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Santa
Cruz is the banana belt of northern California. The beach town of Santa Cruz,
and particularly Seabright Beach, is considered the sunniest and warmest
section of Santa Cruz County. Santa Cruz beaches face south and are protected
from the prevailing northwesterly sea breezes by the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Seabright beach is sheltered from the prevailing wind and fog you routinely
get in San Francisco and Monterey. Our summer temperature, generally
in the 70s, is perfect for those folks escaping hot and humid summer weather
elsewhere yet don’t want to be in the cold and wind that is common to many
other areas of the coast north of Santa Barbara.
Within Walking Distance of the House
Seabright Beach
There is a lot to do within walking distance of the house.
First of all you have one of the best beaches in California right
outside your doorsteps. Seabright Beach is sometimes called “Castle
Beach” by local old timers. The Scholl-Mar Castle occupied what is now the
main entrance area to the beach from 1928-1967. Seabright beach is a great
family beach. You can swim, bodysurf, beach comb and picnic on the beach.
Volleyball courts on the sand
are available, Lifeguards are stationed on Seabright Beach during
the peak summer season. At night beach fires are allowed. It’s so much
fun walking the ¾ mile from the San Lorenzo River mouth to the Walton
lighthouse.
Santa Cruz Small Craft Harbor (www.santacruzharbor.org)
The harbor is less than a ten minute stroll from the house. Enjoy the beautiful scenery of more
Enjoy
the beautiful scenery of more than a thousand sailboats and the Walton Lighthouse
while having breakfast at the newly updated Aldo’s restaurant. There
is so much to do at the Harbor - find out how to take a sunset cruise, go
kayaking, go deep sea fishing, take sailing lessons, visit the Marine
Sanctuary Center, watch the Wednesday night sailboat races when dozens of
sailboats brighten the bay, circle the trail around the harbor on bicycles.
During the high summer season, take the free water taxi and you’ll get to
the Crow’s Nest restaurant and the many other businesses and activities on
the east side of the Harbor.
Santa Cruz Boardwalk (www.beachboardwalk.com)
A
ten minute walk from the house brings you to one of the last beach side amusement
parks in California designed for thrill-seekers of all ages, the Santa Cruz
Beach Boardwalk. Don’t miss the 1924 Giant Dipper wooden roller coaster and
the vintage 1911 Looff Carousel or the newest ride, the 125 foot tall Double
Shot. Every Friday night the Boardwalk features free summer concerts.
Check their website for concert schedule and other details.
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Seabright Neighborhood
The
Seabright Neighborhood itself is an attraction. This is a unique place to
enjoy walks or bike rides. The “Point” is a wall of limestone between the
San Lorenzo river and Seabright Beach. Walk out to the end and you’ll see
a beautiful view of the Boardwalk, Seabright Beach, the Santa Cruz Wharf,
the mountains and the two lighthouses here in Santa Cruz. Walk the beach
or along the cliff all the way to the harbor. You won’t find any “track”
houses in this neighborhood. Enjoy the little historic beach cottages
with many small but spectacular flower gardens.
The Museum of Natural History and Tyrell Park
This
small museum is just steps from the house. The museum is a gem for the children
as there are “touch” exhibits that will teach them about our unique
geography including the underwater geography we can’t see. The museum
is part of Tyrell Park, a long narrow park that is bordered by Pilkington
St. to the west and Brook St. to the east. There are great peek views of
the Walton Lighthouse, Seabright Beach and the Monterey Bay from many points
in the park. In front of the Museum is a big as life artist replica of a
gray whale. Children love climbing on and playing around the whale exhibit.
Lower Seabright Ave. Business District
Take
a five minute stroll to the lower Seabright business district. There you
will find a convenience grocrery store, several restaurants and a couple
of coffee shops. Walk to one of the two coffee houses. Also have lunch
or dinner at one of the local restaurants, The Brewery, Aldos Harbor Restaurant
(www.aldos-cruz.com) , Engfer Pizza Works (www.engferpizzaworks.com), Crow's Nest Restaurant (www.crowsnest-santacruz.com) and several more within walking distance.
Santa Cruz City Wharf
The
Santa Cruz Wharf is about a 1 ¼ mile walk from the house but the walk
takes you through the Boardwalk on the way with the Santa Cruz Main Beach
on your left. It is lined with restaurants and shops. Built in 1914,
the Wharf is a pretty place for a stroll and an up-close view of crabbers
and bait fishermen. Enjoy shopping at the many stores and fresh fish markets
and family owned restaurants. The Wharf is the place to go for seafood with
a view.
