Experience small-town America at its best: Set apart from the hustle and bustle of the big city is Willits, a small farm-town community approximately 140 miles north of San Francisco. Willits, known as the "Heart of Mendocino County," is embedded amongst a thick forest of redwoods and provides a gateway to one of California's most spectacular wonders. The western mountain range causes the area to have cool winters and hot summers, which is the standard climate for an area on the Northern Coast. If traditional summers are your cup of tea, then Willits' Frontier Days & Rodeo, the oldest rodeo and Independence day celebration in the state, will serve as the perfect family getaway. Willits is also the eastern stop of the world renowned "Skunk Train," a popular attraction enjoyed by thousands of travelers each year, which traverses through the redwoods and terminates in the coastal town of Fort Bragg.

And ever since the widespread success of Laura Hillenbrand’s 2001 novel Seabiscuit and the subsequent 2003 blockbuster film, the sensational racehorse has put this pinprick of a town on the map. Those who want to see the former home of Charles and Marcela Howard and the hotshot thoroughbred himself, where he’s immortalized in bronze, can pay a visit to Ridgewood Ranch (16200 Hwy 101; 707/459-5992; www.seabiscuitheritage.com).

A three-hour tour takes place at 9am one Saturday a month from May through October, including a video and visit to the “museum” (a dining hall where Seabiscuit’s photos and press clippings hang), the old Howard home, the stables, and the paddock where his descendants still reside. The cost is $25 per person. A shorter, more kid-friendly tour is available at 9:30am on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, June through September, for $15. No reservations are required, but because the ranch is small, it’s best to call ahead and let them know you’re coming.