Shonda

I am trying to plan a trip for my mom, sister-in-law and two nephews ages 4 and 7. March 28th-April 3rd.

They want to spend time in Northern California along the ocean. I was thinking of having them stay in a beach house/condo rental in Santa Cruz.

I wanted to make sure they were staying in the best areas for kids. I thought even though the weather is not hot hot at that time of year, santa cruz is accessible to many day trip areas. (i.e- San Francisco and Monterey Bay)

Santa Cruz also seems fun for kids with the boardwalk, bowling, minature golf, rides, train through the redwoods...

Any suggestions for kid friendly activities. Is Santa Cruz a good place to stay or is Monterey way batter?

Thank you

TripleSecDelay

That time of year, you're equally likely to have cool, damp, overcast weather; so I'm going to discard the weather as an issue in case this is brought up later.
Good call on being geographically between SF and Monterey for day trips.
Have you heard of the Exploratorium in SF?
Also, the Tech Museum in San Jose (don't let the word "museum" turn you away, it is interactive for children). There is an IMAX theatre in the same building.
Check the other thread here for info related to The Mystery Spot - just as FYI.
Monterey, of course, has the commercial cannery row with a taffy store and an arcade; and the excellent Aquarium. SF has Steinhart Aquarium, but Monterey may be a better choice. Might think of more later...

J_Correa

I would choose Santa Cruz over Monterey with kids. There are plenty of things in SC to do, Monterey is about 45 minutes to an hour away, SF is an hour to hour and a half the other direction .

kimamom

I prefer Monterey to Santa Cruz. There's the aquarium, Cannery Row, etc. The wharf is fun and I prefer the Monterey wharf to the SC one. Carmel is also close by, that has the gorgeous white sandy beaches.

The Plaza Hotel would be a great place to stay with the kids, right on the ocean. If you want a hotel with a large stretch of beach, the Monterey Beach Hotel is a lot less expenseive, but you will have to drive a bit into town. ***kim***

knute

I agree with kimamom. SC can be seedy in areas. Monterey/Carmel is ideal.

tom_h

Wherever you choose to stay, I think the Monterey Bay Aquarium is a "must see". A great way to spend up to 4-5 hrs, especially w/ kids.

TripleSecDelay

Not long ago, I lived in Santa Cruz for 3 years. Santa Cruz in the wrong places can be seedy : At the south/left end of the Boardwalk run, where the houses get smaller and the demographics shift a little; at Pacific Garden Mall, where the panhandlers intersect the bus station; same as any beachside town.

Along Opal Cliff, East Cliff or West Cliff Drives, not too seedy at the rental condo beachhouses. The cost of the real estate, alone, keeps the riff-raff away. Except for the surfers along the coast, who are not riff-raff and are generally harmless, except when battling each other for the choice waves. You're okay there, Shonda. Maybe we all have a different idea of where in Santa Cruz you have looked into staying... Can you narrow it down so that the debate ends?

Staying in Aptos, Capitola, Santa Cruz or Monterey, a person might run out of local things to do and may want a shorter commute to SF or SJ - therefore, the Santa Cruz "home base" is not a bad idea for further travels while balancing the experience for the children and the adults...

Shonda

Thank you everyone for all the great responses. I have looked at www.AHouseInSantaCruz.com for their vacation home rentals. TripleSecDelay, I appreciate the area info on where it may become seedy, I will avoid those. I know my family was interested in renting a house. Even though the weather is not fantastic, the sights are and since they have time off, they thought of the beautiful bay area.

Regarding where we want to stay, I think they would pay a little more to get a nice house with great views.

We will definately go to the Monterey Bay aquarium. Other places I am considering:

Roaring camp (steam train ride)
The Mystery Spot
Whale watching
Denis the Menace Playground
Wild Things???

All the great stuff in San Francisco from boat rides to cable cars...

Thank you again for all your help!!

soquel

Those boys would love the train at Roaring Camp! Check their web site as the date gets closer to see if they are having any special events. Occasionally they have Thomas weekends, which is kind of a bonus to the regular train ride, but they would enjoy any day I'm sure.

soquel

Also, take the family to dinner at the Shadowbrook in Capitola. The boys would get a kick out of riding the tram down the hill. It's a beautiful restaurant that your mom and sister would enjoy. They also have a web site.

Shonda

Great suggestion soquel, that restaurant looks great. We will definately have a dinner there.

Thanks

J_Correa

I concur with TripeSec's assesment of where Santa Cruz is seedy and where it isn't. Most of Santa Cruz is great. There are really just a couple areas to watch out for.

kimamom

If you're around Aptos and you get hungry, the Bittersweet Bistro is very nice. DH & DS recently had a very nice steak meal there. ***kim***