A Travel Guide
Transcription
A Travel Guide
A Travel Guide The Best Coastal Vacation Spots in the West 2010 Sunset Travel Guide Plan the coastal vacation of your dreams 3 | The ultimate seaside sleeps: Get lullabied by the waves at these dreamy seaside retreats 10 | Sand, sun, waves, and you: Your guide to the West’s most spectacular secret beaches. Just don’t tell anyone you heard it here 12 | Insider’s Maui: An offbeat weak of snorkeling, shopping, and stunning drives 14 | Surfing U.S.A.: Huntington Beach is full of classic SoCal beach-town charm 16 | Explore the San Juan Islands: Four days of happiness with the artists and the whales 19 | Top seafood: The best fresh catch served just a hop from the ocean’s waves 12 2 Sunset Travel Guide 14 23 | Travel resources cover: thomas j. story. clockwise from top: thomas j. story, andrea m. gomez (2) 3 21 | Wine discovery: The coast’s newest wine region is in the last place you’d think Sunset Travel Guide Avila Beach’s historic pier below Walking paths wind to the beach at Asilomar Get lullabied by the waves at these dreamy seaside retreats The Andiron, Little River, CA The Andiron’s 1950s cabins are something out of the ordinary along the sleepy, rural stretch south of Mendocino. They don’t look it from the road, but peek inside and you’ll see that the inn’s new owners have redecorated each of the 11 redwood-paneled rooms with quirky rummage-sale finds. (Our favorite: No. 5, done up in “library chic” and nicknamed Read.) Half the rooms have kitchenettes and wood-burning stoves; all 3 Sunset Travel Guide Asilomar, Pacific Grove, CA Find yourself smack in the middle of some of California’s most pristine coast at this Julia Morgan–designed retreat on swanky Monterey Bay. Accommodations are basic but surrounded by the luxuries of nature— tidepools, coastal wildflowers, and a sandy beach. An extra $10 gets you a cozy fireplace room. From $120; visitasilomar.com Avila Lighthouse Suites, Avila Beach, CA Remember those beach vacations you took with your parents back in the day? Sandy motel floors, over-chlorinated pools, and too much junk food? Tiny Avila Beach, smack at chris leschinsky, asilomar conference grounds The ultimate seaside sleeps have decks looking down the grassy hill to a fringe of cypress trees and the ocean beyond. From $89; theandiron.com Sunset Travel Guide composer John Philip Sousa. But it’s not only the inn’s pedigree that makes it special—it’s the details: sherry and fresh flowers in each of its traditionally styled rooms. The lowerpriced rooms are a bit small, but you can stretch out in the inn’s gardens and deck if you need a little extra space. From $239; innlajolla.com Cass House below Avila Lighthouse Suites left The Andiron the midway point of California’s Central Coast, is that throwback beach town, upgraded for your new, adult standards. Yes, kids love the pool, the giant chess game, even the putt-putt golf green, but lush landscaping, a location to die for (the motel is maybe 10 steps from the beach), and 54 large guest suites with low-key nautical decor and mini kitchens make the grown-ups giddy too. From $309; avilalighthousesuites.com The Bayside Hotel, Santa Monica, CA An affordable room in Santa Monica is nothing to take for granted—which gives the Bayside Hotel secret-weapon status in our book. We’re still getting over the shock of 4 Sunset Travel Guide staying a stone’s throw from the beach and paying a third of what we’d pay across the street. The Bayside is more motel than hotel, but, hey—sticks and stones ... The 45 newly refurbed rooms are fresh-looking, with allwhite linens and beachy surf posters, and there’s a palm-dotted garden for lounging out back. Ocean-view rooms get noise from the street, so quiet-seekers will be happier with a courtyard or garden-view room. From $159; baysidehotel.com The Bed and Breakfast Inn at La Jolla, La Jolla, CA Strike up the band. Located a block and a half from the beach, this is the onetime home of Cama Beach State Park Resort, Camano Island, WA Washington State Parks resuscitated this beloved cluster of ’30s-era cabins set between forest and sea last year, and ever since, it’s been a go-to destination for anyone seeking a taste of the simple life. Walk the beach or tootle around Saratoga Passage in a vintage rowboat. After dark, toast marshmallows around a beach bonfire with other adventurers lucky enough to have scored one of the 33 cabins. Finally, hunker down under the covers while Puget Sound sings you to sleep. Two-bedroom bungalows from $119; standard cabins from $60. Two-night weekend minimum; parks.wa.gov/camabeach Cass House Inn & Restaurant, Cayucos, CA The small surf town of Cayucos has remained miraculously immune to over-development for decades, despite its great wines to the east and white sandy beaches to the west. At this charming inn, the elaborate breakfast (included!) is nearly as good as the seasonally inspired dinner (if it’s on the evening menu, the oxtail soup is a must). But the best part about the 1800s Cass House? That Clockwise from top: drew kelly, avila lighthouse suites, the andiron Black Rock Oceanfront Resort, Ucluelet, Vancouver Island, B.C. The luxurious Black Rock Oceanfront Resort is a curving sweep of glass, steel, and wood beside the rain forest and above a surge channel that boasts the best storm-watching in the West. It’s set by the Wild Pacific Trail (wildpacifictrail.com), which skirts rocky cliffs and meanders through dense old-growth rain forest to reveal dramatic vistas of the moody, tossing surf. Each room comes decked out with a fireplace, balcony, and flatscreen TV—not that you’ll need it. What’s really worth watching here is the view out the floor-to-ceiling windows. Feeling restless? Switch it up by taking in the view from one of the spa’s outdoor hot pools. Stormwatching season starts mid-November. From $164 U.S.; blackrockresort.com Sunset Travel Guide is set in a bamboo grove a couple of blocks from the beach, with private outdoor spas, sculptural firepits, and heated floors. From $175; coastcabins.com Coast Guard House Historic Inn, Point Arena, CA Atop a bluff and offering nose-bleed views of the major highway for gray whales––aka the Pacific Ocean––is this Cape Cod–style seaside estate from 1901, with slatted ceilings, vintage photographs, and piles of firewood near the basement. It’s hard to shake the Agatha Christie vibe at the windswept inn, what with the grandfather clock ominously stopped at 4:20, a house dog named Winston, and a Friday-night wine and cheese party where you meet the other suspects, ahem, guests. Two cottages and four rooms are shipshape cozy. From $165, breakfast included; two-night weekend minimum; coastguardhouse.com would be twin sisters Grace Lorenzen (the innkeeper) and Carla Wingett (groundskeeper), who manage the organic garden and the five impeccably turned-out guestroom. From $165; casshouseinn.com China Beach Retreat, Ilwaco, WA Big views of Baker Bay’s serene tide-lands tempt guests to hunker down at the Craftsman China Beach Retreat. But don’t get too comfortable: The bay is perfect for kayaking, and headland hikes and wild beaches are minutes away in Cape Disappointment State Park. For maximum privacy, check out China Beach’s stand-alone Audubon Cottage. From $199, including breakfast; chinabeachretreat.com Costanoa, Half Moon Bay, CA An hour south of San Francisco, a gathering of cheery white tent bungalows dot the rolling bluffs like so many covered wagons cross5 Sunset Travel Guide ing the tallgrass prairie. The mood here’s breezy and wholesome—kids riding bikes, communal cook-it-yourself barbecues, and ocean-watching from Adirondack chairs perched on the bluff. Inside, simplicity reigns, with cute plaid comforters and comfy metal camp beds. A bonus for garden lovers: The resort’s idea-filled landscaping features whimsical driftwood sculptures and native plants. From $139; costanoa.com Coast Cabins, Manzanita, OR If Goldilocks were a beach girl, Manzanita would