Where to Go: Santa Barbara, California
Distance from Los Angeles: 95 miles northwest, with Highway 1 being the more scenic route.
Where to Stay: The hip and trendy boutique Presidio Motel in downtown Santa Barbara uses colorful customized vinyl decals of peacocks, chandeliers, grandfather clocks, giraffes with parachutes, and other playful images to create a modern and individual style for each of its 16 guest rooms.
Price: Doubles from $99.
What to Do: Eat local by making a “Market Foray,” a guided tour that leads the culinarily curious to fresh foods at the farmers’ market, fishermen’s market, C’est Cheese, and Our Daily Bread—all of which are also ideal spots for picking up picnic fixings for lunch to pair with Central Coast wine. To discover more about the region’s famous grapes, hit the Urban Wine Trail, which includes eight wineries and tasting rooms near downtown. If you tire of walking, hop on the 25-cent electric trolley.
Insider Tip: If wine is not your thing, try the Greyhound Proper, a cocktail made with fresh grapefruit juice, gin, and candied grapefruit peel (or any other drink), at the Hungry Cat (six blocks southeast), which has a constantly changing menu based on what’s fresh from the farmers’ market.
Where to Go: LOS CABOS, Mexico
Why: While the highway between the sister towns of Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo now sports a Costco and a Home Depot, this cactus-studded Sonoran Desert region at the tip of the Baja Peninsula retains the laid-back sensibility of a true Mexican outpost, where taco stands, sun-bleached resorts, and empty beaches give reason to linger.
Where to Stay: At Esperanza (Punta Ballena; 52-866/311-2226; www.esperanzaresort.com; doubles from $425), the 56 rooms have terraces overlooking Punta Ballena, where humpback whales feed during their annual migration. Hotel Twin Dolphin (Hwy. 1; 800/421-8925; www.twindolphin.com; doubles from $270) remains a favorite for its white-on-white simplicity, potent margaritas, and access to the best snorkeling bay in Cabo.
Where to Eat: Rossy Taqueria (Km 33, Carr. Transpeninsular; 52-624/142-6755; lunch for two $15) dishes up succulent shrimp and scallops in corn tortillas; wash them down with an ice-cold Corona. For seafood risotto with roasted tomatoes and fresh Parmesan, head to Mi Cocina at Casa Natalia (4 Blvd. Mijares; 52-624/142-5100; dinner for two $100), in the courtyard of a historic adobe town house.
Insider Tip: Rent a Jeep and drive an hour north to the colonial town of Todos Santos, where unpaved streets are lined with modern-art galleries. On the way back, look for dirt-road turnoffs to surfing breaks that attract California's top board riders.
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