Santa Cruz

About 1-1.5 hours south of San Francisco, Santa Cruz has a hippie beach vibe that seems almost like a cross between SoCal and NorCal (like if you took some LA surfers and gave them a lot of weed)...it's just close enough to the Bay Area that some people commute to Silicon Valley jobs, but far enough away that it feels like another world.

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

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

  • the nearby Wharf is pretty touristy but has some nice views from the end (and an old-school candy shop that our kids love)

• 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 inland (Roaring Camp) 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", although this is a bit dry)

• 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, Pana Arepas, etc. but there are lots of good options

• Pretty Good Advice - vegetarian place in Soquel and now downtown Monterey, ex-Michelin chefs make things like quinoa bowls; we liked their fries and soft serve (although their "mousse" was not great, too sweet, etc)

• recommended with reservations:

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

  • Akira Seabright - relatively gluten-free friendly sushi place with huge portions...but it's a bit more "quantity over quality" (some of the sushi was filling but not very flavorful)

• want to try:

  • HOME - interesting, slightly fancy place in Soquel, but also kid-friendly?

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

  • Mad Yolks - highly rec'd breakfast/brunch place, good for gluten-free

  • Hanloh Thai - people rave about it

  • 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?

  • Lago di Como - Italian place rec'd Eater

  • Otoro Sushi - in Scotts Valley, Reddit seems to think it's the best sushi in the area (although I'm not sure how GF friendly they are?)

  • Miyuki - in Watsonville, also popular sushi spot

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)

• 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)...their balcony rooms have amazing views (albeit for a higher price). Super kid-friendly (in the lobby, they give away popcorn & snow cones in the afternoon)

• Also worth checking out:

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

  • 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