Surprised no one has mentioned the northern California coast. There are lots of little towns on the coast, of varying sizes. If you want something a bit more

Surprised no one has mentioned the northern California coast. There are lots of little towns on the coast, of varying sizes. If you want something a bit more populated, there's Eureka. I haven't lived in any of these places -- though my wife and I have enjoyed vacationing in Mendocino a few times -- so I can't offer an unqualified recommendation, but it certainly seems like they would be worth looking into.