My grandmother lives in the frigid Midwest, so I wanted to treat her to a California getaway as a winter splurge. But with holidays approaching, I was watching my budget. The Mendocino coast was the perfect solution. The town of Mendocino, 150 miles north of San Francisco, is lined with galleries and historic buildings; nearby, Fort Bragg is less renowned but also appealing. Together they sit on an extraordinarily beautiful stretch of coastline.

Even though November is considered off-season, it's typically sunny. And my Gram never knew we were traveling on the cheap. The weekend, including taxes and tips, cost just less than $400.

We started with a great deal at the 1878 Mendocino Hotel & Garden Suites: $99 a night. The grand lobby had my grandmother cooing — score some points for me. Including tax, two nights cost $217.80. While in town, we peeked at other inns with off-season deals: We liked the Americana charm of the John Dougherty House, and thought the rooms at the Blue Heron Inn, though possibly a little noisy because they're above the Moosse Café, offered the best ocean-view deals in town.