Share This: 
Los Alamos
Population: 1,200
Pull off the 101 at the Los Alamos exit between Buellton and Santa Maria, and you might think you just stepped from a stagecoach into an Old West time warp. Spanish for "the cottonwoods," Los Alamos was founded when two ranchers donated part of their land in 1876, and many original structures still line Bell Street, the seven-block main drag. Be sure to browse through the Depot Antique Mall in the historic train station, and check out the thoroughly modern galleries, tasting rooms, restaurants, and rustic hotels within the Western-style buildings. Celebrate the town's heritage at the annual Old Days Celebration every September.
