Santa Cruz

Things to Do/See

• Beaches and Coastline

  • Seabright (on the east side of the river) is usually less crowded than the beach right by the boardwalk

  • the area along West Cliff Drive has a nice, paved promenade overlooking the ocean

  • Natural Bridges Park - has some beautiful vistas and a nice beach...also certain times of the year you can see Monarch butterflies

  • Wilder Ranch State Park - has nice trails overlooking the ocean; don't miss the "fern grotto beach", which is pretty cool)

  • Henry Cowell Redwoods - not far from Roaring Camp / Felton

  • Pleasure Point - popular with surfers

• Bonny Doon Vineyard -->?

• Santa Cruz Boardwalk - a bit toursity but has some "old fashioned" games/rides/etc.

  • the Wharf is pretty touristy but has some nice views from the end (and an old-school candy shop that Adam loved)

• Roaring Camp Steam Train - this company runs two different trains:

  • Beach train - runs on weekends, leaves Boardwalk at noon, arrives Roaring Camp (Felton logging camp) 1 PM, 2 PM departure, back at 3 PM

  • Redwood Forest train - ~every day, 75 min round trip up/down Bear Mountain

  • ...you can also explore Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park from their station

• In Pescadero

  • Swanton Berry Farm U-Pick in Pescadero

  • Pie Ranch - nice farm with a pretty elaborate "farm stand" that also runs events

  • Harley Goat Farm - nice spot if you like goats

  • Slow Coast - a nice shop (also a bigger one in Davenport that has a garden, etc.)

• North of Santa Cruz

  • Elephant Seals at Año Nuevo State Park

  • Pigeon Point Lighthouse (also a hostel)

Places to Eat

*** = especially recommended

• ***Laili - great, California-fresh, upscale Afghan food...don't miss the boranee (roasted butternut squash) and lamb kabobs. Mediterranean plate is so-so (we found the hummus a bit bland and the babaghanoush too roasted garlic-y).

• ***Copal - great Oaxacan food in the "Westside"; our favorite was Molotes (corn wrapped around potatoes). Also good mole negro and tlayuda ("Mexican pizza")

• ***Mutari Chocolate - bean-to-bar single-origin chocolate (similar to—and we like it better than— Dandelion in SF). Great drinking chocolate & truffles. Brownies are the rich, slightly gooey kind. --> unfortunately they closed their shop but you can still order online to pick things up!

• Steamer Lane Supply - a to-go (although they have picnic tables) spot with fusion-y casual food overlooking the ocean; we liked their pork (in carnitas tacos and kim chee rice) but it looks like everything is good

• East End Gastropub in Capitola - closer to Pleasure Point/Capitola; kid-friendly place but pretty good food with eggplant, pizza, burgers, sandwiches, salads, spaghetti with meatballs, etc

• Abbot Square Market - nice food hall downtown; we especially liked the fancy burgers at Belly Goat Craft Burgers but there are lots of other good options

• want to try:

  • Pretty Good Advice - vegetarian place in Soquel, ex-Michelin chefs make things like quinoa bowls

  • HOME - another interesting place in Soquel

  • Barceloneta - tapas & more to go, various GF options

  • Trestles Restaurant - looks really nice, relatively new, in Capitola

  • Bantam - wood-fired pizzas and more, most non pizza dishes (including fried chicken) can be made GF...rec'd by neighbors

  • Companion Bakeshop - organic bakery; Eater SF rec's for sourdough, also other pastries?...one branch in Westside, one in Aptos

  • ?Zameen at the Point - Mediterranean food near Pleasure Point (also a branch in Aptos)

  • ?Cafe Brasil - looks like nice breakfast / açai bowls?

  • ?Shogun Japanese - has good reviews, sushi + more

  • ?Vim Dining & Desserts - lots of GF on menu, looks pretty nice (but also more expensive than most Santa Cruz places, not for SF though)

  • ?Lupulo Craft Beer House - Spanish/Mexican stuff on the menu, casual atmosphere, not sure about GF?

• recommended with reservations:

  • Penny Ice Creamery - *great* ingredients but not the best texture (a bit icy)

Places to Stay

• See notes from our wedding website

• Our favorite place is Babbling Brook Inn, which is far from the water but super-romantic and cozy (and with a good breakfast)

• Also worth checking out:

  • Dream Inn - really nice spot with a fantastic location; as of 2021 they kept their pool a bit cold though?

  • Beach Street Inn & Suites - it's a bit of a "motel" vibe but they have a nice (albeit small) pool that they keep reasonably warm, and it's a great location right by the pier/boardwalk (not far from the Dream Inn)

  • Chaminade - nice resort up in the hills with a great view, big pool

  • Hotel Paradox - nothing special but they often have good deals; nicer than the generic Holiday Inn/Comfort Inn up the street