Salinas

Salinas

Salinas is the Salad Bowl of the World, where most of the country's leafy greens, strawberries, and broccoli come from. John Steinbeck grew up here and the National Steinbeck Center downtown is excellent. The Salinas Rodeo is a century-old summer event. The Monterey Bay is 20 minutes west, but the city itself is a working ag town with strong Mexican-American culture.

San Antonio

San Antonio wraps the River Walk through downtown like a Venetian canal trail (much shorter, but lined with mariachi and margaritas). The Alamo sits in the middle of it all, the five Spanish missions are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the puffy tacos are unlike Tex-Mex anywhere else. Fiesta in April is essentially a 10-day citywide block party. It's bigger and prouder than outsiders expect.