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| Tips and photos of unusual, out-of-the-way Santa Cruz attractions, posted by real travelers and locals. Santa Cruz Map |
 | Santa Cruz Off the Beaten Path | Tips 1 - 10 of 41 |  |
When taking a scenic drive along Rt 1, pullover at a stop for a good look around and a picnic. At one stop we scrambled down a rocky cliff and walked and waded along the beach. At our next stop, there was a picnic area where we had lunch, as well as trails leading through the rolling hills along the sea. We saw lots of sea lions sunning themselves on little rocky islands, not far from where we were standing.
We only traveled the area between Santa Cruz and San Francisco, but the entire length of RT 1 is supposed to be beautiful! Leave a Comment
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Rent, borrow do whatever you have to do to get a car and drive up Rt. 1, a highway that runs along the coast of California. We traveled only from Santa Cruz to just across the Golden Gate Bridge, but the entire length of the road offers breathtaking views. There are many place to pull off along the way to explore. It is magnificent! Leave a Comment
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When the beaches get too hot and crowded, find your way up the highway to Felton, Ben Lomond, or Bonny Doon. Even on the hottest days, the giant redwood forests will be cooler...there always seems to be a gentle breeze winding its way through the many groves of trees Leave a Comment
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I remember Randall Graham when he sold his first cases of wine to a store I worked at in Yountville. Long curly hair in a mess and wearing an old T-shirt, it was hard to imagine that his wine could be good. But, we tasted and found the Clos de Gilroy quite good indeed, and since then Randall has made many other types of wines and liquors. Now, many years later, Randall is a celebrity in the wine business, but his tasting room and home remain in the Santa Cruz Mountains at Bonny Doon. Actually, Randall spends a lot of time in Italy, so it's rather rare when a visitor to the tasting room will be able to meet with him. I've taken several groups of students from my California Wine Appreciation class to visit the winery, and Randall continues to be an engaging man who remembers past acquaintances very well. Nowadays, the wines are better packaged than they are produced, in my humble opinion, as Randall has found the secret of marketing drinkable now style wines to restaurants and novice wine consumers. Even so, the winery is worth a visit, and if one has not tried several bottles of his reasonably priced wines, then one cannot consider themself a well versed wine consumer. Besides wine, the winery tasting room sells lots of other stuff that tourists will like more than the junk sold at the Santa Cruz Pier. The tasting room is open daily, except major holidays, from 11:00am – 5:00pm Leave a Comment
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Natural Bridges State Park is California's only official Monarch Butterfly Preserve. It is in an important place on the migratory path of monarchs as they fly south toward Mexico along the coastline. The fall is the best time to see dense concentrations of the beautiful "danaus plexippus": "Starting early in October, the Monarch Butterfly arrives in this area on its yearly migration from the colder Northern nesting grounds. It gathers in clusters in Eucalyptus trees from which it flies in search of food on days when the temperature is above 55 degrees. At temperatures below this a dislodged Monarch may fall victim to insects or field mice since it cannot fly. The monarchs may remain here until March when the warmer days trigger a Northeasterly return migration."