be the town on Oregon’s northern coast she’d find “just right.” Not too swanky, not too tacky. A bakery, wine bar, organic clothing store, and spa are all worthy indulgences, but you’ve got to see the beach first: seven wide-open miles of sand, big boomy waves, and poetry-worthy sunsets. A group of “cabins” in name only, this Zen-like retreat El Colibri Boutique Hotel, Cambria, CA Almost but not quite within sight of the Pacific, the new El Colibri Boutique Hotel is hidden by the trees along Santa Rosa Creek. That said, a 1/4-mile boardwalk path leads you to Moonstone Beach, the kind of beach that makes even seasoned coastal wanderers stop and whisper, Wow. As for the hotel, it breaks out of the town’s famous cutesiness for something that’s a more Tuscany-meetsSoCal flavor of luxury. Check out the small but pretty top-floor spa for a massage. From $189, including breakfast; elcolibrihotel.com Hotel Encanto, Acapulco, Mexico Sleek new architectural stunner Hotel Encanto is becoming known for its sexy Ebbe Roe Yovino-Smith Black Rock Oceanfront Resort The Cottages at Cape Kiwanda, Pacific City, OR Pacific City doesn’t do coastal kitsch. It doesn’t do fudge shops or malls or traffic to the beach. The Oregon town of 1,000 lucky souls is a quiet, kick-back kind of place. Those who don’t live here will dig the Cottages at Cape Kiwanda. With gourmet kitchens, heated slate bathroom floors, and private decks, they’re a civilized launching pad for days spent peering into tidepools at Cape Kiwanda marine gardens or combing McPhillips beach—the locals’ secret strand just over the famously steep sand dune. Two and three bedrooms from $299; kiwanda cottages.com Sunset Travel Guide tubs in California. (Fair warning: Weekend parties by the pool last past some people’s bedtime.) From $295; shangrila-hotel.com Hotel La Casa del Camino above Hotel Shangri-La left Scenic shoreline near Kalaloch Lodge Inn on the Beach, Ventura, CA Straightforward name, straightforward premise—three floors and 24 neat, simple Victorian-style rooms with fireplaces, parked smack-dab on the sand, facing Santa Cruz and Anacapa Islands. A favored getaway for locals—who know that third-floor rooms with patios and views can be had for right around $100 midweek. Ask about the dunes if you’re booking a first-floor room; built-up sand can block some views but does offer extra privacy. From $99.95; innonthebeach ventura.com nighttime lounge scene. But, really, it’s at its best when sunlight streaks across chalk white walls. Lounge poolside beneath a saillike awning to take in the view from the hotel’s covetable blufftop perch, well above the city’s more chaotic quarters. From $375 U.S.; hotelencanto.com.mx Hotel La Casa del Camino, Laguna Beach, CA You don’t have to be a surfer dude to enjoy the splashy surf suites at the Hotel La Casa del Camino. They’re done up with wall-size underwater-photo murals, surfboards on the walls, pillows made of boardshorts material, 6 Sunset Travel Guide and, in some cases, views of the crashing waves from the window. Pop up to the rooftop bar (the only one in town) for drinks and insanely gorgeous sunsets. From $229; lacasa delcamino.com Hotel Shangri-La, Santa Monica, CA The recently renovated Hotel Shangri-La, across the street from the sands, oozes oldschool details. Even the building has curves! Grab an era-appropriate drink from the poolside bar or from the rooftop bar, which looks out to the Pacific Ocean. But truth is, the view from the in-room soaking tub is just as blue, blue, blue—these are some of the best La Jolla Shores Hotel, La Jolla, CA Anyone ready to try stand-up paddleboarding can get a thorough intro at Surf Diva’s three-day SUP & Yoga Getaway, launching next month. Both sports are all about core strength, balance, and flexibility, making them a natural pairing. In between two paddleboarding lessons and one “surfer yoga” class per day, guests rest their rubbery limbs at the beachfront—and recently updated—La Jolla Shores Hotel. Packages from $977; Oct 1–3; surfdiva.com Lakedale Resort, San Juan Island, WA A quick, calming country drive from the bustle of San Juan Island’s ferry landing, Lakedale Resort sits on 82 forested acres with 3 freshwater lakes. It’s always had campsites, cabins, and a lodge, and now it’s added a cluster of 13 canvas tents decked out with pillow-top bedding, lanterns, even bath products to cart to the bathhouse. Canvas tents from $149; lakedale.com Clockwise from top: andrea m. gomez, hotel shangri-la, aramark parks and destinations Kalaloch Lodge, Olympic National Park, WA Picture a cluster of weathered gray cabins perched on a grassy bluff above a wind- and rain-swept beach, and you’ve got the drift of Kalaloch Lodge. A step above basic, the cabins have knotty-pine paneling, wood stoves, compact kitchens, and, most important, big picture windows opening onto views of the Pacific. Steps lead down to the beach, strewn with huge piles of driftwood and massive tree trunks. Nab a window table in the lodge dining room for the excellent cedar-plank wild king salmon. From $150; visit kalaloch.com Sunset Travel Guide thread-count sheets; flat-screen TVs). You’re 200 yards from the beach, two steps to town, and—best of all—miles from the masses. From $189; paiainn.com Petit Hotel Hafa, Sayulita, Mexico Quaint and compact Sayulita is Mexico’s chill-out destination du jour, but in September, when the weather’s hot and kids are back in school, things slow down considerably. Savor the tranquilo vibe on the stylish rooftop lounge at Petit Hotel Hafa, a tiny boutique hotel two blocks from the beach, where the Moroccan-inspired decor in the middle of the Mexican tropics draws both design enthusiasts and hideaway seekers. Owners Christophe and Marina Mignot know everyone in town and are happy to share all off-season secrets, so a stay here feels like the real local’s-eye-view. From $53 U.S.; twonight minimum; hotelhafasayulita.com Ocean Park Motel, San Francisco, CA Deal San Francisco’s hotels cluster downtown. But there’s something to be said for a stay on the city’s saltier, breezier, and lessknown Pacific Ocean edge. Out here, a room at the Ocean Park Motel gets you in with the wetsuit-wearing, wave-riding crowd at Ocean Beach, famously foggy in summer but warm and sunny come September. The 1930s streamline moderne motel has a pretty courtyard and (in many rooms) cute kitchens—all at a reasonable price, especially for the city. And it takes dogs (from $10/night), which is handy because Ocean Beach is dog heaven. From $135; oceanparkmotel.com Pacific Edge Hotel, Laguna Beach, CA The shag carpets are long gone in what was once the eight-building Vacation Village. Now it’s the Pacific Edge Hotel, with a snazzed-up new look on what has to be the prettiest 7 Sunset Travel Guide stretch of beach in Laguna. You’ll get bright chartreuse walls, surf posters, and a pillow menu in all the rooms, but it’s worth the splurge on a Surf Wing suite for the best ocean views and patios right above the waves. Down on the sand, a beach sherpa brings out chairs and umbrellas. We also love the choice of two pools, and, well, we at least considered finally taking a surfing lesson. We’ll definitely be camped out here every summer to come. From $169; pacificedgehotel.com Paia Inn Hotel, Paia, HI Paia, Maui’s North Shore surfer outpost, is the refreshing antithesis of the sprawling resorts on the island’s south side. At the center of “downtown” Paia, this recently renovated five-room inn manages to be both casual-beachy (hand-scrawled notes in your room from the staff; body boards you’re welcome to borrow) and big-city chic (high- Puakea Ranch, Big Island, HI Think of it as the anti-resort. Not that Puakea Ranch’s four private bungalows on a rural, grassy slope at the Big Island’s northern tip are short on luxury: You’ll nap in four-poster beds dressed with Italian linens, cool off in your own dipping pool, and enjoy views of the Pacific from your tree-shaded front porch. But the low-key