mlgb

I picked up some materials on a recent trip to Santa Cruz from Monterey. I'm posting them here mostly so I can find them for my next trip, but perhaps others will find it useful or can add to it.

Aptos
Saturday Aptos Farmers Market at Cabrillo College
Seascape Golf Course, newly redesigned, has ocean views
Forest of Nisene Marks State Park, rent a bike and pedal thru the redwoods
Aptos History Museum

Capitola
Gayle's Bakery (Bay & Capitola), gaylesbakery.com
A bit overpriced but a nice range of bakery, coffee and deli foods for takeout or eat in.

Pizza My Heart (Esplanade, Capitola). A local chain, pizza available by the slice or takeout. Many locations but Capitola is the original?
pizzamyheart.com

Shopping..thrift and surf shops on lower 41st Avenue.
Antique shops in Soquel Village

Sights.. Watch the surfers from the beach at the Esplanade or from Cliff Drive at Pleasure Point.
www.santacruz.com/surfing

Whale watcing in Santa Cruz, from Santa Cruz Harbor.

Davenport
Wilder Ranch State Park (mountainbiking, historic ranch)
Rancho del Oso State Park (redwoods, hiking)
Sea arches and hidden beaches of Hwy 1, whale watching
Art studios (Lundberg Studios glassworks)
Davenport Jail Museum
Bonny Doon Winery
Davenport Roadhouse www.davenportroadhouse.com

Scotts Valley
Cafe Max in the Scotts Valley Hilton for breakfast, or at Peachwoods at the Inn at Pasatiempo

Golf at Pasatiempo. No invite to Cypress Point or Augusta National? No problem, $200 and cart fee (walking permitted) gets you on the finest public-access Alister MacKenzie course. Tough, but you'll still enjoy it. Interesting displays in the clubhouse lobby. The Tap Room in the Hollins House (Tues-Sat) is one of Golf Digest's best 19th holes.

Pajaro Valley
Elkorn Slough or Watsonville wetlands for birdwatching

Gardens at Roses of Yesterday and Today, Bamboo Giant, and Sierra Azul

Watsonville Farmer's Market, Friday afternoons in Downtown Watsonville Plaza

Agricultural History Museum

Downtown Watsonville for Mexican food and historic walking tour (brochure available)

Moss Landing
Phils Fish Market or A dock at Tina Louise

glimmer2

Looks like you had a good time in my hometown. Next time may want to include a nice long walk starting at Seacliff Beach and keep walking south until you get tired. You could stop for lunch at Pixie's Plaza in the Rio Del Mar flats if you wish.

kimamom

Nice list, I'll add the Fried Artichoke Hearts at the Big Artichoke in Castroville to the list. This is always our first stop before lunch in the area! ***kim***

november_moon

Good list. I was going to suggest Seacliff beach as well, but glimmer beat me to it There is a good Mexican restaurant near the vehicle entrance at Seacliff called Manuel's - always a good choice

In Watsonville, a stop at Gizdich Ranch is fun. I don't know that a walking tour downtown would be high on my list of things to do though. It is ok and there is some neat architecture, but there isn't much of a draw.

mlgb

Topping for the summer travel season.

Especially if you're in Monterey/Carmel and cant' get through on Hwy 1 to the south, you can take it north toward San Francisco. Not quite as spectacular, but nice IF the fog has lifted.

scdreamer

Also at Elkhorn Slough - Kayak Connection offers rentals at Moss Landing Harbor. It's an easy paddle to the slough, where you will see countless birds, otters, and seals.

Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Santa Cruz Wharf - "locals" prices on meals, but anyone can order them. Lots of specials for under $10.

Felton : In the San Lorenzo Valley at Henry Cowell State Park there is a really wonderful redwood loop trail. It's less than a mile, flat, and there are lots of amazing heritage redwood trees. A self-guide with info on many of the sights is available at the head of the trail.

Ozarksbill

Thanks for your list...I just posted a request for info about what to do in the Monterey Bay area...will be at two Elderhostels in Carmel Valley and then Santa Cruz with a few days in between.

Ideas for interesting/unique places to stay? Also more on eating out?

Ozarksbill

mlgb

Have you heard of the hostels in lighthouses? There's one at Pigeon Point and one at Point Montara, which was just recently discovered to be a Cape Cod lighthouse that was shipped across the country.

I also got some suggestions about where to stay and eat around Santa Cruz in this helpful thread:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=35127087

mlgb

Topping (for myself)

Ronda

Why don't you just e-mail it to yourself? Or make it a favorite instead of topping it.

mlgb

How do you make something a favorite? If I email it, it will just disappear in the volume. The search is a bit better here. It's one of the reasons I bother to do trip reports.

4sharie

I'm glad you topped, as I'm going there in a week and a half! I'm just a little confused though... are all these points of interest in Santa Cruz, or along the way from Monterey? We'll be coming from the San Francisco area down to Monterey, so we could hit some of this then.

janisj

mlgb: Look up at the very top right side of the page -- 'BOOKMARK' w/ the white cross on the red background. That is the way to bookmark things nowadays . . . . .

Or use the advance search function, since the rollover it really, actually, seriously works. Or - believe it or not - just google your screen name plus any words/phrases/title from the thread. Works just about every time.

There is no longer any reason to just top a thread for your own personal use. And w/ the 25 thread display it is even more important to not top things unnecessarily, sending other threads off the first page.

For anyone looking for info about an area - they can use the search function to find many MANY threads.

Ronda

mlgb, you need to make yourself a folder in your e-mail account. If you receive a lot of e-mail, set a filter so that anything sent from fodors goes into the folder or just move it to the folder from your inbox. Use the 'share with a friend' feature above to send the thread to yourself. I even have folders for different countries, states, cities.

mlgb

Sharie the spots were along Hwy 1, both north and south of Santa Cruz.