San Francisco - Alison Bing [224]
The Santa Cruz County Conference & Visitors Council ( 831-425-1234, 800-833-3494; www.santacruz.org; 1211 Ocean St; 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm Sat, 11am-3pm Sun) has brochures, maps, free internet and lodging information.
Bookstore Santa Cruz ( 831-423-0900; 1520 Pacific Ave; 9am-10pm Sun-Thu, to 11pm Fri & Sat) and Logos Books & Records ( 831-427-5100; 1117 Pacific Ave; 10am-10pm Sun-Thu, to 11pm Fri & Sat) are the town’s leading independent booksellers.
Sights & Activities
The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk ( 831-426-7433; www.beachboardwalk.com; 400 Beach St; rides $2.25-4.50, all-day ticket $30; daily mid-April–mid-Nov, hrs vary Sat & Sun mid-Nov–mid-April; ) dates from 1907 and is the oldest beachfront amusement park on the West Coast. The boardwalk has a glorious old-school Americana vibe, with the smell of cotton candy permeating the salt air, punctuated by the distant squeals of kids hanging upside down on carnival rides. Its most famous rides include the half-mile-long Giant Dipper, a vintage-1924 wooden roller coaster, and the 1911 Looff carousel – both National Historic Landmarks. For kids, the Cave Train is unexpectedly fun for its portrayal of cavemen in modern times. But the thing that’s so great is its proximity to the beach, where parents can wait while teens explore. On Friday nights in summer look for free concerts by rock veterans you may have presumed dead.
SC is surfer central. Walk southwest from the wharf along West Cliff Dr. At the tip, Lighthouse Point overlooks Steamers Lane, one of the West Coast’s best and most accessible surfing spots. The lighthouse houses the tiny Surfing Museum ( 831-420-6289; www.santacruzsurfingmuseum.org; admission free; noon-4pm Thu-Mon; ). Tops for sunsets, Natural Bridges State Beach ( 831-423-4609; ) is at the end of West Cliff Dr, 3 miles from the wharf. Explore tidepools and the state’s only monarch-butterfly preserve, where monarchs roost from November to March.
Adjacent to the boardwalk, the long municipal wharf is lined with restaurants and take-away fish counters. Sea lions beneath the wharf bray in an echoing cacophony.
Downtown Santa Cruz centers on Pacific Avenue, with boutiques, chain stores and cool cafes. In the hills above town, the University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC; 831-459-4008; www.ucsc.edu) has 13,000 liberal-leaning students, a redwood-studded campus, architecturally interesting buildings – many of recycled materials – two top-notch galleries and a beautiful arboretum ( 831-427-2998).
Seymour Marine Discovery Center ( 831-459-3800; www2.ucsc.edu/seymourcenter; near Delaware Ave & Swift St; adult/student & senior $6/4; 10am-5pm Tue-Sat, noon-5pm Sun; ), west of town near Natural Bridges, is part of UCSC’s famous Long Marine Laboratory. Interactive exhibits include aquariums and the world’s largest blue-whale skeleton, which gets lighted at Christmas.
Classic Americana kitsch, the Mystery Spot ( 831-423-8897; www.mysteryspot.com; off Branciforte Dr; admission $5, parking $5; 9am-7pm summer, 10am-5pm winter; ) has scarcely changed since it opened in the 1940s. On this steeply sloping hillside, compasses point crazily, mysterious forces push you around and buildings lean at weird angles. Make reservations or be stuck waiting. Head 3 miles north of town: take Water St to Market St, turn left and continue into the hills.
To try your luck at surfing, contact Richard Schmidt Surfing School ( 831-423-0928; www.richardschmidt.com; Box 192, 849 Almar Ave; 2hr lesson $80); all equipment is included.
Cycling along West Cliff Dr provides million-dollar views, especially at sunset, and it’s a great way to get around town on crowded summer days. Electric Sierra Cycles ( 831-425-1593; www.electricbikes.com; 302 Pacific Ave; 10am-6pm) rents electric and pedal-powered bikes by the hour and day, starting at $8 per hour.
You can occasionally spot sea lions, otters and dolphins while kayaking. Kayak Connection ( 831-479-1121; www.kayakconnection.com; 413 Lake Ave; kayak s/d per 4hr $35/50) has