Mendocino, California

Where Carmel is polished, Mendocino is weathered and quiet. Mendocino Headlands State Park wraps around the village on three sides, so miles of clifftop trails, with their sea arches and hidden grottos, start a few steps from the inns and old water towers. The village and its headlands have been a National Register historic district since 1971, and its late 19th-century redwood buildings still line the streets. It is a long, winding drive from San Francisco, and that distance is exactly what keeps evenings calm. In winter, watch for gray whales migrating offshore.