property, once a sugar mill and a cattle ranch, is also refreshingly rustic. Collect eggs for an omelet from the chicken coop, and ride one of the ranch’s horses to the top of the grassy hill for a view of the famed Kohala Coast—a short drive away when you’re ready thomas j. story Point-No-Point Resort Point-No-Point Resort, Vancouver Island, B.C. Victoria may be only an hour away, but the 25 cabins at Point-No-Point Resort might as well be at the end of the Earth—a rugged, woodsy, ocean cliff stretch of it at that. Cedar-cute and woodstove-cozy, many of the one- and two-room cabins were built in the ’50s but ace the test of time. All have picture windows framing the Pacific, wooden decks with bright red Adirondacks, and pebbly paths that lead to the intimate, windowwalled Tearoom restaurant ($$$)—and the private beach below. Tired of that one? Just hit the winding road to a host of others along this southwest corner of Vancouver Island— French Beach, China Beach, Botanical Beach—each an easy hike and all-but-abandoned. From $168 U.S.; two-night minimum; pointnopointresort.com Sunset Travel Guide The Sheraton Waikiki grants you easy access to killer waves St. Regis Princeville Resort, Kauai, HI You might suspect the St. Regis Princeville Resort of stocking its corner of Hanalei Bay with sea turtles, rays, and Technicolor coral—the snorkeling is that good. But with big mountain-to-bay views from the private beach, you’ll hardly miss out if you don’t snorkel. Even better: Since the always luxurious but once oddly European resort got a jillion-dollar redo last fall, it now has the contemporary Hawaiian look its spectacular perch deserves. Best thing about the rooms? It’s a toss-up between the shower with a view of the green Na Pali Coast (the glass magically turns opaque with a click of a button) and the butler service—they’ll unpack your bags, print your boarding pass, and get you into chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s on-site Kaua‘i Grill ($$$$). From $460 (sometimes less—search the resort’s website); stregisprinceville.com Sylvia Beach Hotel, Newport, OR It’s known as a hotel for book lovers. And for lovers. And others just seeking a little eccentricity-by-the-sea. Each room at this hotel on the bluff at Nye Beach, a neighborhood of shingled beach shacks, is decorated in the spirit and style of a noted author, from Colette to Dr. Seuss. From $70; sylviabeachhotel.com Rockwater Secret Cove Resort, near Halfmoon Bay, B.C. This ragged stretch of the Sunshine Coast is so unspoiled and awe-inspiring, it’s sometimes hard to imagine that anyone but a bald eagle or two has been here before you. Wooden walkways meander through the forest where Rockwater Secret Cove Resort’s13 roomy, light-filled, adults-only canvas tent suites—with fluffy king-size duvets and tubs for two—perch above the blue water. Each suite has a deck and views to inspire castaway fantasies. At Rockwater’s Spa Without Walls, treatments are on a platform at the water’s edge with stunning views. Horseback riding, bocce ball, croquet, and beach volleyball, will 8 Sunset Travel Guide tempt you to stay on the property, but make time to explore the ocean by kayak. Horseback rides $49 U.S. for 1 hour; sea kayaking from $38 U.S. for half-day. From $162 U.S.; rockwatersecret coveresort.com Sheraton Waikiki, Honolulu, HI Maybe you think you’re not a Waikiki person. Maybe you think you prefer something a bit more secluded and exclusive. But with warm water, dependably gentle waves, and novicenurturing surf schools, Waikiki Beach remains the most forgiving place in the world to learn to surf or steer an outrigger canoe. The Sheraton Waikiki stands midway along the 2-mile-long beach, and while its high-rise architecture shouts 1970s, a $187 million renovation has given it 21st-century polish. And those Waikiki waves are timelessly perfect. From $225; sheraton-waikiki.com Treebones Resort, Big Sur, CA These gorgeous wood-floored yurts offer the kind of views that fetch major bucks elsewhere on this stretch of coast. Sure, there are only communal bathrooms and showers—but there are also barbecue dinners and complimentary morning waffles. And with a swimming pool and hiking trails that launch right thomas j. story to hit the beach (we like Kauna‘oa). From $200, plus $100 cleaning fee per stay; two-night minimum; puakearanch.com Timber Cove Inn, Sonoma Coast, CA A narrow ribbon of road clings, against all odds, to a grassy slope that plummets into the Pacific along this overlooked coastline with views to infinity. It always had the million-dollar spot on a solitary rocky point above the waves, and its rugged lodge look and soaring lounge haven’t changed. But with new ownership and a cash infusion, Timber Cove has shed its swinging ’70s decor and gone for a more streamlined, romantic look. Private decks are perfect for whalewatching and sharing a Sonoma Coast Pinot. From $209; timbercoveinn.com Sunset Travel Guide Seclucion at Two Harbors below Paukea Ranch left St. Regis Princeville stroll across the isthmus and look out over the Pacific: next stop, Hawaii, 2,500 miles away. For all the isolation, you don’t have to rough it here. In addition to boat-in and walk-in campgrounds, Two Harbors has the Banning House Lodge in the vacation home of Catalina’s onetime owners. All 12 rooms have views of the harbor. From $128; visit catalinaisland.com/twoharbors Villa Amor, Sayulita, Mexico The feel of sea air on your face and a view of early-morning fishermen setting their lines ease you into the day at the Villa Amor, on the windswept Nayarit coast. A collection of oceanfront cottages built into a steep hillside, the villa epitomizes warmth, authenticity, and artfulness. Thatched roofs, curvy adobe walls, and—in some villas—plunge pools perched right over the hill will make you wish you could pack up the mood of this place and take it home. From $55; villaamor.com into the heart of Big Sur, this is sleepover camp as it should have been. Space books quickly here, especially yurts 15 and 16, which are the most private. From $155; treebonesresort.com Tu Tu’ Tun, Gold Beach, OR It’s always a gamble when a classic lodge changes hands. But in the case of Southern Oregon’s luxe, romantic hideaway Tu Tu’ Tun, new ownership means new energy and tweaks that even longtime regulars will embrace. Wake up to ponder the hugeness of the Rogue River from your room’s wall of windows. That knock on the door? It’s just the morning’s coffee and juice delivery. Some 9 Sunset Travel Guide spend the day picking apples in the orchard; others hike the Douglas fir–thick coastline a short drive away, then get a massage in a riverside tent. Or there’s always catching up on your novel out on the gigantic lawn. At 6:15 sharp—listen for the bell—stroll into the lounge for lavish hors d’oeuvres. From $235; two-night minimum; tututun.com Two Harbors, Catalina Island, CA On the far side of Catalina, away from the main town of Avalon, is Two Harbors, a tiny boaters’ haven that feels like an island on the island. You can snorkel through swaying kelp beds and kayak to hidden coves. Steep trails lead into the Catalina backcountry. Or just Westport Hotel, Westport, CA Along a stretch of coastline too far north of San Francisco and too far south of Redwood National Park to get much traffic, the sixroom Westport Hotel is a civilized outpost on a bracing cliff. There’s blissfully little to do here but walk nearby Blues Beach or sit on the wide porch and watch the churning sea. Yes, State 1 passes directly in front of the hotel, but in this town of 300, it’s merely a quiet country road. The rooms are peaceful and uncluttered. Don’t miss the hotel’s fantastic Old Abalone Pub ($$)—the place to be on weekend nights. From $140, including breakfast; westporthotel.us Clockwise from top: andrea m. gomez, thomas j. story, st. regis princeville resort The Venice Beach Eco Cottages, Venice, CA The Venice Beach Eco Cottages have a sweet spot on a leafy street between