A town on the coast that is "untouristy" is pretty much non- existent in Southern California. All of the resort towns have some form of commerce that caters to visitors. I think what you are looking for is a place that is relaxed, not frenetic, not overrun by other people and one where you can take it easy and feel comfortable. Given that, I think that I would recommend three places for you to consider (all of them are a lot closer to San Diego than to LA) - Laguna Beach (excellent suggestion, Irene), Cardiff by the Sea and Del Mar.

The good news is that at the time of year you plan to visit you will find relatively few tourists there. Each has some very nice accommodations near the water, but they also include (or are close to) diverse activities. Laguna Beach is a haven for artists. Del Mar is next to La Jolla with its shops and art galleries and Torrey Pines State Park.

I checked my Auto Club TourBook and found the following places to stay in each for you to investigate. All are rated two or three stars by the Auto Club:

Del Mar http://www.delmarinn.com

Cardiff by the Sea http://www.cardifflodge.com http://www.ayreshotels.com/cardiff

Laguna Beach http://www.casalaguna.com http://www.bytheseainn.com http://www.caprilaguna.com http://www.lagunabrisas.com/

Cheers, Mark in Los Angeles