Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
This is the last oceanside amusement park left on the
Pacific Coast, harking back to the early days of the
century when people arrived by train from San Francisco
to enjoy the beaches, nightlife and amusements. The
Boardwalk is home to an original wooden roller coaster,
the Giant Dipper, and a wonderful 1911 Loof carousel. You
can see saltwater taffy being made and dance in the
ballroom. The amusement park is open daily from Memorial
Day through Labor Day and most weekends and holidays
throughout the year. The boardwalk's arcade adds a
contemporary touch.
State Beaches
The beaches stretch in a line from Natural Bridges
State Park -- west of Santa Cruz -- to Sunset Beach,
south of Watsonville. It's an enormous line of wide sand
which offers great beach combing, strolling, sunning and
wave-watching. Some of the best (not the busiest) include
Capitola Beach, near the Esplanade lined with cafes,
shops and a wharf in this town east of Santa Cruz;
Natural Bridges, home of a large monarch butterfly
colony, with tide pools and trails; Seabright Beach, a
stretch between the Boardwalk and the yacht harbor with
fire rings available for evening weenie-roasting; Sunset
State Beach, secluded coastline surrounded by farms, with
camping and a day-use fee.
Roaring Camp & Big Trees Railroad
The narrow-gauge railway line departs from Roaring
Camp, a re-creation of a typical redwood logging camp
operation of the 1880s. The camp is at Felton, in the
sequoia groves next to Cowell Redwoods State Park. The
train provides a thrilling ride -- climbing the steepest
narrow-gauge grade on the continent, stopping atop Bear
Mountain for view-taking and returning to Roaring Camp.
The steam train excursion takes 75 minutes
(408-335-4484). A second line (on standard gauge tracks)
runs from Felton to the Beach Boardwalk in downtown Santa
Cruz. The trip takes an hour (each way) and you have an
hour in Santa Cruz to sample the food and attractions at
the oceanside amusement park.
Año Nuevo State Reserve
A breeding ground for the northern Elephant Seal, this
reserve north of Santa Cruz offers guided walks into the
rookery December through March. Self-guided tours can be
taken from April 1 through November 30. Permits are
issued on a first-served basis through 3:30 p.m. each day
and advance reservations are strongly advised. The
reserve is just off the Pacific Coast Highway.
Where to Eat
Shadowbrook, 1750 Wharf Rd. in Capitola, has a
cable car that descends to a longtime favorite
restaurant, an outstanding romantic place serving
continental cuisine.
Much more casual, The Crepe Place at 1134
Soquel Ave. in Santa Cruz serves lunch, dinner &
weekend brunch inside or in a lively garden at the back.
Bistro food and home-brew is served at Seabright
Brewery, a brew pub at 519 Seabright Ave. There's an
outdoor patio.
Just where several restaurants occupied a space in a
west side strip mall, a new incarnation has arrived with
Tapas - the Spanish small-plate food that is just perfect
for this tourist and university town. The Al Mar
Restaurant, at 841 Almar Avenue, serves small plates
of delectable food, spiced with Spanish and North African
flavors, that just can't be matched in many big-city
tapas restaurants. Chef-manager Roger Cook and partner
Roger Grigsby has managed to bring high small dish-dining
to this unlikely place. try cold plates like "Rusa"
potato salad, grilled prawns (hot or cold), crispy
chicken and roasted onion croquettes with pepper aioli
(hot) and braised lamb with apricots and Moorish spices.
There is a full menu of hot and cold plates, and a few
dinner entrees (flatiron steak with cabrales cream sauce;
grilled halibut "chermoula" Moroccan flavors with pilaf)
and three fettucini dishes for the pasta crowd. Desserts
include bittersweet chocolate cream "Catalan" with
almonds and a Spanish rice pudding.
Seafood restaurants are in good supply including
Stagnaro Bros. and Gilda's -- both on the
Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf.
The Crow's Nest is located in the Seabright
community just south of downtown, at the yacht harbor.
The restaurant has good views, and an oyster bar.
