Off Hwy-101, 17 miles South of Santa Maria. Nestled in a valley of cottonwood trees, the hamlet of Los Alamos has cultivated an Old West appearance, its main street being one long row of preserved wooden façades. The place is easily admired without stopping, but you might fancy pausing long enough to push through the swing-doors of the 1850s mahogany bar of the Union Hotel (http://www.unionhotelvictmansion.com).