For when you need to leave city life behind for a while

Los Angeles is a great place, but everyone has days when the traffic is too much and all the sprawl begins to feel oppressive. When that happens, you can always pack up the car—or hop on a bus or train—and head to some of these small towns within a few hours of the city.

From quaint beachside communities to mountain towns to desert retreats, Southern California is filled with all kinds of towns to explore on a long weekend or a strategically planned sick day. Around this time of year, some of them might even have snow on the ground.

Below are more than a dozen options for when you feel like leaving city life behind for a while.

Looking for more inspiration for a weekend getaway?