacific Beach, with an ocean beach, restaurants and a small, Coney-Island style amusement park. You're also within a half-hour drive of the San Diego Zoo or Legoland and, best of all, within walking distance of SeaWorld.