What to expect: Set 13 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean, this historic Santa Maria hotel offers the quaint ambience of an English country manor. Its location between Los Angeles and San Francisco makes it a good resting point for travelers making their way between the two cities, and being in the heart of Central Coast wine country makes it a destination in itself.

Amenity highlights: Victorian furnishings, a rose garden, and a courtyard fountain provide a peaceful setting in this downtown Santa Maria location. A pool and spa tub sit on an outdoor sun deck with chaise lounges and umbrella-shaded tables. The Garden Room Restaurant serves fresh California cuisine three meals daily, in addition to a Sunday champagne brunch.

Insider tip: The piece of meat known as the tri-tip steak has roots in Santa Maria. This cut of meat from the bottom sirloin was used mostly for ground beef until the 1950s, when it became a local specialty. It’s usually rubbed with spices and cooked on rotisserie or grill. When served with fresh salsa, green salad, pinquito beans, and grilled French bread, it makes for an authentic “Santa Maria barbeque” experience.

With its windmills, gas lamps, bakeries, and cobblestone streets, the Danish village of Solvang is a popular destination for couples and leisure travelers. This thatched-roof, chalet-style hotel continues the Danish theme. The lobby greets guests with brick-and-timber walls, high-beamed ceilings, a large wooden chandelier, and a stone fireplace.

Wine enthusiasts and couples on romantic escapes lounge by the fireplace in the Victorian hotel’s sitting room/lobby. The lamp-lit room is decorated in shades of aqua and mauve, and furnished with antiques, a piano, and brass accents. Actor Fess Parker (who played Davy Crockett in the original TV series) and his family oversee inn operations; a granite sculpture of the family poodle, Tuxedo, keeps watch.