Rustyand....I grew up in Northern Calif, and am stuck in Southern Calif now, but we would LOVE to move back up there in the foothills when we retire. My favorite place in the whole world is around Calaveras Big Trees and Arnold and Murphy. Lucky you!!!!

I prefer sand....but not on the beach....up the hill a little bit....better view, better breeze, less sand issues...perfect. If I have to put on 2 pairs of sock, boots, 3 layers of clothes, a scarf and a hat, and then shovel snow...just to grocery shopping???? You can have it! I'll be in the USVI's!!!!!

shars55, We lived in SoCal for many years but now here in Mariposa.. Love Ironstone Winery.. and 2 place's to stay in San Anderes, " Robin's nest and the little Motel across the street. Can't remember its name. but both are very cosy. Hurry and come back, you can't listen to the wind in the pines way down there.

I have both in one home right now. After this winter, I can't wait to sweep sand from my floors.

Shore without a doubt!

I voted for sand...still recuperating from this winter's snow!

Living in a beautiful coastal town and working the winters in the snow fields, I still love them both. Opposites attract and I cannot decide.

Snow

We have lived in both & are blessed to have the choice of our final decision. With sand (beach, no desert for us) & warm water you get hurricanes, humidity (stifling air, mildew, mosquitoes, roaches, termites [Orkin]) , skin cancer & yet, melt in your mouth seafood & water fun.
We now live on the top of a hill in snow country with a pristine view & privacy (that we never had in San Diego or Portsmouth, R.I.). Each time it snows our view is like a Currier & Ives card with the snow covering the pine boughs...breath taking. Each season is lovely. I love warm coats, leather boots & gloves, snuggly sweaters & fuzzy scarves. Proper clothing keeps us plenty warm. Our cars are all wheel drive so we can get around in most anything. No shoveling or snow blowing, we just drive over it. We had a record breaking snow the first week in October & a dusting in early May. Yes, it's been a longer than normal winter but we can deal with that. Last year our son accepted a job in Tampa. We'll visit of course, & it's quite pretty, but no plans to move to the sauna.
We are blessed to have choices!

Brrr!

Sand, hands down.

In the mountains, snow, skiing, hiking, and enjoying summer fun.

There is no way that I would live in the cold, not even for more money. I lived in CT, MA, SC, CA and now in FL. Being from Jamaica I will take the heat over cold any day. If and when I leave FL it will be for GA or NC. Would love to live in CA but too expensive for my blood.

To view the glorious mountain sunrise, to smell the heady lupine in a verdant vertical meadow, to listen to sparkling steams cascading downhill, in winter to ski from the door to the chairlift and to "work" hard at turning left and right all day in the fresh cold snow, then to schuss back home, or in summer hike to a clear emerald green lake sitting in a granite bowl, to soak, tired from fun, in the hot tub and watch the pink drip from the mountains at the end of the day with a cold brew, to tuck into a good book by the fire with a down comfy and my dog next to me. ahhhh this is bliss.

I totally get it, rawketgrl!! And from our hot tub to view the brilliant star lit sky and even the aurora borealis is a glorious experience.

My husband and I retired last year and we spend 6months on the jersey shore in the summer and 6months in Naples, florida in the winter. Works out just perfect for us. We hate the cold weather and ice and snow.

I love to visit the snow but live by the beach. 2nd home in the mountains.

A huge no-brainer, SAND, one flake of snow is one flake too many.

I have spent the last 25 years in San Diego, am tired of gardening 52 weeks a year and having the same temperature 52 weeks a year - heading home to PA with 4 wonderfully different seasons.

We sit on the dock. No sand or snow!

Warm sunshine and sand are awesome! Snow is fine at Christmas and then that is enough ! :-)

Both. I would hate to have just one of them. I like snow but I need the sun to stay healthy. I would love the sand for a break but I can't stand to be hot constantly. And I love to ski and skate as much as I love swimming and snorkelling. Above all I love my flower garden so I would vote for spring.

"Sand" also identifies habitats in the desert where I live! Sand has its own set of challenges but the sunsets are spectacular.

I get enough snow at home. Why would I want to go somewhere and pay money to get more of the same?

with Sand you get stifling humidity,BUGS, lots of them, mold,snakes, alligators, swamps, very limited ability to veg. garden, sharks, rip tides, jelly fish..the list goes on, no thanks. I'm moving back to the mountains soon.