Really, Monarch Butterfly migration is one of the marvels of nature. Leave a Comment
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I also have pages for Felton, Mount Hermon, and Ben Lomond, three hamlets up Hwy 9 from Santa Cruz. This part of the county is home to reclusive folk who have antique stores, redwood burl and bear artistry, or otherwise hangout in the redwood forests. There are a variety of activities available, but just a drive up twisty Hwy 9 is worth a half day or more. There are also plenty of cabins and resort hotels in the Santa Cruz Mountains for those who want to get away from the din of the beach cities. Hwy 9 will continue through Boulder Creek and drop down into Saratoga, which is part of the Silicon Valley, so this is a good scenic route to San Francisco and San Jose. Check out my VT links below for more information. Leave a Comment
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Santa Cruz is decidedly the most urbanized beach in the area, and is great for people watching, food, and amusement. But, there are some great beaches elsewhere. Check out my pages for Aptos, in particular, which has an entirely different spin on the beach action with often better weather, wider and longer beaches, and fewer crowds in the water or on the sand. Unlike the Santa Cruz Wharf, which is layered with asphalt, the pier at Aptos is entirely wooden planking on top. Again, go to my Aptos Pages, which are linked below. Leave a Comment
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About halfway on hwy 1 to Monterrey is Moss Landing, a generally better place to buy fresh fish. I have a VT page devoted to this town that's well worth reading for more information. Moss Landing is about 20 minutes south from Santa Cruz at the center of the Monterey Bay. A good strategy is to stop there on the way south, or on the way back to hwy 101 if driving toward LA. It's pretty easy to spot from a distance because there's an old diesel electric power plant there too, but don't let that detract from the great seafood available at the place. Check out the link below for specific details. Leave a Comment
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We drove past Hallcrest Vineyard without seeing it the first time. We double-backed after visiting Bonny Doon, and found it hidden down a driveway near the quaint, woodsy town of Felton. Hallcrest makes some excellent wines, as we discovered after tasting many bottles. My husband, however, didn't care for their organic no added sulphites wines. Can't have those chemical-free and toxin-free wines, now can we?
After witnessing the quirky behavior of the owners/employees at the two previous wineries we visited, we couldn't wait to see what would happen at Hallcrest. We were the only visitors there in the tasting room, which was nice. At first, things got off to a very normal and uneventful start. Then, while we were sipping a very fine pinot noir, the winery employee who was helping us asked, "Excuse me, I haven't had a chance to eat lunch. You don't mind if I eat in front of you, do you?" She immediately plopped down this most disgusting gruel in front us. Nothing like adding a little gruel to the enjoyment of a discovering a new wine!
This is Santa Cruz. Not Napa. It's an understatement to say different rules apply. Or rather, in Santa Cruz, there are no rules. Leave a Comment
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Big Basin Redwoods State Park is 45 minutes north of Santa Cruz, and covers 18,000 acres in the Santa Cruz mountains. It has a section that extends to the ocean. Plenty fo hiking can be found here - 80 miles of it. Most of the hiking is in a wilderness area.
My husband and I took a shorter hike from the Park headquarters to the top of Buzzard's Roost for some views. The total mileage was 5.5 miles. The hike starts in an old growth redwood forest. As you climb, you will rise through forests of oaks, bay laurels, and eventually ponderosa pines. At the top you'll be rewarded with a panoramic view of the entire park. On a good day, you'll see the ocean. On a semi-good day (which means no water to be seen), you'll see a bank of fog sitting out on the coast line. Take the Pine Mountain trail, and near the top take the branch going left to Buzzard's Roost. You can't miss it. It looked like Park Officials were blocking off the trail to Pine Mountain. Leave a Comment
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- Santa Cruz Villager Lodge
510 Liebrandt Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA - Bay Front Inn
325 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA - WEST CLIFF INN
174 West Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA - Travelodge Santa Cruz
525 Ocean St, Santa Cruz, CA - Ocean Pacific Lodge
301 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA - Hampton Inn Santa Cruz
1505 Ocean Street, Santa Cruz, CA - Santa Cruz Beach Inn
600 Riverside Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA - Seaway Inn
176 West Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA - Comfort Inn Santa Cruz
110 Plymouth Street, Santa Cruz, CA - Quality Inn Santa Cruz
1101 Ocean Street, Santa Cruz, CA - Guesthouse Intl - Santa Cruz (330 Ocean St )
330 Ocean St, Santa Cruz, CA - Comfort Inn Boardwalk Area
314 Riverside Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA - Knights Inn Santa Cruz
510 Liebrandt Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA - Bw Inn
126 Plymouth Street, Santa Cruz, CA - Chaminade at Santa Cruz
1 Chaminade Lane, Santa Cruz, CA
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on April 29, 2004
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on July 7, 2006
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on September 13, 2006
