Ditto on Ashland - stayed there twice, awesome artsy town, some very nice restaurants. Don't have a name for you, but there's a very nice old hotel downtown that's worth checking out.
We stayed on the outskirts where there was lots of parking and the SSR felt safe.
However...... If I had a 6 speed, I'd be taking the extra time and cruising 101 - that was an awesome trip, and would be even better with the manual. Stayed one night in Florence, at a motel on the ocean, a couple of miles in and north - it was November, and we kept the patio door open so we could listen to the pounding surf - the room was a little damp and cool in the morning, but slept great.
One thing I got into the habit of doing on our road trip- Once parked, I opened the hood, and pulled out the starter relay - slept a lot better knowing the only way to steal it was to tow it.
Have a safe trip.
Ray