When you think about California it’s beaches and surfboards, not slopes and snowboards, that immediately come to mind. The state has some of the most iconic beaches outside Copacabana. Venice Beach, Malibu, Muscle Beach – even if you haven’t been to any of them, you feel like you’ve been transported there countless times through film, TV and music. Yet one of the great things about holidaying in California is that if you go in April, May or June, you can revel in its extremes, and conceivably ski or snowboard down a mountain slope in the morning before getting some beach action in the afternoon.

In terms of skiing, California recommends itself by offering generous snow – up to July in the case of Mammoth Mountain, which closes on the fourth of that month. Michael Bennett, managing director of tour operator Ski Independence says, “The sheer amount of snow that California resorts get is exceptional. It can come down in huge, huge amounts. The snowfall will come and go leaving you with lots of blue sky days, so if you get the timing right, you’re able to ski in powdered snow with a blue sky above you.”

Records show that Mammoth is a particularly good bet if you’re determined to hear the squeak of fresh snow emanating from under your skis. A five-hour drive north from LA, Mammoth had a car-burying five feet of the white stuff over a 72-hour period in January and the endurance to remain open until July 4 in 2005/2006, its biggest season. With a 3,100-foot vertical drop, it has a lot of slope to swoosh down too. A gondola takes you to the very top, from where you can choose your chunk of steep. Mammoth is also a big draw for snowboarders, attracted by the generous amount of freestyle terrain.

In Mammoth Village, next to the gondola’s base, the Westin Monache has been the hottest place to stay ever since it opened last autumn – and with the dollar still weak, it’s a particularly good time to reserve a room there.

Further north and still part of the Sierra Nevada, which stretch for 400 miles, the mountains gathered around Lake Tahoe have one of the highest concentrations of alpine ski resorts outside the Alps. Broadly speaking it’s a game of two halves. The major resorts of the north shore (Sugar Bowl, Alpine Meadows and Squaw) are for the hardcore contingent and have minimal diversions, while the south shore’s Sierra-at-Tahoe and Heavenly have terrain suitable for beginners and intermediate skiiers, and more to do after a hard day’s downslope sliding.

Heavenly deserves its name for two reasons: it’s the highest peak in the region, and the view from the top of the Big Dipper run is amazing. On one side, you can see the deep blue eye of Lake Tahoe, while on the other the arid plateau of the Nevada desert rolls into the distance. At ground level, the bars and restaurants hereabouts are the place to come if you want to party in the evening. Back on the north shore, the PlumpJack Squaw Valley Inn provides refined accommodation for afterwards.

Over on the coast, the state’s southern beaches are the places to head if you’re after the classic California feel. Wide open and laidback, these are ones with lifeguard towers standing sentry over expanses of golden sand. Among them is Santa Monica, one of the best for people watching. The locals like to work out – and be seen while they are working out – so it’s a great place to go if you want to watch a steady traffic of beautiful people skating, jogging, cycling or power walking by, water bottle in hand. There are miles of sand and palm trees, and the tanned, toned, nipped, tucked and enhanced bodies you'd expect to go with them. The Viceroy Santa Monica, a boutique hotel that mixes the stately home look with a Seventies California feel, has enough cool to attract the celebs, therefore a great place to stay if you want to bump into an A-lister at reception.

If building sandcastles with the kids, not rollerblading with the hard bodies, is more your speed, take a trip to Coronado Beach, one of the best for the family in the entire country. Located on the ocean side of Coronado Island, a 13-and-a-half mile peninsula just off San Diego, it’s very broad, which means there is plenty of sand for children to bury a parent in or run across to launch a kite. If that’s not enough to keep children entertained, a trip to Legoland California , San Diego Zoo or Sea World , which are all nearby, should keep them satisfied. The place to stay is the charming and venerable Hotel del Coronado, which fronts onto a spectacular spot of beach. Whether you take a snowboard or a surfboard, California is a great place to play.

Where to stay:

Hotel del Coronado
www.hoteldel.com
Tel: (001) 619 435 6611

Viceroy Santa Monica
www.viceroysantamonica.com
Tel: (001) 310 260 7500

Westin Monache
www.westinmammoth.com/westin-monache
Tel: (001) 888 627 8154