There is skiing that is about a 90 min. drive from Long Beach.
Mountain High Resort
What is your method of transportation? I know parking isn't as much of an issue in most places in SoCal as it is in the Bay Area. I also know that the Bay Area has excellent public transportation compared to most places in the state. Long Beach has pretty good public transportation, but it's not as good as the bay. Long Beach has been pretty bicycle friendly for a long time, so both places are about equal there.
If it were my choice, I'd choose LB over SJ w/o any question, but that's because I know LB, it's where I grew up, and I have friends and family there.