• Anaheim
• Santa Catalina Island
• Big Bear Lake
• Six Flags Magic Mountain
• Santa Barbara

For many first-time visitors to LA, the de rigeur trip to Disneyland is as important as visiting the Eiffel Tower in Paris. And, probably, much more fun. The addition of a second park, Disney's California Adventure, and Downtown Disney, a restaurant and retail mall, in 2001 further increased Disneyland's appeal as a tourist destination.

When Walt Disney trotted out his famous mouse in 1928, it was the beginning of a commercial bonanza that's been relentlessly refined ever since. Fueled by the dreams of children worldwide, Disney has become a legend of corporate success - and excess - in virtually every field it has entered: movies, TV, publishing, music and merchandise. You'll see many of Disney's classic visions reflected here. But, after a day in the 'happiest place on earth' - braving crowds, standing in long lines in the stinging Southland sun, and trying to ignore the feeling that you're being manipulated (and you are) - you may well flee back to your hotel room, pour yourself a beer and watch the sun set, feeling the desperate need for reality.

So what remains of the charming dream that originally launched Disneyland in 1955? The twofold answer is very much, and very little. The original Disneyland was successful because it understood its purpose well: Cater to the imagination of kids, and the parents will foot the bill. But over the years, children have become more adult while adults have become more childlike. Disney has adapted completely. The gentle rides of yore have given way to spectacular thrills catering to over-stimulated children with cyberspace expectations. And, the parents don't come along just to hold their tots by the hand. They scream right along with them.

Some charm remains in Disneyland - the Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted Mansion and the perennial favorite of the under-3-feet-tall set, It's a Small World. But you'd better be prepared for some major manhandling and manipulation. The shiny, happy 'cast members' grin to the point of rictus. There are, however, only a few places to sit down other than in a restaurant. And during the summer months, the park is jammed with visitors, and the waiting lines - up to three hours for some rides - will eventually take their toll on all but the hopelessly good-natured.

Of course, Disney doesn't want you to do so, but you can save time and money by sneaking in your own sandwiches and drinks. The best advice is to pace yourself and don't push to the point of exhaustion and family feuds. Hey - you're in Disneyland! So make the most of it.

Just 4 miles northwest of Disneyland, off the 1-5 (Santa Ana Fwy) is Knott's Berry Farm. This park is much less crowded and a kinder, gentler place that lacks the crush and desperation of Disneyland. In fact, many Southern Californians prefer Knott's over subjecting themselves to Mouse-mania.

The park opened in 1932, when Mr Knott's boysenberries (a blackberry-raspberry hybrid) and Mrs Knott's fried-chicken dinners attracted crowds of local farmhands. Mr Knott built an imitation ghost town to keep them entertained, eventually hiring local carnival rides and charging admission. Mrs Knott kept frying the chicken, but the rides and Old West buildings became the main attraction.

The park keeps the Old West theme going at Ghost Town which features buildings brought here from actual historic mining towns in California and other western states. There are staged gunfights, gold-panning demonstrations and steam-train rides. Knott's also acknowledges pre-gold-rush history with Aztec dancers and a California Missions exhibit - there's even mariachi music in Fiesta Village.

Ghost Town is home to GhostRider, one of the world's longest wooden coasters, which rides along a 4530-foot track - 118 feet tall at its highest point - then drops them 108 feet with a G-force of 3.14.

Other roller coaster highlights include Montezuma's Revenge, which makes a loop as high as a three-story building and then does it again backwards; the Corkscrew, which has a triple upside-down loop; and the six-loop Boomerang. The newest scream on the block is Perilous Plunge. Billed as 'just 34 feet shorter than Niagara Falls,' it sends passengers to a height of 127 feet, then drops them down a 115-foot water chute at a 75-degree angle. You will get soaked on this one. Also popular is Supreme Scream which plunges you 254 feet (30 stories) at 50 mph with a G-force of 4, then bounces you upward with a G-force of -1.5 - all in about 45 seconds.

For a slightly tamer adventure, Big Foot Rapids sloshes down a faux Whitewater river, leaving you absolutely drenched. Camp Snoopy is a kiddy wonderland where you'll meet Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus and all the other Peanuts characters.

If you pace your day, you might have enough energy left to enjoy the Edison International Electric Nights multimedia/laser/pyrotechnics show. It is accompanied by wild water effects, and the 'ooohs' and 'aaahs' are justified by this high-tech but old-timey show.

Throughout the month of October, Knott's hosts what is possibly Southern California's best and scariest Halloween party. Professional performers in costume haunt the park, special rides and attractions are put up for the occasion, and lights around the park are dimmed or turned off.

'Discovered' by Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo in 1542, the island was relatively untouched until 1811, when the native seafaring Indians were tragically resettled on the mainland. Most of the island has since been privately owned. Catalina was purchased in 1919 by chewing-gum magnate William Wrigley Jr (1861-1932), who built a mansion and a casino. He also briefly made Catalina the spring training headquarters for his major-league baseball team, the Chicago Cubs.

Even after the Mediterranean-flavored port town of Avalon began attracting tourists in the 1930s, Catalina's interior and most of its coastline remained largely undeveloped. In conjunction with LA County, the nonprofit Santa Catalina Island Conservancy was able to buy 86% of the 8-by-21-mile island from the Wrigley family in 1975, assuring that it remains free of future development.

The island has a unique ecosystem, with 400 plant species, including eight endemic ones, more than 100 types of birds, and numerous animals such as deer, goats, boar and foxes. There are also several hundred wild American bison descended from those brought to Catalina in 1925 for the filming of Zane Grey's The Vanishing American.

Catalina's main tourist season is June to September, when prices are steepest, especially on weekends. Rates plunge for midweek travel and during the off-season, though some activities may not be available during those times.

During the winter months, downhill skiers and snowboarders are drawn here by Southern California's two largest ski areas - Bear Mountain and Snow Summit - which are taken over by mountain bikers as soon as the snow melts. Big Bear Village is the town's cutesy and touristy center, which attempts to re-create the atmosphere of an Alpine resort.

You can go up, down, fast and inside out in more ways at Magic Mountain than anywhere else this side of the Space Shuttle. There are 15 coasters among more than 100 rides, shows and attractions in the 260-acre park. The latest addition is Goliath, the champion of the roller coaster world, which takes you on an 85mph ride with a 61°, 255-foot drop. Riddler's Revenge, purportedly the world's tallest and fastest stand-up roller coaster, hurtles you along at 65mph through vertical loops, barrel rolls and a drop of 146 feet. Somewhere in all this, you'll experience a G-force of 4.2, close to the point where combat pilots begin to black out.

Batman: The Ride serves up high-speed loops and corkscrews with a 0-gravity spin. Superman: The Escape blasts you from 0 to 100mph in seven seconds and then gives you 6 seconds of weightlessness while you fall back to earth. Flashback has six spiral hairpin drops, and Viper falls 188 feet into a double-boomerang turn that puts you upside down, which can be most unpleasant if you're not ready for it. Colossus takes you along nearly 2 miles of track in classic wooden-coaster tradition.

Other rides include Tidal Wave, where you boat over a 50-foot waterfall. Purists will want to pay homage to Revolution, the first 360° looping steel roller coaster ever made. Tamer activities include a 1912 carousel, a Western stage and stunt show, and Bugs Bunny World for the toddlers.