Perhaps the most popular stretch of road is from Los Angeles to San Francisco. It's one of those road trips everyone should make at least once in their lives. Starting out from the city steeped in car and movie ephemera, you quickly lose the feeling of urban congestion and Hollywood ambition as you motor north through Malibu. For a taste of California's indigenous subcultures, pull up to Neptune's Net, a seemingly casual outdoor eatery near Zuma beach. Order up a fresh steamed lobster and take a seat at one of the outdoor picnic tables, rubbing elbows with spike-and-leather-clad Hells Angels on one side and sun-bleached surfer dudes straight out of central casting on the other. Then, get back into the car and head back up the coast. The names of the towns you pass through - Oxnard, Ventura, Carpinteria - are south-of-the-border legends of New World success. They seem modest when compared with the grandeur of Bel Aire and Beverly Hills, but they are up-and-coming urban centers, with burgeoning populations and real estate prices to match.

At the end of this rather humble stretch is a sumptuous payoff: the city of Santa Barbara. It may be famous for rich residents such as Michael Jackson, Oprah Winfrey and Nancy Reagan, but there's more to the city than money (although there is plenty of that).

First, stop and savor the best quesadillas and chiles rellenos north of the Mexican border at El Super Rico, in one of the city's Hispanic quarters. In some ways, Santa Barbara's immigrant populations are its true heroes, performing much of the essential labor and adding a Latin twist to the city's sunny culture.

At first, Santa Barbara seems almost too perfect. It's characterized by gorgeous mountain vistas, surf beaches and an almost freakishly self-assured calm. In the early 20th century, before the film industry moved to Hollywood, Santa Barbara was the film capital of the world, and it's done a marvelous job of preserving its past. The area is filled with quiet courtyards and well-tended public parks. There's a fair amount of Italianate architecture as well, a reminder of the city's Old World forefathers. You'll also find several historic hideaways, such as the San Ysidro Ranch, which has hosted luminaries such as Bing Crosby, Jack Benny, Audrey Hepburn and Groucho Marx.

In spite of its rich history, Santa Barbara feels like a city of the future. Restaurants feature the fine gastronomic products of the Santa Ynez Valley, from organic meats to artisanal cheeses to fine wines. The city has a highly developed classical music scene, a great zoo, a film festival, several universities and the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. The Santa Barbara Museum of Art downtown offers a comprehensive exhibit on Chumash Indians, the indigenous population of the region, many of whose ancestors still live among transplants from far away worlds.

Head north to San Luis Obispo, a university town with a slightly funky feel, and spend a night at the Madonna Inn. A high temple of kitsch, its 200-plus individually themed guestrooms and an all-pink dining room festooned with Christmas lights have attracted architectural and design enthusiasts from around the world. It is also a favorite hangout with local ranchers, whose cowboy boots and ten-gallon hats blend in seamlessly with the campy decor.

An architectural wonder of a different sort is just up the highway, located in the Santa Lucia mountain range: Hearst Castle. Also called San Simeon, the mega-mansion was built by William Randolph Hearst, the legendary founder of the Hearst publishing empire. San Simeon was once a favorite destination of the rich and famous, and today is tended by a full-time staff, who proudly think of its magnificent mosaic pools and rococo ballrooms as their own.

From San Simeon, the stretch of coast heading into Big Sur has a vaguely desolate feel. But this impression changes quickly to jaw-dropping wonder. Big Sur is a magical meeting place of sea, mist and mountains. Its geographic majesty has attracted tourists for centuries, but it was the beatniks and bohemians who made Big Sur famous.

The Beat Generation was fascinated with Big Sur. The poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti owned a rustic cabin in Big Sur's Bixby Canyon, and Jack Kerouac spent time there on retreat, inspiring his dark novel, Big Sur. Henry Miller, who spent several years in a cabin close to Highway One, wrote a book called Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymous Bosch. And latter-day beat writer Richard Brautigan penned A Confederate General From Big Sur.

