Aptos Makes Chronicle's 'Must-See Small Towns' List

Santa Cruz is a huge tourist destination, sometimes you want to get off the beaten path that leads right to the Boardwalk.

Aptos, with long stretches of beach, got the town a nod on SFGate's best small-town escapes, published on SFGate earlier this month.

The kudos came on the Get Lost travel blog, which highlighted cute towns within a couple hours drive of San Francisco that are worth a weekend visit.

The list, published in the online version of the San Francisco Chronicle, included Monterey Bay gem Carmel, coastal Half Moon Bay, wine country destinations St. Helena and Healdsburg, Sierra foothills charmers Nevada City and Placerville, and Marin County favorites Bolinas, Mill Valley and Sausalito.

SFGate readers added their own favorites on this round-up of 20 more must-see small towns. The main drag and proximity to Big Basin Redwoods State Park helped Boulder Creek make SFGate's reader-submitted list of favorite small town get-aways.

The tiny mountain town in the San Lorenzo Valley is a favorite pit stop on the way to Big Basin or one of the other State Parks in the mountains.

Tell us: what are your favorite day trips within an hour or two?