San Martin, San Martin, CA

San Martin runs along Monterey Road at the south end of the Santa Clara Valley, a country town of farms, orchards and vineyards that sits between Morgan Hill and Gilroy. Fences and fields start almost as soon as the traffic lights end. Houses here are ranch homes and old farmhouses on big lots, with barns, workshops and fruit trees in the yard. Larger estates climb toward the foothills, and neighbors are often a field away. Plenty of properties in San Martin have room for a horse, a garden or a few rows of vines. Coyote Lake and Harvey Bear Ranch make up the county park at the edge of town. It has a reservoir, trails for walkers, bikers and riders, and camping, and it is open from eight until sunset, with sunset views over the reservoir toward the Santa Cruz Mountains. Closer in, the back roads lead to tasting rooms. Lion Ranch Vineyards and Winery, at 645 West San Martin Avenue, pours Friday through Sunday from eleven and offers hillside seating and live music. Rocca's Market, on Monterey Road, is a small meat and specialty market that opens daily. Tacos El Abuelo, on Depot Street, handles casual lunches. On Tuesdays and Saturdays the Wings of History air museum, across from the little airport, opens its hangars to visitors, with vintage aircraft inside. The nearest big supermarkets are in Morgan Hill and Gilroy, so a full grocery run is a drive. U.S. 101 is the quick way up and down the valley, and walking only makes sense within a few blocks of the center. In San Martin distance is the cost. Restaurants are few and every errand needs a car. In return the town keeps its farmland feel, with space around each house and a main road that still behaves like a country highway.