Big Sur still attracts its share of seekers, many of whom gather at Esalen, the famed institute for the "human potential movement," which was founded on a seaside cliff in 1962. In this neighborhood, you can't buy a cup of coffee without bumping into a massage therapist, crystal healer or "intuition consultant."

Go for a hike and soak in a redwood hot tub, or linger at the Greek restaurant Nepenthe and watch for whales as they migrate south for the winter. Then get back into your car, because Monterey and Carmel await.

One hour and a couple hundred twists and turns of the craggy road later, and you're in the Monterey Peninsula. With numerous artist ateliers, food and wine celebrations, and one of the best jazz festivals in the country, Monterey is a cultural focus point of the West Coast. Its remarkable aquarium is part of the top oceanographic research institute in the country.

Monterey may be famed for its golf courses and magnificent 17-mile drive, a scenic tour of gorgeous homes and even more gorgeous landscape and seascape, but one of the most exciting stories here can be found in its gastronomic scene. The Monterey region of California produces more winemaking grapes than Napa, and its wine producers are just starting to earn the reputation they deserve. Organic producers such as Earthbound Farms experiment with hydroponic systems and carefully planned hybrids to produce some of the most delicious products of the earth. Even simple local restaurants maintain superior standards.

From here to San Francisco is only a couple hours on the road, which threads through an increasingly wooded scenery and offers culturally rich stops such as Santa Cruz. Whether you choose to extend your trip with several more stops or head straight for the Bay area, you'll have already observed some of the most glorious landscape in the country, making it one trip you are guaranteed never to forget.

Perhaps the most special place in this latter-day Shangri-La is the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa. From almost everywhere on the Inn's 220 tree-shaded acres, visitors can take in panoramic views of the surrounding valley. Now, after a $70 million renovation, the property has the feel of a luxurious country estate, with 305 rooms in a Spanish Colonial style. The interiors are spacious and comfortable, with four-poster beds, decorative tile from the 1920s, and Moroccan-style banquettes.

Unlike some other resorts, which operate as hermetically sealed worlds, the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa encourages its visitors to explore the region. There are daily walks into town, scheduled visits to the thriving farmers' market, tours of local artists' studios, and complementary bicycles so that guests can take advantage of local bike paths. Like the town in which it is situated, the resort places a great emphasis on the arts, offering special theater performance dinners and an artist-in-residence program.

Of course, with all the things to do at the Inn itself, visitors may want to stay on the property. In addition to an 18-hole golf course and an 800-acre horse ranch managed by a genuine Wyoming cowboy, there's a full schedule of classes such as yoga, tai chi, and strength training. Daily hikes are offered, and the warm and well-staffed Camp Ojai allows parents to drop off the kids so that Mom and Dad can relax awhile.

Everyone will want to visit Ojai's well-appointed Spa Ojai, a 31,000-square foot spa designed to resemble a tiny Andalusian village. Whilst enjoying a steam bath, sauna, or a dip in the pool, you'll want to refresh your body and spirits with a chilled aromatherapy towel or one of Ojai's signature drinks such as cucumber-citrus water or lavender tea. Then select from a wide selection of treatments, including the Kuyam, Ojai's signature treatment inspired by the Chumash Indians, the original people of this part of California. Kuyam, which roughly translates as "a place of coming together," combines the therapeutic effects of cleansing mud, dry heat, inhalation therapy and guided meditation in a single-sex group setting.

Rates start at $400, with midweek specials and packages.