Venice’s famous beach and the shops and restaurants along Abbot Kinney Boulevard. We felt right at home basking in front of the Victorian fireplace, sipping coffee at the sunlit breakfast banquette, and soaking in the red claw-foot tub. From $215; three-night minimum; venicebeachecocottages.com Sunset Travel Guide Sand, sun, waves, and you Your guide to the West’s most spectacular secret beaches. Just don’t tell anyone you heard it here FACT: The number of bodies on a given patch of sand is directly proportional to the proximity and size of the closest parking lot. That means that if you don’t mind scrambling for parking or hiking a bit, you just might find yourself alone on a beautiful empty beach. Hamoa Beach, Hana, Maui Hala trees and swaying palms fringe a halfmoon of salt-and-pepper sand, backed by black lava cliffs. In summer, the crashing 10 Sunset Travel Guide waves calm down to make the water welcoming for beginning bodysurfers. The three-hour drive from the touristed southern shore keeps crowds at bay. About a mile past “downtown” Hana on the S. Hana Hwy., turn left onto Haneo‘o Rd. Indian Beach, OR At the end of a twisty road that winds through dense Sitka spruce forests in Ecola State Park, Indian Beach looks open and welcoming. The smooth, sandy, horseshoeshaped beach is tucked into a cove and sheltered from wind, making it a perfect place for surfing or just staring at sea stacks. At the end of the paved road in Ecola State Park. $3 per vehicle; oregonstateparks.org portmanteaus on flickr creative commons, nordique on flickr creative commons Bowling Ball Beach below Hamoa Beach Sunset Travel Guide Point Buchon nowhere. Its westward orientation delivers some of the best sunsets on the Big Island, and its out-of-sight location 11/2 miles off the main highway keeps away the tourists. Look for a sign reading Kekaha Kai State Park about 21/2 miles north of Kona International Airport, off State 19, marking the entrance to the unpaved beach access road. Closed Wed; hawaiistateparks.org Bean Hollow State Beach, San Mateo County, CA Hidden off State 1 along the San Mateo County coast, Bean Hollow is famous for sandy beaches and tidepools with orangelavender seastars and purple shore crabs. It’s also a favorite spot for beachgoers—after big storms, it has been known to turn up glass floats that come all the way from Japan. For more discoveries, follow the self-guided nature trail. 171/2 miles south of Half Moon Bay and 21/4 miles south of Pescadero on State 1. parks.ca.gov or 650/879-2170. Robert E. Badham Marine Conservation Area, Orange County, CA Better known as Little Corona, the petite, shy sister of hefty, popular Corona del Mar State Beach can be accessed only by those willing to look for street parking and then hike down (and back up) a lifeguard access road to a 11 Sunset Travel Guide cove. Poppy Ave. at Ocean Blvd., Newport Beach; 949/644-3038. Point Buchon, San Luis Obispo County, CA Decades of hikers at Montaña de Oro State Park have reached a fence at the park’s southern end and gazed longingly at the unspoiled California coast just beyond it. Now a 3-mile loop trail has opened on this Pacific Gas and Electric Company property, with access to secluded Coon Creek Beach. In Montaña de Oro State Park, follow Pecho Rd. to its southern end. parks.ca.gov or 805/772-7434. Mahai‘ula Beach, Kona Coast, Big Island, HI An oasis of brilliant sand set amid miles and miles of ebony lava fields, the beach appears to have been dropped in the middle of Bowling Ball Beach, Mendocino, CA Don’t let the closed trail sign deter you from visiting the southern Mendocino Coast’s most unusual beach. Just beyond an incredible temporary driftwood fort built by some beachgoer and a few hundred yards to the north, extreme low tide reveals dozens of large, round sandstone boulders. Very few people scramble down the ladder to the beach to check out this unusual natural phenomenon, and that’s just the way we like it. On State 1, 3 miles south of Point Arena, just north of the Schooner Creek Bridge at milepost 11.3 (take the northern trail from the turnout). parks.ca.gov or 707/937-5804. thomas j. story Salt Creek Recreation Area, WA Sculpins, seastars, and oceanography students all frequent the tidepools at Tongue Point, but Salt Creek’s charms don’t end there. Climb a sea stack, fly a kite on the beach, photograph passing ships, or overnight at a blufftop campsite. From Port Angeles, take U.S. 101 west 5 miles; turn right on State 112 and go 7 miles; turn right on Camp Hayden Rd. and go 31/2 miles to Salt Creek Recreation Area. Campsites from $16; clallam.net or 360/928-3441. Sandcut Beach, Sooke, B.C. A creek spills onto the beach in a misty waterfall, tidal pools carved in sandstone teem with life, and the pebbles are as smooth as eggs. Get an unexpected reflexology foot massage as you walk on stones warmed by the sun. 30 miles northwest of Victoria, B.C., on Pacific Marine Route/Hwy. 14. A half-mile past the point no point resort sign, a tiny sign points to the 10-minute rain-forest trail that leads to Sandcut. Sooke Visitor Information Centre, 250/642-6351. Sunset Travel Guide Explore Maui underwater on a snorkel tour right Haleakala Crater plenty of unhurried instruction. Robinson is great with insecure or rookie snorkelers. And she knows absolutely everything about every fish you’ll meet—such as the cleaner wrasse, which serves as a personal groomer to other fish, sort of like a piscine day spa. Day 3: Discover small-town charm On the North Shore, once-poky Pa‘ia is turning old storefronts into boutiques and restaurants. At Green Banana Café, try Papa Wong’s Famous Banana Pudding. Or hit a hangout of pro surfer Laird Hamilton, Anthony’s Coffee Company (above, its veggie Benedict). Art shoppers will be wowed by locally made ceramics at the Maui Crafts Guild. An offbeat week of snorkeling, shopping, and stunning drives Maui’s got all the essentials for the ultimate tropical vacation. Maui maven Paul Wood gives us the scoop on the authentic island jewels for your week in paradise. Day 1: Check into a low-key inn The authentic Old Wailuku Inn at Ulupono is in Wailuku town at the mouth of ‘Iao Valley, on the north side. The setting is serene, the rooms—with their high ceilings and beds 12 Sunset Travel Guide spread with handsome Hawaiian quilts— blissfully tropical. And Kihei beaches are 20 minutes away. Day 2: Go to snorkel school Instead of aimless snorkeling, get smart as you swim. Reef expert and dive master Suzzy Robinson works with small groups (of six or fewer) for Maui Snorkel Tours; she picks that day’s best shoreline site and then provides Day 5 (a.m.): Explore the oddball crater Ranger-led morning hikes often travel through volcanic landscapes up to the summit of the 10,000-foot volcano in Haleakala National Park; on a self-guided andrea m. gomez (2) Insider’s Maui Day 4: Enjoy America’s most beautiful road, the right way The 52-mile drive (with 54 one-lane bridges) from Kahului to Hana is one of the world’s great road trips: views of dense tropical jungles, ocean, cliffs, and at the end, a Hawaiian village lost in time. So don’t try to rush things. Leave early, drive slow, pick up mangos and papaya at fruit stands like the Huelo Lookout, and get out of your car to encounter some Hawaiian prehistory at the stone ruins at Kahanu Garden. If you decide to make it an overnight (a good idea), Hana has two good splurge lodging choices: posh Hotel Hana-Maui and the Japanese-style Heavenly Hana Inn. For midpriced studios and condos, try Hana Kai Maui. And there’s one more find, an hour past Hana: Waimoku Falls in Haleakala National Park. It’s Maui’s most beautiful waterfall, for sure. Sunset Travel Guide Spending time in the saddle below Traipsing through bamboo on the road to Hana left The Feast at Lele The details stay Hana Kai Maui. From $185; hanakaimaui.com Heavenly Hana Inn. From $350; threenight minimum; 808/248-8442. Hotel Hana-Maui. From $495; hotel hanamaui.com Old Wailuku Inn at Ulupono. From $165; two-night minimum; mauiinn.com eat Anthony’s Coffee Company. $; 90 Hana Hwy., Pa‘ia; 800/882-6509. Feast at Lele. $110, $84 ages 2–12; reservations required; 505 Front St., Lahaina; 866/244-5353. Green Banana Café. $; 137 Hana Hwy., Pa‘ia; 808/579-9130. Honokowai Okazuya Deli. $; closed Sun; 3600 Lower Honoapiilani Rd., Lahaina; 808/665-0512. Huelo Lookout. 