Hudson Valley analogue?

Spent a bunch of time this weekend considering weekend homes.

Don’t worry: I’m not about to get into that part of the real estate business. (For the record: I think buying a vacation home with a mortgage is totally insane, unless your personal balance sheet is very, very strong.)

The analogy that got me going was: Hudson Valley:New York City :: (________):Los Angeles

For those who don’t know it: The Hudson Valley is the part of upstate NY that is north of the city, stretching from the north of Rockland and Westchester counties all the way up to Troy (where I’m from). The Hudson Valley is generally pretty rural, with little economic opportunity and consequently low real estate prices.

Loads of New Yorkers who live most of their lives in tiny, extremely expensive apartments spend their weekends in cheap, beautiful farm houses on big spreads in the Hudson Valley. And businesses catering to these relatively sophisticated weekenders have sprung up – there are good restaurants, food stores, antique shops, etc. If Lucy and I lived in NY, we would join them.

So, my question is: What is the analogous area for LA? Where can you find relatively cheap land with interesting stuff to do within, say a 3 hour drive from LA?