VENTANA INN & SPA
With cottages perched on some of the most dramatic coastline in the country, the Ventana Inn at Big Sur is a low-key summer camp for grownups, but with oak-grilled filet mignon instead of pork and beans. Despite the tasteful interiors - elegant stone bathrooms, luxuriously appointed beds and seating areas - Ventana retains its hippy roots: one of the property's hot tub areas is coed and "clothing optional." Also on offer: "energy therapy," color readings, and astrology. Cabins are crafted out of redwood, right down to the sumptuous floors - cross-sections of redwood planks polished and put together like tiles. But a touch of "counterculture lite" is just one among many possible indulgences. Most people come to hike, to doze in the plentiful hammocks, to soak in the sunken hot tub on their terrace and watch for deer, prairie falcons and gray fox - and especially, to be dazzled by Big Sur's fiery sky as the sun sets over the indigo sea. Sybarites opt for spa services such as wraps, scrubs, and massages utilizing elemental ingredients like mud, herbal infusions, and kelp. Ventana smoothes over the rough edges of travel with plenty of complementary perks: buffet breakfasts, yoga classes and chair massages with late afternoon wine and cheese. In the evening, guests dine at Cielo, the gourmet restaurant on site - or for an economical alternative, hop across the street to The Bakery, where the longhaired youth serving up your quiche and organic salad hums Grateful Dead tunes under his breath.

Watch for specials; rates start at around $235 per night

BERNARDUS LODGE
The Carmel Valley locale is temperate. The rooms are airy and romantic. The olive trees, terra cotta tiles and croquet lawn offer touches of continental charm. But although the setting is sublime, Bernardus Lodge is really all about interior sensations. How do you feel when a perfectly cooked Monterey Bay shrimp crosses your palate? Or as a delicious and well-chosen Sancerre washes it down - recommended by the friendly sommelier? As your massage therapist intuitively strokes the last knot of tension out of your back, do you not have the sense that a piece of your soul is somehow clicking back into place?

Let's start with the lodge's main restaurant, as that seems the whole point. Marinus, which specializes in California-natural cuisine - artisan farmed meats, seasonal produce - was named Zagat's "Top Restaurant in the Bay Area" in 2004. The walls above the Chef's Table, located in the main kitchen, boast hand-scrawled messages of appreciation from world-famous chefs such as Julia Child and Jacques Pepin. Just one bite of executive chef Cal Stamenov's cooking makes you understand why.

"I want to focus on fantastic ingredients and simple presentations," Stamenov says. "We try not to put more than three things on the plate so as not to confuse the palate." That may sound modest, but when the dish is a day-boat scallop layered with black truffle slices served on an artichoke puree, the resulting sensations are anything but simple.

Diners order first and second courses, but also pepper their menu with "indulgences," - tasting plates involving Stamenov's personal obsessions such as truffle mushrooms, abalone, and caviar. Guests can order from Bernardus's wine cellar containing 30,000 premium bottles assembled by sommelier Mark Jensen, which won Wine Spectator magazine's "Grand Award" in 2001 - a distinction that is only given every three years. But you might want to pair your meal with some of the excellent wines from Bernardus Vineyards: situated on 210 acres, it produces a dozen-odd blends each year, totaling 50,000 cases. Most are exported to other restaurants across the country. But on reserve is Bernardus's premium blend, the Marinus - a Bordeaux-style mix of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. The result is a rich, complex blend with a bold, bright flavor and lingering finishes.

Between meals, visitors recuperate at the spa, where gentle and talented therapists offer a wide array of treatments from all around the world, such as Hawaiian Lomi Lomi massage and Indian ayurveda therapies. Guests can also visit Bernardus's tasting room five minutes down the road, where servers offer friendly and colorful explanations of the region's winemaking culture.

Bernardus Lodge is basically aiming for the sensualist and epicure, zeroing in on the brand of people who can distinguish white truffles from black and who are very insistent on the middle palate of their Pinot Noirs. They'll find kindred spirits among Bernardus's excellent staff, which seems eager not just to serve guests but to share in the experience with them. On a recent evening, in honor of his wife's 50th birthday, a gentleman dining at Marinus pulled out an 1811 cognac, acquired at auction, which he had been saving for this particular occasion. After the cognac had been poured and sampled, the wait staff brought the drained glasses back to the kitchen. There, everyone from the maitre d' to the busboy took a turn sniffing the last few drops of the ancient brandy, musing philosophically about the passage of time in those sweet musty dregs.

Rates start around $350.