7600 Hana Hwy.; 808/573-1850. don’t miss D.T. Fleming Beach Park. Free; off State 30 just north of Kapalua. Haleakala National Park. $10 per vehicle; entrance info at nps.gov/hale or 808/572-4400. Kahanu Garden. Mon–Fri; Sat by appointment; $10; mile marker 31 on Hana Hwy.; kahanu.ntbg.org Maui Crafts Guild. 69 Hana Hwy.; mauicraftsguild.com Maui Snorkel Tours. $95 for half-day; mauisnorkeltours.com Thompson Ranch Riding Stables. $100 for 2 hours; thompsonranchmaui.com tour through the Hosmer Grove forest, you could spot an ‘i‘wi, a rare Hawaiian bird. Or spend a whole day hiking the Sliding Sands Trail through the eerily lovely crater itself, immersed in a wilderness of volcanic cinder, strange plants, and tumbling clouds. Day 5 (noon): Eat crazy good lunch for cheap The plate lunch, which has its roots in Hawaii’s plantation days in the 1880s, is an economical and gut-filling choice. It includes an entrée, like teriyaki chicken or steak, served—usually in Styrofoam—with a scoop of rice and a scoop of macaroni salad. Ask any local for his or her favorite joint—everybody 13 Sunset Travel Guide has one. One consistent star is Honokowai Okazuya Deli in Lahaina. You can’t go wrong with one of its lunches featuring ono or mahimahi with lemon-caper sauce. Day 7 (a.m.): Check out the real Hawaiian beach The long stretch of clean sand that is D.T. Fleming Beach Park has good snorkeling around the rocky edges. And there are features like lifeguards, tables, and grills, which you won’t find at the resorts. Day 6: Gallop like a paniolo (Hawaiian cowboy) When Maui locals Jerry and Toni Thompson sold their spread to Oprah Winfrey some years back, they simply moved higher up on Haleakala and started anew, with Thompson Ranch Riding Stables. Maui’s paniolo cowboy culture is rich, and spending time in the saddle with the Thompsons will introduce you to it. The ride will also show you the rural Maui most visitors never see—phenome- Day 7 (p.m.): Eat well and be entertained On the beach in Lahaina, the five-course, three-hour Feast at Lele is no standard luau. It doles out food from all over the South Pacific, like breadfruit with taro leaf in coconut cream from Samoa and Maori-style fish cake with shrimp, scallops, and seasonal fish. Music and dance—hula from Hawaii, a Maori war dance—are paired with each course, and are equally inspiring. andrea m. gomez (3) nally beautiful, with views that extend across half the island. Sunset Travel Guide Your ticket to ride right International Surfing Museum How to worship the wave Surfing U.S.A. Huntington Beach is full of classic SoCal beach-town charm We’d never had the occasion to flip through the Riptionary before. In fact, we’d never even heard of the Riptionary—a kind of Dummies guide to surf lingo—before we went to Huntington Beach one summer weekend. Although we shudder in cold Pacific water, we were intrigued by a culture where the ocean is god. Big bonus: the new-ish 157-room Shorebreak Hotel, which stylishly woos visiting 14 Sunset Travel Guide surfers (and non) who want to lounge in the courtyard by a firepit or scope out the waves from their private balcony. Determined not to be the Riptionary definition of an ass clown*, we first go for our own Surfing 101. We walk out past the hotel’s surf lockers, past beach cruisers with palm trees painted on the rims, and up two blocks to one of H.B.’s few remaining historic buildings (McCondoville struck early here, and didn’t let up)—a building that now houses the Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum. We and a few Russians are the only ones wandering the wee space on this sunny Saturday. The narration from cult classic The Endless Summer plays in the background. B&W photographs show the sport’s heroes through the years, and an exhibit on board shapers displays the first efforts—9-foot boards made from solid redwood. With more surf knowledge, we feel ready to head to the culture’s main altar: the town’s famously long pier, where the most consistent waves are ridden. On our way down the busy main drag, we note that the ocean is a very informal and accepting god—its acolytes wear not much more than expensive sunglasses and short shorts. One, with a marijuana leaf tattooed on his ankle, proclaims the day to be “sick.” (See the Riptionary if you think that’s a bad thing.) andrea m. gomez (2) Bone up Consult the Riptionary (riptionary.com) on basic lingo, and get a history lesson at the Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum ($2; 411 Olive Ave.; surfingmuseum.org or 714/960-3483). Carbo-load It’s lobster tacos with an ocean view at the new Sandy’s Beach Grill. $$; 315 PCH, at the base of the pier; 714/374-7273. Take a lesson The surf butler at Shorebreak can arrange it. (Or something chill like a kite rental.) Surf conditions are posted near the front desk. From $199; shorebreakhotel.com or 877/744-1117. Sunset Travel Guide More places to hang 10 SoCal isn’t the only spot to catch waves. Surfers with a thick wetsuit and spirit of adventure are tearing it up off the rugged coast of the Pacific Northwest. Yakutat, AK. Glaciers, breaching whales, and is that a bear on the beach? Surf’s up in Yakutat, Alaska! Rent a thick wetsuit and board at Icy Waves (from $35/day; icywaves.com). Tofino, B.C. Fishing nets are swapped for surfboards in Tofino, on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Try a weekend surf-and-yoga retreat at Surf Sister (from $530 U.S.; surfsister.com). Westport, WA. Longboarders love these Olympic Peninsula beaches with their reliable year-round waves. For lessons and wave reports, check out Steepwater Surf Shop (group lesson from $60; steepwatersurfshop.com). Seaside, OR. Oregon Surf Adventures runs clinics at Oswald West State Park—“Short Sands” to locals (group lesson from $99; oregonsurfadventures. com). Epiphany on the sand The ex-surfer with family ties to H.B. meets us near lifeguard station #2. We’re sitting in the sand, watching kids slide down mini “dunes” on bodyboards, when he perks up—like he hears a high-pitched noise only a surfer is attuned to and we’re not. He turns to us with a smile. “Surf guitar,” he says. “Surf guitar?” We vaguely remember something about this from the museum. But we don’t have our Riptionary on us. “There’s a special guitar?” He leads us across the well-trodden sand to the source of the sound: a stage fronted by people on the grass in the warm sun. 15 Sunset Travel Guide A guy with what sure looks like a regular old electric guitar plucks out a retro beat. We get it then. The plucking mimics the rhythm of the ocean. We’ve heard it before but didn’t feel it until now, with the surfers behind us riding the waves. As we look back toward town across Pacific Coast Highway, the music opens my eyes to something else: Huntington Beach didn’t completely flush its past during the development decades. Between the new buildings are palm trees, a few old cottages, and burger shacks. Throaty-sounding classic cars cruise PCH alongside F-150 trucks. The music makes us see only the classics. Including the black standard poodle who just then strolls by, with a pink frangipani behind her ear and an aloha shirt (and her owner attached on a leash). The Beach Boys’ California is still alive. And it’s sick. That evening, we have dinner at Shorebreak’s Zimzala restaurant. The Riptionary defines a “zimzala” as a free-spirited person who finds peace with the sand between her toes. We’re converts. Ocean worshippers. But, hear us now: No short shorts or pot tattoos. A surf lesson? In time. *Anyone caught in a lame attempt at being hip or funny by using a Riptionary entry without understanding its meaning. Andrea M. Gomez (3) The Shorebreak’s welcoming lobby above H.B.’s second-favorite sport left A bike path winds for miles along the shore Sunset Travel Guide Explore the San Juan Islands Four days of happiness with the artists and the whales The long summer weekend was invented in Washington’s San Juan Islands, or should have been. Summer stretches languorously here, with 16 hours of daylight—enough time to savor the islands’ patented pleasures: orcas and eagles, kayaking and hiking, and a food scene that shows the influence of a burgeoning slow-food movement. Orcas Island local Bob Friel guides us on an island hopper’s midsummer dream. 