On Santa Cruz Wharf. Rainbow glows over the Boardwalk behind us!
We loved Santa Cruz!
Boardwalk
Santa Cruz became our hometown on the ocean. It did not start out that way. No, at first it was a little bit of a disappointment. Being truthful it’s not very clean. The roads felt tiny for our oversized vehicle. And I did not feel quite as safe as we had hoped. Our first day in the area and second day in California we went straight to the beach of the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. We walked the boardwalk and ate there. We thoroughly enjoyed the ocean.
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Leah Still 4
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Josh and Alisabeth 11mo
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Leah 4, Kaylabelle 2, Alisabeth 11 mo
It took us a few visits before we seemed to find our niche in the town. We found that we enjoyed the northern half of Santa Cruz the most.
My imaginary line of “northern part of town” begins at the wharf and branches up from there. We loved going on the wharf for only four dollars to park. It was the best place for us to be most days. I think we tried almost every restaurant on the wharf. One of the restaurants (Splash) was still under construction. It has an amazing water fountain outside of it with octopus and other sea creatures on it.
Me drinking from the Pearl Diver
It’s design almost has a Pirates of the Caribbean feel. One day upon passing this we were able to meet its creator. He also had designed several of the other sculptures in town. As an afterthought I wished we had taken a picture with him. Sean M. Monaghan and his studio/foundry Bronze Worksto created this water fountain, titled Pearl Diver. He was there looking in on some of the renovations. I believe he designed more within the restaurant. I hope to return some day and see the completed project and have a bite maybe, too.
View from top of Wharf
Leah by the Pearl Diver Fountin
Santa Cruz Sea Lion
Veiw off Wharf, Brown Pelican
They have a fabulous walking trail right along the coast. It runs along W. Cliff Drive from before Point Santa Cruz through Natural Bridges State Beach. As you walk and enjoy seagulls flying, waves crashing and misty sea air you can also enjoy the never absent surfers who cluster along the shores. You will pass a beautiful lighthouse along the way and lovely wave crafted rock formations. You will be passed by skateboarders and it is along this trail we saw for the first time bicycles with surfboard carriers.
rack for surfboard on side
Mom girls seeing surfers
catching a wave
Michele/ mom keeping up
Natural Bridges State Beach
Santa Cruz is the home of one of our favorite beaches. We frequented Natural Bridges State Beach. As its name implies, it boasts a large archway of rock that the rising tides crash through. It was breathtaking!
This was the first beach we aspired to picnic on. And though it was not our last (we are avid picnickers) we learned that a picnic on the beach is not always- a picnic on the beach. . . food in the midst of sand, wind, seagulls, and three small children with only one thin blanket to shield. Need I say more?
Here they have a few short trails through marsh land that we trounced apron with the girls. We also loved the tide pools away from the mighty ocean waves. They allowed our little 4, 2, and 12 month old a safe area to splash and wade in the water. We also enjoyed a few good sandcastle attempts but they usually turned out to be the kids drip castles.
Tidepool with marsh behind
Seagulls at Natrule Bridges
Continuing north, in a rather inconspicuous location, we also went to the aquarium. Here is where we first pet a swell shark, ran our curious fingers through the beautiful Giant Green Anemone and awed as we walked along the full size skeletons of whale.
Josh and Kaylabelle 2 touch shark
Guient Green Anemani/ Petting SwellSharks
Outside
This quiet and secluded aquarium is unique for those features and also for its free-to-roam ocean front trails. We played at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center more than once.
Though most days we enjoyed being from the wharf north, we could not omit the harbor from our favorites list. The Santa Cruz Harbor is not massive but charming in its own right. It has a small handful of good restaurants and my favorite gift shop. This combo drew us back many times.
The Crows Nest is very good and has a fabulous vista. Beside it stands The Crows Nest gift shop. Here they have a gleaming selection of knick-knacks that I could never seem to want to stop looking through. The gift shop also serve delicious pizza, coffee and desserts! We would, more times than not, order a pizza and sit at a table outside that overlooked the boats passing. The Santa Cruz Breakwater Lighthouse standing and greeting waves and vessels alike. How pleasant. How peaceful.
And this is how was chose to spend out first Christmas away from home. The harbor lit up! They light up all of the sailboats for a Christmas boat parade. We ate pizza and enjoyed an illuminated harbor.
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Trails of Ever After 