I think that we're each attracted to different environments. There are water people, who love to be near the shore, and there are mountain people. I'm a mountain person. Being in the mountains, or at least able to see them, fills my heart with joy and gratitude, and when they're blanketed with snow, they're stunning.

Rustyand.....we love Mariposa, too! We love to stay there when we want to go to Yosemite. It's such a quaint, cute little town. We'll get out of our desert and back to Nor Cal one day!

Sand means heat and I hate the heat; I would melt... Snow all the way for me.

There are places that you can have both!

I like both; Snow means it will melt, flowers will bloom and summer will come! it's all good in the neighborhood!

i am a tropical person and and as such would feel like a fish out of water

J Design Group, Top Contemporary Miami Interior Designers - Modern Interior Design Firm in Miami, Florida - Decorators - http://www.JDesignGroup.com

I've lived in both the cold northern states as well as on the sandy southern coast. Snow melts. Sand destroys. I still choose sandy beaches!

I like cool and clean. Can't drive in snow and sand is good only occasionally -- it really does get into everything. ugh

Would love to have enough money to own one of each. Both are beautiful but too much of either would be boring.

Another vote for "Other": the ocean!

I love living in a 4 season area....5 if you include "mud season" ! The hubby wants WARM.....and ocean....all year long..... such a dilemma.....;)

Both

Living there for 1/2 of my life - I don't like beach tourism. So, Snow would be my preference if you can work from home. I prefer the not so popular quiet of countryside snow.

I live 10 minutes from the beach for a reason. Unfortunately it has snowed here.

I'm married, and therefore have a home at the beach. However, since you asked me and not my wife, I vote snow. I'm a mountain boy married to a shore girl.

I would pick sand only because its a lot less hassle then snow. At least for a northern California girl.
-Angeline, GKB

Sand. Love the ocean! Snow is high maintenance unfortunately.

I vote other. Desert. I have lived in both worlds. Iowa and San Diego where I live now. I love the desert sky.

I picked other..both sand and snow are messy. How about just a Southern California winter where it is mild and just a bit of rain. Everything grows here so no worries about what doesn't grow and I can visit sand or snow when I want cause we have the mountains and the beach.

Hate to say it Red Berm but, sounds kinda of boring. I love looking out the window at the change of seasons.

I live where there is 4 lovely changing seasons. I live on the lake so I can enjoy snow in the winter & sand in the summer!

I can tolerate snow's messiness forever...so snow is tempting. (plus mountains!) sand is irritating, though. My friend's beach house has a cool foot shower thingy that pretty much solves that problem. Can't remember the name of it. Surfsplash foot shower? hope that helps.

Go for a beach house from higher up that overlooks the whole beach. LOVE summer/beaches

I'm not a hot weather person .... never have been. Not a big summer fan for that reason. I'll take snowy cold weather over hot -- I can always put more clothes on. (Really, the only thing I hate about life in the Great White North is icy roads in the winter.) Spring and fall are my favorite times of year though. My mom is in her 80s. My dad was military so we moved around a bit. When asked, she still says she'd rather put up with a place that has snow because at least 6months of the year, all the bugs are dead. :-D

'Rawketgrl' I heartily agree! & your photos are gorgeous!! Beautiful, wonderful, glorious SNOW! Especially in the mountains. People tell me 'just wait until you get older you will begin to hate snow & cold'. And I keep getting older and keep loving it same as I have since a child. Window gazing, Snowshoeing, hiking, refreshing brisk crisp clean air, the look & scent of fireplaces both indoors and out, glowing sunsets make the snowy world look magically pink, white outs when the world finally stops & pauses, joyfully stuck inside watching movies eating popcorn, drinking hot cocoa & hot cider, candles burning, sweaters, snuggly down coats, shoveling {yes I love to shovel --you read that correctly} , cuddling keeping loved ones warm, scent of pot roast braising & stolen baking. Snuggling into a warm, soft, comfy bed at the end of the day. Winter is too short and I don't want it to end. I also adore fall! The scent of leaves, gaining an hour of sleep, shorter days, longer evenings! etc. etc. etc.

Snowy pine trees!