Carlsbad. California

Most tourists come to Carlsbad for Legoland and promtply head back home, which is a shame because they’ve missed the charming, cozy Carlsbad Village with all its options for shopping, dining and relaxing on the beach nearby. Carlsbad began as a settlement near the railroad in the 1880s. John Frazier, an early settler, drilled a well and found water supposedly had a mineral content identical to that of spa water in Karlsbad, Bohemia. He built a grand Imperial-style spa hotel, which flourished up until the 1930s--nowadays it remains a local landmark.