16 Sunset Travel Guide Day 1: Orcas Orcas is the island of superlatives. It’s the biggest of all the San Juans’ 750 islands, with the highest mountain, the deepest fjords, and the most jaw-dropping views. All this inspiration draws a notably creative crowd, and many artists call Orcas home for at least part of the year, from potters, painters, and sculptors to Gary Larson of The Far Side fame. Go with it. Drive off the early ferry from Anacortes (an hour crossing) and onto Orcas Road to begin your art- and nature-packed tour. First stop, Crow Valley Pottery & Gallery (2274 Orcas Rd., Eastsound; 360/376-4260), showing 100 artists, most inspired by native Northwest culture and wildlife. Outside Eastsound, keep an eye out for the dazzling kinetic metal sculptures spinning and flashing in the fir trees at Howe Art Sculpture Park & Gallery (236 Double Hill Rd.; 360/376-2945). Andrea M. Gomez, thomas j. story Friday Harbor on San Juan Island below Orcas Island bounty Sunset Travel Guide Eastsound is Orcas’s main village. Depending on your mood, it can entertain you for 20 minutes or fill a day with eating and gallery hopping. At Roses Bakery Cafe ($; closed Sun; 382 Prune Alley, Eastsound; 360/3765805), crowd your picnic basket with bread, cheese, and Northwest wine. Then head east out of town along Crescent Beach and south around the bay. Here, 5,200-acre Moran State Park offers great picnic spots, from placid Cascade Lake to the top of 2,409-foot Mt. Constitution for the San Juans’ best view. Try to squeeze in the Lambiel Museum (by appointment only; 668 Olga Rd.; 360/376-4544), an impressive private collection of San Juan Islands art that can be toured with the collector himself, Leo Lambiel. Complete your Orcas day with Alaska scallops or Northwest bouillabaisse at the bayside Inn at Ship Bay ($$$; closed Sun–Mon; rooms from $175; innatshipbay.com), a fine over17 Sunset Travel Guide night option. The halibut tacos served at the restaurant of the waterfront Kingfish Inn ($$; rooms from $160; kingfishinn.com ), another good overnight choice, are a local favorite. Be sure to ask that they be served on a regular plate; the taco baskets make the tortillas soggy. Day 2: Orcas & San Juan Head to Orcas’s far west coast and the hamlet of Deer Harbor. At Bellport Deer Harbor Marina, meet your guide from Shearwater Kayak Tours ($65; 360/376-4699 )for a threehour exploration of clear waters and kelp forests surrounding the Wasp Islands, which dot the sea between Orcas and Shaw Islands. Then it’s back to the ferry landing to catch the 40-minute boat ride to San Juan Island. San Juan is the most populated island of the chain—so relatively cosmopolitan that its largest town, Friday Harbor, is dubbed “Sin City” by residents of other islands Day 3: San Juan Whale day. Power breakfast on omelets and hash browns at locals’ favorite Rocky Bay Cafe ($; 225 Spring St., Friday Harbor; 360/3785051), then meet the San Juan Islands’ most famous summer inhabi-tants, the up-to-25foot-long, 12,000-pound southern resident killer whales. To try for an eye-level orca sighting, Outdoor Odysseys ($95; outdoorodysseys.com) is genuinely one of the greatest beginner’s kayaking experiences you’ll find anywhere: Orcas aren’t absolutely guaranteed but are likely. Or, if you don’t want to have your whale experience out on the water, hit the Whale Museum (62 First St. N., Friday Harbor; 800/946-7227) by far andrea m. gomez (2) Shearwater Kayaking Tours right A tasty plate at Market Chef because of its wider selection of bars. Still, urban misbehaving isn’t what you first notice here: It’s the bucolic photo ops, like those at fragrant Pelindaba Lavender Farm (33 Hawthorne Lane; 866/819-1911). More views and cliffside driving come along West Side Road overlooking the Haro Strait and Vancouver Island. Then continue north, navigating your way to Roche Harbor Resort, and join the posse of wealthy yacht-ies and wannabes grabbing cool ones at the Madrona Bar & Grill ($$; in Roche Harbor Resort; 800/451-8910). If you can withstand yacht envy, stroll the docks afterward and drool over the costly boats. The best dinner choice, Duck Soup Inn ($$$; 50 Duck Soup Lane; 360/378-4878), shines with grilled kelp-dusted Alaska sea scallops, applewood smoked local oysters, and exemplary fresh corn soufflé. For lodging, tony Bird Rock Hotel (from $117; birdrockhotel.com) is in the center of Friday Harbor (innkeepers dispense earplugs in case guests are bothered by smalltown bustle). Outside town, very close to Duck Soup, the pastoral 82-acre Lakedale Resort at Three Lakes (see The ultimate seaside sleeps, page 3) offers rustic canvas tent cabins, private log cabins, and lodge rooms. Sunset Travel Guide More island delights Kayaking with Outdoor Odysseys Above Moran State Park left Local plums the San Juans’ best indoor attraction, with whale exhibits, whale skeletons, and a whale phone booth where you hear whale songs, with no long-distance charges. For lunch, the nearby Market Chef ($; closed Sat–Sun; 225 A St., Friday Harbor; 360/378-4546) has excellent sandwiches and salads. Now for a San Juan Island secret. The Backdoor Kitchen ($$$; 400 A St., Friday Harbor; 360/378-9540) isn’t exactly flashy: This intimate bamboo-screened oasis is squirreled away behind Friday Harbor Freight yard. No wonder few visitors find themselves here. But you should, and allow enough time before your reservation to sit at the tiny copper bar and order a cocktail. The dinner menu continent18 Sunset Travel Guide hops from Thailand to the Middle East, then back to the Northwest, and it’s all stellar. Day 4: Lopez “Slow-pez” San Juaneros call it, for Lopez Island’s bucolic, unpeopled setting and its friendly, finger-wave pace. You’ll probably notice the island’s relaxed rhythm as soon as you dock after the hourlong ferry ride from Friday Harbor. Because it’s flatter than its sister islands, one of the best things to do here is ride bikes. You can rent them at Cascadia Kayak and Bike (bikes $7 an hour; 360/468-3008) and head to the tiny smattering of shops that makes up Lopez Village. Stop at Caffe La Boheme (211 Lopez Rd., Lopez Village; 360/468-3533) for coffee, and then, fortified, pedal north the 3.5 miles to 138-acre Spencer Spit State Park, where a triangle of sandy beach surrounding a saltwater lagoon is loaded with driftwood like Lincoln Logs, which locals like to pile into fantastical sculptures. Back at Fisherman Bay after returning your wheels, have your last island meal at the Galley ($$; 3365 Fisherman Bay Rd.; 360/4682713), where fresh halibut and Lopez oysters are served on hand-painted tables. The food is so good, the setting so beautiful, that when you consider boarding the ferry back to “the real world”—what islanders call the mainland—you may decide to stay. If you do, MacKaye Harbor Inn (from $155; mackaye harborinn.com) is a gracious farmhouse turned five-room inn right on the water. clcokwise from top: andrea m. gomez, thomas j. story, andrea m. gomez Swim in the Sea of Cortez, Near La Paz, Baja. This desert isle’s population is big—if you count pelicans, parrot fish, and dolphins. If you count people? It’s uninhabited. Day trips with kayaking $105, 2-day camping safaris (through Oct) $360; funbaja.com Enjoy the sound of silence, Channel Islands N.P., CA. Most