Santa Barbara, California
This golden half-mile sliver, in the tony Montecito neighborhood, has head-on views of Santa Cruz Island and almost-as-reliable sightings of local celebs like Kevin Costner.
T&L Tip: The patio scene at Cava (1212 Coast Village Rd.; 805/969-8500; lunch for two $50) almost upstages the rock-shrimp tacos.
Check-In: Ask for the complimentary Beach Butler services (chair setup, two-way cordless phones) at the Four Seasons Biltmore (1260 Channel Dr.; 805/969-2261; fourseasons.com; doubles from $605).