mcilvoy6 Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 We will be attending a wedding in late July in San Francisco..but plan to spend a couple days in the Santa Cruz area. Any must sees?, favorite restaurants? Thank you! Michelle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
love2read Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 bumping for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 The beaches north of Santa Cruz are strikingly beautiful. Big Basin is cool, with the huge redwood trees. There's the Monterey Bay Aquarium but it's a bit of a drive. Also the UC campus is beautiful, with meadows and redwood groves. And, of course, the Mystery Spot is silly, but fun. Oh, and the boardwalk too. Disclaimer: I moved away from Santa Cruz in the early 90s, so my information may be dated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildiris Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 For kids the Boardwalk is a good attraction with amusement park rides and one of the oldest wooden roller coasters. The beaches are always nice too. If you're driving from S.F., go to Santa Cruz via Half Moon Bay (hwy 92). Less traffic and nice views. LOGOS bookstore is a must if you love books and Caffe Pergolesi is a good place to stop for afternoon coffee outdoors. Don't miss the farmers market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura in CA Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 We're just starting to explore the Santa Cruz area ... yes, the UC campus is lovely. Natural Bridges beach is highly recommended by friends, as is Manresa State Beach near Watsonville. We LOVE Monterey/Pacific Grove (lighthouse and beach)/Carmel/Carmel Valley/Big Sur area ... but that's a bit further south. Agree about driving via Half Moon Bay. Bring a sweater (or more) -- it can be brisk during the day and very chilly at night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 (edited) when the tide is in, and nap there while the tide is out. Here's more about the Wharf, and Santa Cruz in general. Of course you must go to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It isn't that far to drive, and it's along the coast, so it will be beautimous. :-) You know that Star Trek IV was filmed there, yes? It was the "Sausilito Cetacean Institute." Some scenes were also shot in San Francisco. :-) After you go through the Aquarium, have lunch at Bubba Gump's, and ask to be seated next to the window so you can look out at the Bay. Beautimous. Some scenes from the movie "Turner and Hooch" was shot in Pacific Grove, which is the city that the Aquarium is actually in. You can see the building that was supposed to be the police station--I forget what it really is, but it's on the corner of the main street through town. Oh, and if you have time, you could also drive further to Carmel. It's a beautiful town, and the mission is pretty amazing. Edited June 21, 2012 by Ellie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 We vacation there every year. Rent a beach house in Aptos (10 min. south of SC). There's a neat little aquarium in Santa Cruz (the Seymour Marine Discovery Center) which is affiliated with the UC. It's nothing like the Monterey Aquarium, but it's not nearly as expensive, either. They have a real blue whale skeleton and a nice little docent tour. We had the sweetest docent when we were there in May. Loved her. That'll kill a couple of hours for you. Of course, there's always the steam train at Roaring Camp in Felton. A little spendy, but fun. The beaches are nice. There's a nice sidewalk in Santa Cruz, starting at the board walk and going north. It's just a walk, but there are some beautiful homes along the cliffs, you can watch the surfers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMW Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 I head to Santa Cruz a few times a month nowadays.... If you go to the Boardwalk... and you are facing the beach... look to the right... LOL! Honestly, if you drive to the boardwalk and turn to the right and drive up the hill it winds a couple of miles of fabulous cliffs and little beaches... my favorite is Natural Bridges... you can actually look that up, it's a state park, I believe. It is so beautiful!!! There's a restaurant that is very expensive, but you can go there and sit outside and order a pizza... lol... it's gorgeous! It is in Capitola.... called Shadowbrook. It is nestled down the side of a cliff with amazing plants and waterfalls and you can eat inside and look out over the water or even outside and look out over the water! It's not a place to go and eat a full course, though, unless you budget for $50 a person. Their prices rise in the summer, but, I've been in July and had pizza outside and it was tolerable in price... for two... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkle Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 I head to Santa Cruz a few times a month nowadays.... If you go to the Boardwalk... and you are facing the beach... look to the right... LOL! Honestly, if you drive to the boardwalk and turn to the right and drive up the hill it winds a couple of miles of fabulous cliffs and little beaches... my favorite is Natural Bridges... you can actually look that up, it's a state park, I believe. It is so beautiful!!! There's a restaurant that is very expensive, but you can go there and sit outside and order a pizza... lol... it's gorgeous! It is in Capitola.... called Shadowbrook. It is nestled down the side of a cliff with amazing plants and waterfalls and you can eat inside and look out over the water or even outside and look out over the water! It's not a place to go and eat a full course, though, unless you budget for $50 a person. Their prices rise in the summer, but, I've been in July and had pizza outside and it was tolerable in price... for two... :iagree: Shadowbrook restaurant is awesome! Go there if you can. I like downtown Santa Cruz - it's a nice place to stroll and there are lots of unique shops. The Boardwalk is a lot of fun, and of course, it's beautiful just driving along the coast and seeing the views. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Shadowbrook restaurant is awesome! Go there if you can. :iagree::iagree::iagree: LOVE Shadowbrook. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeanne in MN Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 We vacation there every year. Rent a beach house in Aptos (10 min. south of SC). There's a neat little aquarium in Santa Cruz (the Seymour Marine Discovery Center) which is affiliated with the UC. It's nothing like the Monterey Aquarium, but it's not nearly as expensive, either. They have a real blue whale skeleton and a nice little docent tour. We had the sweetest docent when we were there in May. Loved her. That'll kill a couple of hours for you. Of course, there's always the steam train at Roaring Camp in Felton. A little spendy, but fun. The beaches are nice. There's a nice sidewalk in Santa Cruz, starting at the board walk and going north. It's just a walk, but there are some beautiful homes along the cliffs, you can watch the surfers. One of my boys loves starfish and the SMDC had a touch tank, with an attending docent, who let kids pick the starfish and other critters up and touch them. My kids really enjoyed that. There were some neat experiments there too. Also visited Natural Bridges and thouroughly enjoyed the tide pools. A ranger at the interp. center gave us the run down before hand as to what we'd see, so it was fun to find the things she shared with us. It's also a place where monarchs west of the Rockies migrate to every winter. They won't be there now of course, but there's a trail that takes you back to where they stay. Would have loved to have seen that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcilvoy6 Posted June 25, 2012 Author Share Posted June 25, 2012 Thank you all for the wonderful tips and ideas! Can't wait! Michelle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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