visitors to the Channel Islands (nps.gov/chis) head to Santa Cruz, but true solitude seekers should hit Santa Rosa Island, where you can camp ($15/night; recreation.gov) amid 84 square miles of flowering canyon, powder-sand beach, and groves of Torrey pines. $65 for day-trippers, $90 for campers; islandpackers.com Go on a northern safari, Kodiak, AK. For being the country’s second-largest island, Kodiak is remarkably intimate. Fog drifts through moss-cloaked, bearloving forests, and only puffins break the silence at remote beaches. kodiak. org Discover a new Hawaiian island, Just off Kailua, Oahu, HI . A half-hour from the frenzy of Waikiki, the low-key town of Kailua is the shove-off point for even greater solitude. Paddle about an hour across warm, turquoise Kailua Bay to North Mokulua Island, one of a pair of protected bird sanctuaries known as the Mokes. From $39/half-day; guided tours of the Mokes $125; kailuasailboards.com Sunset Travel Guide Passionfish right Endless Summer serves up fast, fresh fare—deep-fried, steamed, or grilled fish—from a cornflower blue cabana. Fanny Bay oysters from “up island” are an area favorite, served beside chips in newspaper cones. Dine picnic-style on the gently bobbing dock while taking in the resident harbor seals and colorful houseboats all around you. $$; Fisherman’s Wharf, 12 Erie St.; 250/384-6515. The best fresh catch served just a hop from the ocean’s waves Barbara’s Fishtrap, Princeton-by-theSea, CA With its anchor-and-schooner tablecloths and faux-fishnet ceiling, the Pillar Point Harbor classic is strictly old school—just the way we like it. Barbara’s is famous for its dairy-free clam chowder, but everyone waiting in line for a table has a different favorite. For many it’s the fish and chips— flaky rockfish and thick-cut fries in portions 19 Sunset Travel Guide suitable for two. Others wax rhapsodic over the tempura-battered calamari. Whatever you order, tear yourself away from your plate long enough to appreciate the view of Mavericks, California’s famed big-wave surf break. $$, cash only; 281 Capistrano Rd.; 650/728-7049. Barb’s Place Fish & Chips, Victoria, B.C. Floating at Fisherman’s Wharf, Barb’s Place Drakes Beach Café, Near Inverness, CA Every Sunday afternoon in summer, outdoor grills sizzle at the tip of Point Reyes National Seashore. Hikers plunk down at cafe tables in the sun or right in the sand by the waves to feast on piles of barbecued oysters, smoky corn on the cob, and grilled garlic bread. Then there’s the menu inside, drawn from local, mainly organic, truly top-notch ingredients: Dungeness crab, Cowgirl Creamery cheeses, and Brickmaiden Breads. $$$; lunch daily; tableservice dinners Fri and Sat (reservations required); oyster barbecues Sun; 1 Drakes Beach Rd. (next to the visitor center); 415/669-1297. passionfish, andrea gomez Top seafood Crazy Norwegian’s Fish and Chips, Port Orford, OR Port Orford is the westernmost town on the Oregon Coast and is a bit of a trek from most places. But if the views along U.S. 101 aren’t enough for you, the lightly battered, perfectly fried fish and rich housemade clam chowder at Crazy Norwegian’s make the trip worthwhile. There is often a line at the wood-sided A-frame restaurant, but it moves quickly and you can use the time to decide which cookie, dessert bar, or local berry pie to order. $$; 259 Sixth St.; 541/332-8601. Sunset Travel Guide Fish, in scenic Sausalito sautéed in coconut milk, kalua pig, grilled banana, Molokai purple sweet potatoes, poi, tropical fruit, and fresh coconut. All that, and you don’t have to sit through a bad luau. $$$$; 799 Poho Pl.; 808/579-8488. Passionfish, Pacific Grove, CA Chef Ted Walter and his wife, Cindy, are passionate about sustainable seafood, which he prepares expertly. Order a fish you haven’t tried before, and you’ll be rewarded with the likes of lemongrass-scented sturgeon or balsamic butter-marinated tilapia. More familiar items are far from mundane, like the delicately crisp, baseball-size Dungeness crabcake. The setting echoes the simple elegance of the food. $$$; 701 Lighthouse Ave.; 831/655-3311. Quimby’s Restaurant, Newport, OR Three big hunks of Alaskan halibut, tempurabattered and quickly fried, and a healthy scoop of fresh, zesty slaw: There’s more on the menu, but with a meal this good, why bother? Make a night of it; tablecloths gussy up the place, and the Newport Performing Arts Center is across the street. Or stomp off the sand on a beach day; it’s just a block from the Nye Beach Turnaround. Bonus: The ocean view is nice too. $$; 740 W. Olive St.; 866/784-6297. Fish, Sausalito, CA When the fog pulls back, everyone shows up here. They grab mason jars of draft beer and head out to the picnic tables alongside a harbor bobbing with day boats to wait for the 20 Sunset Travel Guide fish and chips. The moist, scalding Alaskan halibut encased in crisped batter dosed with Anchor Steam will erase anyone’s bad Van de Kamps memories. The Saigon sandwich dolls up a Vietnamese street-food classic with grilled local salmon, and a big ol’ pile of Tuscan white bean and tuna salad is filling and fresh. True, you’ll spend twice what you might expect, but then again, you’ll be happy you did. $$$, cash only; 350 Harbor Dr.; 415/331-3474. Mama’s Fish House, Pa’ia, HI Sure, Mama’s is a bit more expensive than your average fish joint. But its Maui oceanside setting bordered by swaying palms puts it in the million-dollar-view category, making dinner seem like a bargain. The fish is wild, mostly local, and fresh, prepared in contemporary Polynesian style. Don’t miss the Pua Me Hua Hana special: a platter of mahimahi Sunfish, Seattle, WA Amid banter between the two Greek owners and the customers, Sunfish serves up delicate, paper-wrapped cod, halibut, wild salmon, and shellfish. For a sampler plate, try the combo—or better, Sunfish’s signature fish kabob. Nearly everything is less than $10 and comes with homemade tartar sauce and garlic malt vinegar. Eat here or across the street at Alki Beach, with views of Puget Sound. $, cash and local checks only; closed Mon; 2800 Alki Ave. S.W.; 206/938-4112. rob d. brodman Endless Summer Bar-Café, Santa Barbara, CA Epitomizing the town’s casual surfer chic, this harborside gem has surfboards hanging from the ceiling and surf videos scrolling, reminders of the world’s perfect waves. And, yes, Bruce Brown, director of the original Endless Summer (1966), eats here. But it’s the food that stars: seafood fresh off the docks, transformed via the lightest batter and seasonings into something mouthwatering. Try the popcorn shrimp or the sesamecrusted ahi on a warm spinach salad. $$; 113 Harbor Way; 805/564-4666. Shoals Restaurant, Ventura, CA Hidden inside the Cliff House Inn, north of Ventura, the Shoals serves fine and fresh seafood: sea bass, shrimp, scallops, calamari, and clams, bathed in delicious sauces. The restaurant fills up fast, so make reservations. Just beyond the patio tables lies the surf break of Mussel Shoals; from here on a summer night, you might see the dark forms of dolphins gliding past, backlit by glittering moonlight. $$$; 6602 U.S. 101; 805/652-1381. Sunset Travel Guide musicians, etc. All told, 24 self-taught vintners are making wine, from their vineyards and from grapes hauled in from more familiar wine regions. Nineteen of them have tasting rooms (if you count the garage), and only three of those are in an official AVA (American Viticultural Area). THE ANSWER It’s Humboldt! Think wine now instead of marijuana (the California county’s better-known product). From redwood groves in the south to funky fishing towns in the north to mountain vineyards in the east, this vast region can be navigated––and the wines that have quietly come on line here in the last 10 years can be tasted––in one grand three-day weekend. Southern Humboldt Redwoods overshadow pocket vineyards where Interstate 101 snakes in from Mendocino County. Wine discovery The coast’s newest wine region is in the