6 Calif. Cities Among Best In Conde Nast Traveler Awards

CALIFORNIA – Conde Nast Traveler has announced the 2018 winners of its Readers’ Choice Awards and six cities in California made the lists. The New York-based travel magazine said about 429,000 votes were cast in its survey of best cities in America. The list, released Tuesday, is broken up into two — big cities and small cities.

In California, these cities (with their rankings) showed up on the small city list: Monterey (#7), Napa (#12), Palm Springs (#13) and Santa Barbara (#15), while San Francisco (#4) and San Diego (#7) showed up on the big city list.

Here’s what Conde Nast had to say about the small cities:

Monterey:

If you hit up Carmel-by-the-Sea and don't tack on the fishing port of Monterey, a whopping 15-minute drive away, you're missing out. "Don’t let that now-tacky Fisherman's Wharf deter you, though, as this is a charming old California town," says Traveler's Mark Ellwood. Make your first stop the Monterey Bay Aquarium,one of the world’s best and a leader in global marine conservation; "the charmingly cartoonish feeding sessions for its sea otters are a highlight." Round out the day at Cannery Row Brewing Company, for craft beers and top-notch sliders, while the cannelés at Parker Lusseau Pastries are Paris-worthy—no wonder, given that chef Yann Lusseau is a bona fide French expat.

Napa:

Nearly a year after 2017’s devastating wildfires, Napa is holding strong. In fact, the city practically demands you come visit—a demand that we not-so-begrudgingly accept. The city is the perfect home base for exploring Napa Valley wine country, with beautiful spots like Duckhorn and Palmaz Vineyards nearby. (And lest we forget, The French Laundry is just a 20-minute drive north.) But you might find yourself wanting to explore the actual city of Napa for a day or two—so spend your days dining at Michelin-starred La Toque and admiring the public art scattered around town, then finish it off with a restful night's sleep at home-away-from-home Andaz Napa.

Palm Springs:

Loaded with retro-chic history and exciting new restaurants, Palm Springs is one of southern California’s cultural hot spots. To start: Indian Canyon Road is packed with antique shops and galleries, and Sunnylands (a 200-acre historic estate) and the iconic neighborhood of Twin Palms are paragons of mid-century design. Outdoorsy types should head straight for Joshua Tree National Park(about an hour’s drive from downtown) for some hiking and epic stargazing. Then there are the hotels: Two Bunch Palms and L’Horizon—along with many more—give new meaning to relaxed luxury.

Santa Barbara:

You won't be hard pressed to find things to do in Los Angeles's northern neighbor, also known as the American Riviera. Besides the beaches and celeb sightings, factor in a day trip to Los Alamos's wineries (head to Bedford Winery for some Syrah and Cabernet Franc) and stop by the Orchid Estate, which offers five acres of orchid species and hybrids. Stay at the impressive Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara for Sunday brunch and plenty of lounging by the pool.

Here's what Conde Nast had to say about the big cities:

San Francisco:

"You could say that San Francisco is a small town masquerading as a big city," says Traveler contributor Andrea Whittle. Ooh, bold words. Go on. "On one hand, it’s doable in a long weekend and walkable (steep inclines aside), and each neighborhood is unlike the one it borders. There’s a quirkiness to this place—you can feel it in the unlikely proximity of Haight-Ashbury’s peace-sign-graffitied cafés to Nob Hill’s old money social clubs and South of Market’s tech alley startups, all against a backdrop of candy-colored Victorians. When it comes to eating here, however, there’s nothing provincial about it. San Francisco is the O.G. mecca for new American cuisine. ... The city’s pioneering counterculture spirit permeates every corner, fueling constant change." And that constant change is what keeps SF on this list, year after year.

San Diego:

With a string of hot new hotel openings and a legit Baja-Med food scene San Diego is stepping out from the shadow of its big sister due north, earning world-class destination status beyond its famous theme parks. Come for the sunshine, but stay for the perfect lunch-time tacos you’ll burn off at the beach later that day. Sunny San Diego. Locals won’t miss slow-cooked lamb tacos at Aqui es Texcoco, or Tacos El Gordo De Tijuana, a south-of-the border transplant. To work off your meal, descend into caves at La Jolla Cove, where waves have carved pathways into sandstone cliffs, or explore the immense Balboa Park.

If you’re looking for places to travel, consider South Carolina, home to two of the best small cities in the country, the survey found, including Charleston — the No. 1 ranked small city for the eighth year in a row. Charleston beat out Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Savannah, Georgia, to claim the top spot. The magazine highlighted the city’s history, culture, cuisine and charm — “this city punches like a giant,” the authors wrote.

“Not only can you get world-class barbecue, seafood, and regional Lowcountry classics; you can get them done extraordinarily well, in traditional and modern style,” the magazine said.

To qualify as a small city, Conde Nast only looked at cities with populations under 1 million.

You might also consider Chicago. The Windy City was named the best big city in America for the second year in a row, edging out New York City and New Orleans. The authors highlighted Chicago's top of the line restaurants, breweries and museums. Its people really set the city apart, though. They’re “some of the most pleasant people you'll find anywhere,” the magazine noted.

California had six cities on the two lists, by far the highest number. San Francisco came in at No. 4 in the best big cities ranking and San Diego came in at No. 7 on that list. Meanwhile, Monterey came in at No. 7 on the best small cities list followed by Napa at 12.

Click here to see the full list.

Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report; Photo of San Francisco via Shutterstock