Santa Maria

Santa Maria

Santa Maria has its own style of barbecue (tri-tip cooked over red oak with pinquito beans and salsa), which is a legitimate regional tradition that locals will fight you about. The surrounding Santa Maria Valley is becoming serious wine country (especially Pinot Noir and Chardonnay). It's quieter and more affordable than its central coast neighbors. The Pacific is right there.

Savannah

Savannah is 22 oak-shaded squares draped in Spanish moss, ghost tours by candlelight, and shrimp and grits so good they should be regulated. The historic district is a working film set that just happens to be a real city, kept lively by SCAD students keeping the cafes weird. To-go cups of cocktails are legal in the historic district, which tells you exactly how the city wants you to spend a Saturday. The oldest art museum in the South is here too, in case you need a culture alibi.