Within A Short drive from the house
On the north end of West Cliff Drive, a scenic, five mile drive, is Natural
Bridges State Beach,
named after archways carved into the rock formations by ocean waves. The
beach is popular with surfers, wind surfers, tide-pool trekkers, sunbathers,
and fans of the 100,000 migrating monarch butterflies that roost in the nearby
eucalyptus grove from late October through February.
Monterey Bay
Santa Cruz is located on the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, one of the largest protected marine areas in the world. The Bay is home to 26 species
of marine mammals, 96 species of seabirds, 345 species of fish,
and 4 species of turtle. Watch otters, harbor seals and other sea life play
in the waves as you walk the shoreline, or venture onto the Bay for a closer
look. Check out an 87-foot blue whale skeleton, decorator crabs, eels and
sea stars at the newly constructed Seymore Marine Discovery Center.
In addition to the center's exhibit galleries and aquariums, you'll enjoy
superb views of the Bay. If you're visiting between December and April, don't
forget to watch the coastline for migrating whales. West Cliff Drive is a
good viewing point for spotting pods of whales en route between their winter
calving grounds in Mexico and summer feeding grounds off Alaska.
Roaring Camp Railroad
Hop aboard a Roaring Camp
locomotive at the Beach Boardwalk. The ride through an 1875 tunnel, a 1909
steel truss bridge, down the scenic San Lorenzo River Gorge and through Henry
Cowell Redwood State Park leads you to the Roaring Camp trains which are
authentic narrow-guage steam powered trains dating back to the 1890s. Walk
over to see the giant redwoods in the Big Basin State Park, California's
oldest State Park, established in 1902. This park is home to the largest continuous stand of ancient coast redwoods south of San Francisco.
West Cliff Drive
Walk
along West Cliff Drive, a paved path that winds for three miles connecting
Natural Bridges State Beach to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. It
offers great ocean views, sunsets and glimpses of surfers, dolphins, sea
lions and whales. See two surf monuments: the bronze surfer statue at the
Pelton steps, and the remodeled brick lighthouse that's now the Santa Cruz
Surfing Museum
which presents over 100 years of surfing history in Santa Cruz, starting
with the arrival of two Hawaiian princes in 1885. Just off Lighthouse Point,
see Seal Rock, a tiny island strewn with sea lions and seals. See the natural
wonders of Lighthouse Field State Beach, a 40 acre park with unpaved trails,
numerous birds -- including the rare Black Swift -- and an increasing number
of wintering Monarch butterflies.
Surfing
Santa
Cruz has long been considered a world class surfing location. Famous breaks
like Steamer Lane and Pleasure Point, plus countless
lesser known spots, ensure a vibrant and thriving surf scene. See a live cam at Steamer’s Lane
one of the greatest surfing spots in the world. Because it is sheltered from
most prevailing winds yet exposed to virtually all swells, the Lane is great
in everything from 2' to 15'. Steamer’s Lane is a long point break
set off by the sandstone cliffs of Lighthouse Point.
Downtown
Downtown Santa Cruz is a “must see”. The Pacific Garden Mall is the cultural
center of Santa Cruz. Students, tourists, local people, stroll along,
drink coffee, shop and just hang out. The atmosphere is extremely peaceful
and relaxed with many sidewalk coffee shops, bakeries and restaurants. People
play music and sing. As an example on weekends, at the Bell Tower end of
Pacific Avenue, near Jamba Juice cafe, representatives of local Brazilian
and Portuguese-speaking population have dance contests. Several book stores
and independent movie theaters add to the sophisticated atmosphere. Down
the avenue, closer to the ocean, weird hippie stores offer weird stuff (t-shirts,
for tourists). During the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989, many buildings
along Pacific Avenue were destroyed; now new buildings have replaced the
destroyed ones and some of the un-built sites are covered with tasteful murals.
Maple trees and benches line the extra-wide sidewalks. Major retailers like
The Gap and Starbucks have settled in alongside surf shops, upscale boutiques,
vintage clothing shops, antique stores, independent bookstores and a farmers'
market featuring organically grown produce. A walking tour will take you
past public murals, sculptures, art-deco inspired buildings, and over a dozen
galleries featuring work by local artists. For more art, visit the downtown
Museum of Art and History.
Wine
Visit the many boutique wineries
in the Santa Cruz Mountains, consistently recognized as a premium wine producing
region. There are 65 wineries in the area, producing some superb pinot noirs,
zinfandels, cabernets and estate-grown chardonays.
info@vacationsantacruz.com
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