On Hwy-1, 31 miles South of San Luis Obispo. A commercially important agricultural town with a surprisingly high cultural profile – the highly-rated Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts is based here, who alums include Robin Williams, Kathy Bates and Zac Efron. Santa Maria nevertheless holds little that will set visitors’ pulses racing – except perhaps the now famous Santa Maria-style BBQ, of which President Ronald Reagan was an avid fan. Should you be passing through, however, the Santa Maria Valley Historical Museum (http://santamariahistory.com), 616 S. Broadway, provides an excuse to dally.