San Clemente

At the southern tip of coastal Orange County, San Clemente marks the midway point between San Diego and Los Angeles. A sleepy beachside community, with frequent Amtrak train service and a nicely undulating stretch of old US-101 (El Camino Real) running through its heart, San Clemente is probably best known as the site of La Casa Pacifica, the one-time “Western White House” of former president Richard Nixon, who lived here following his election in 1968 and during his impeachment in the mid-1970s. The white-walled, mission-style house at the south end of Avenida del Presidente (the western frontage road to I-5) is more easily visible from the beach below, though the 25 acres of trees have grown up to obscure it in recent years.

Within a quick walk uphill from the handful of cafés and bars on and around the pier, Beachcomber Motel (533 Avenida Victoria, 949/492-5457, $135 and up) is a tidy, old-fashioned motor-court motel, facing onto the open ocean. San Clemente also has a burger place, Rider’s Club Cafe (1701 N. El Camino Real, 949/388-3758, closed Mon.), in the mission-style downtown business district.