last place you’d think Hint 1 A Syrah made here recently garnered 90 points from Robert Parker (not that we’re rabid chasers of his wine scores, but…). The region also produces Pinot Noir, sparklers, and even an Arneis—Italy’s “little rascal” of a grape, which one pioneering winemaker is experimenting with. You have to visit this region to taste these wines—or order them online. They don’t leave the county. Hint 2 A tootling drive around this region 21 Sunset Travel Guide takes you through ancient redwoods and over remote forested mountains. And when you tire of vineyard sleuthing, you can get lost on an endless coast with a stash of local cheese and oysters (extra hint: 70 percent of the state’s oyster supply comes from these waters). Hint 3 Few winemakers here have enology degrees. They’re organic farmers, retired (or not) CHP officers, loggers turned growers, Tasting. An eclectic mix of a nursery, art gallery, wine bar, and cafe. Buy an olive tree, taste stone-fruited Briceland Arneis or earthy White-thorn Pinot, and order crêpes. $; tasting from $4; closed Sun–Tue; 1055 Redway Dr., Redway; persimmonsgardengallery.com or 707/923-2748. Riverbend Cellars. Aptly named, these vineyards are almost completely encircled by the Eel River. Amazingly, the likes of Cabernet, Merlot, and Syrah are ripening on this chilly flat. $5.50 tasting; 12990 Avenue of the Giants, Myers Flat; riverbendcellars.com or 707/943-9907. Elk Prairie Vineyard. This tasting hut high above Humboldt Redwoods State Park yields wild views and lovely Pinot Noir. By appointment; elkprairievineyard.com or 707/943-3498. EAT The Groves. Sister to Riverbend Cellars, the restaurant end of this winery complex serves up some of the best dinners in the county. The duck two ways is addictive, and the wood-fired pizzas are memorable. $$$; thomas j. story (2) DRINK Persimmons Garden Gallery & Wine The region’s majestic redwoods right Tasting the famed 90 point Syrah Sunset Travel Guide View to forever from the Moonstone Grill below Elk Prairie’s vines left Wood-fired pizza at the Groves More unsung wine destinations Instead of Santa Ynez Valley ... try santa barbara Ditch the drive to wine country and taste as any biped should: on foot. A cluster of wineries in the industrial hood locals know as the Funk Zone are pouring the area’s famous Pinot, Chardonnay, and Cabernet grapes. We like Kunin Wines ($10 tasting; 28 Anacapa St.; kuninwines.com or 805/963-9633), in a WWII Army barrack turned tasting room. The honeysuckle-ish Viognier is a great pour. Instead of paso robles ... Try Avila Beach With its sunny microclimate, beachfront promenade, and down-to-earth vibe, Avila might be the ultimate sampler platter of all things classically Californian. The best way to explore is to bounce back and forth from beach to valley—from sunsets and sandy feet to berries and barrel tastings. You can check out the converted two-room schoolhouse that is Salisbury Vineyards any day of the week, but Sunday afternoon is when it really gets jumping. The Schoolhouse Rock Concert Series has live music, barbecue, tours, and lots and lots of Salisbury’s awardwinning wine. $5 entry, $5 tasting, barbecue from $5; 6985 Ontario Rd.; salisburyvineyards.com closed Tue–Wed; 707/943-9930. Moonstone Crossing. Funky beach town stay Miranda Gardens Resort. Cozy cottages deep in the redwoods. From $105, including breakfast; mirandagardens.com or 707/943-3011. mood; wines full of character, like Old Vine Zin, berried and peppery. $5 tasting; closed Mon–Tue except by appointment; 529 Trinity St., Trinidad; moonstonecrossing.com or 707/845-5492. EAT Restaurant 301 (at Carter House Inns). It’s hard to pass up the twice-baked soufflé with local Cypress Grove chèvre, and the wine list is a full evening’s reading. $$$$; 301 L St., Eureka; 707/444-8062. Moonstone Grill. Join locals around the bar for oysters, or claim the table in the window corner for a compelling ocean view. $$$; closed Mon–Tue; 100 Moonstone Beach Rd., Westhaven; 707/677-1616. STAY The Lost Whale Inn. The cove right Northern Humboldt Happy cows graze around college and beach towns, where rich soil meets the sea. DRINK Robert Goodman Wines. New, artful college-town tasting room (left, page 40; a restaurant is still to come in this historic machine shop) is home to a tasty Cabernet— from Napa Valley. But there are local Pinot, Zinfandel, and Chardonnay too. Open late; 937 10th St., Arcata; robertgoodmanwines.com or 707/826-9463. 22 Sunset Travel Guide Eastern Humboldt Mountainous Willow Creek is the only official AVA in this huge county. DRINK Dogwood Estate. Not in Humboldt but in the AVA, this Med-style tasting room in Salyer pours yummy “Mea Culpa”—Zin, Cab, and Merlot. By appointment; 530/629-2191. Sentinel Winery. “Garage wine” is no trendy phrase here: Sip the pretty ’06 Pinot on the pocket patio overlooking the pocket Willow Creek vineyard. By appointment; 530/629-2338. Winnett Vineyards. The ridgetop winery barn of the Winnetts overlooks the Trinity River. Try the citrusy Sauv Blanc, with a smidge of stone fruit. By appointment; winnettvineyards. com or 530/629-3478. thomas j. story (3) below this Trinidad inn offers up your own colony of sea lions, and a good hot breakfast will make you forget that they barked all night. From $250, including breakfast; 2-night minimum; lostwhaleinn.com or 800/677-7859. Sunset Travel Guide Travel resources Find more inspiration for travel in the West on Sunset.com Santa Barbara’s hidden gems Rediscover this coastal favorite with insider tips on how to leave the crowds behind. You’ll experience Santa Barbara off the beaten path with little-known hotel deals, superb eats, and alternatives to heavily trafficked attractions and shopping areas. www.sunset.com/travel/california Leaves may be starting to fall, but the West comes alive in autumn: harvest festivals, lively tasting rooms, colorful landscapes, and shoulder-season deals make it a spectacular season to hit your favorite spots—or discover new ones. Get inspired with our trip ideas, from Monterey’s wine road to Yellowstone’s resplendent fall color. www.sunset.com/travel Sunset.com/Travel Your ultimate resource for travel in the West, Sunset Travel is packed with tips on the best places to go, from National Parks to urban retreats. Get inspired with Sunset’s ideas for fun weekend trips or the ultimate Western vacation. www.sunset.com/travel Romantic getaways In the West, we’ve got a leg up on romance. For one, we’ve got natural beauty galore. But we’ve also got a plethora of hideaways that make the heart grow fonder, from a Moroccanthemed oasis in L.A. to cuddling up to the sound of waves in B.C. www.sunset.com/travel 23 Sunset Travel Guide Clockwise from left: wyoming tourism, andrea m. gomez, hotel figueroa 35 great autumn getaways Sunset Travel Guide A Travel Guides Explore the best of the West Download our full library of free travel guides at travelupdate.sunset.com Top 7 Hawaii Vacation Deals 2010 Big Sur, Monterey & Carmel: Hotels, Attractions, and More 2010 Grand Canyon National Park Hotels and Activities 2010 Napa Valley: Wineries, Hotels, Dining, and More 2010 Seattle Hotels and Washington Vacations 2010 California Travel Deals 2010 Best of Los Angeles: Hotel Deals, Dining, and Attractions 2010 Grand Teton National Park & Yellowstone National Park: Hotels and More 2010 Best of San Diego: Hotels, Dining, and Attractions 2010 Best of Portland: Hotels, Dining, and Attractions 2010 Yosemite National Park Hotels and Activities 2010 Best of San Francisco: Dining, Hotels, and Attractions 2010 Best of CA’s Central Coast: San Luis Obispo Hotels, Paso Robles Wineries, and More 2010 Flagstaff & Sedona: Resorts, Things to Do in Sedona RedRock Country, and More 2010 Palm Springs Hotel Deals & Things to Do in Palm Springs 2010 24 Sunset Travel Guide Subscribe to Sunset You’re invited to enjoy a FREE PREVIEW of the next 2 issues of Sunset magazine risk-free. 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