Trekkers love the 10.5-mile Skyline to the Sea Trail, which runs along Waddell Creek to the ocean and nearby Theodore J. Hike, mountain bike or ride horses on designated routes. Mums and dads love letting the kids loose to dip their toes in clear streams, or watching them conjure up enough courage to kiss a banana slug (ask a local it’s a belt-notch experience for many a Northern Californian).īig Basin offers a variety of campsites, including 38 walk-in sites-a short walk lets you pitch your tent in ultimate peace and quiet. With more than 80 miles of trails winding through redwood groves and other lush habitats, Big Basin makes an appealing weekend getaway for people in the Silicon Valley, about an hour’s drive west. This remarkable preserve, California’s oldest state park, is an emerald gem in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Need more proof? The late legendary surfer Jack O’Neill, pioneer of the wetsuit and elder statesman of everything surf in the Golden State, used to live nearby. This is where the sport was originally introduced in the U.S., and top surfers know that the place to be is Steamer Lane. And there’s one other nature-inspired gem tucked in these mountains: a generous selection of wineries, most specializing in Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon.īut at its heart, Santa Cruz is a surf town. Take a boat tour out from the wharf for excellent whale-watching-greys, blues, or humpbacks, depending on the time of year- or head inland just a bit to see the ancient trees at Big Basin Redwoods State Park, located in the Santa Cruz Mountains. If you love nature, this small city makes an excellent launching pad. Then there’s downtown Santa Cruz, where local college students browse for vintage and boho chic, and relaxed restaurants focus on organic, local ingredients. First, there’s the family fun of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, a yesteryear-style esplanade lined with classic coasters, arcade games, corn dogs, and a historic carousel. This ultra-mellow beach town along Highway One has a decided split personality-and both sides are cool. On Wednesdays in summer, stick around for free outdoor movies on the beach and on summer Fridays, for free concerts. Peace out with a ride above it all in the overhead Sky Glider funicular (providing GoPro-worthy views of the beach, rides, and Santa Cruz Mountains. A noisy but fun indoor arcade offers laser tag, mini-golf, skee-ball and countless video games. For tamer rides, especially for little ones, take a spin on the painstakingly restored 1911 Looff carousel (yes, that’s real horse hair in the tail of your painted steed). These days, it’s not the only thrill ride in town the boardwalk also features the 125-foot/38-metre-high Double Shot tower for heart-in-throat adrenaline lovers. While there are countless attractions lining the historic boardwalk, the big star is the Giant Dipper, a burly wooden coaster first opened in 1924 and generating screams, squeals, and squinches-shut eyes for decades. A wide beach and splash able waves are always inviting add a colourful boardwalk with rides, games, and music-well, how can you say no? Not many people do-this popular waterfront boardwalk is a summertime ritual for countless California families, a wonderful way for you to relax and play just like the smiling locals.
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