Will be staying in San Francisco 4 nights, then have 3 nights to spend someplace else. Decided Mendocino was too far, so going south a little ways. Can't decide on Santa Cruz or Carmel/Monterey. We've been to Carmel before and loved it, not sure if Santa Cruz will be as good. Any suggestions will help! Thanks!

Carmel and Santa Cruz are vastly different places. They are both on the Monterey Bay, but that's pretty much were the similarities end. So it's not a matter of Santa Cruz being as good as Carmel, it's really a question of whether Santa Cruz will interest you.

Since I don't know anything about your interests, I'll just describe a bit about Santa Cruz so you can maybe see if it is something you'd be interested in.

Santa Cruz is a quintessential California beach town. The scenery is beautiful. Surfing is huge. There is a Boardwalk on the beach with rides, an 80 year old wooden roller coaster, arcade games, carnival food, etc. There is also a wharf with lots of shops and restaurants. Downtown an experience - plenty of hippies and counterculture types. There are quite a few beaches, each with it's own flavor.

Capitola Village is a cute little place right on the beach with lots of shops and casual restaurants and a promenade for strolling. A bit further down the coast is Seascape Village in Aptos, which is a little more upscale.

Just up the hill from Santa Cruz are the Santa Cruz mountains which are famous for their redwood forests. Lots of sightseeing opportunities there and hiking as well. Hwy 9 goes through several small mountain towns that each have their own character.

I am delighted to learn from J. Correa about the charms of Santa Cruz because on the many times I have passed through the town it seemed pretty confusing and funky to me. In any event, it is no secret that Carmel and Monterey are much more popular destinations than Santa Cruz, which is why they have loads more lodging and dining options.

Uhh, all we manage to do in Santa Cruz is eat. There's tons of good dining options, from very cheap to moderate and expensive.

Just be careful where you stay, don't want to end up with a motel that's "near the beach!" and it's in one of the more unsavory parts of town. Actually, there's a lot of motels in SC like that, and not a lot of "high end" choices, except a few by the wharf. If you're going to stay there, I would seriously consider posting the place you're thinking about staying. I always feel bad seeing tourists coming out of places in neighborhoods where they sell the heroin, a few blocks from the beach.

love
roxy

I think J_Correa has given a great summary of Santa Cruz. I have been a resident of SCruz for over a decade and think it's one of the most special places on earth.

You might consider splitting your nights between Santa Cruz and Carmel/Monterey: Two in one & one in the other. They are only about an hour away from each other -- only 2 or 3 hours away from SF. It might give you a good mixture.

After you've done some research, I'd be happy to comment on your ideas for lodging and dining. It will help to know more about your interests, kids, budget, etc.

(Yes, there are good and bad places to stay in our town, but I think the heroin comment is a bit extreme.)

Santa Cruz is "hip" where Carmel is "chic". Monterey to me is 'touristy'. I can say that one of the very nicest places to stay IMHO is The Inn at Depot Hill in Capitola. Very upscale and, if you stay there, you're reasonably close enough to Santa Cruz and Carmel to visit both on different days.

Here's a link to The Inn...I'm not attached to The Inn...simply someone who would love to return.

http://www.innatdepothill.com/

There are great places to eat in both areas...another aspect that lures me back.

Scurry, ask the kids in SC where to get drugs and they'll tell you "beach flats" where some motels are located. I have some experiences, having gone to UCSC. And we've seen some dodgy things down there while walking to the Boardwalk, that's all.

love
roxy

While I haven't been to Santa Cruz, my vote goes for Carmel. Reason being it is a really charming area and you can see the Aquarium, drive down Big Sur or see some of the missions. The drive down Big Sur is enough for me to recommend it. I know some people think that Carmel is touristy/tacky but I thought it was great! I am a Thomas Kinkade fan and I enjoyed driving around town finding some of the inspiration homes in his paintings. We spent the nights in Pacific Grove which I also enjoyed.

Roxy,

Please understand that I'm not saying that their aren't drugs or bad neighborhoods in Santa Cruz, I'm just saying that it's sort of wrong to label the poor, hispanic neighborhoods as automatically places to get heroin. It's not like there aren't drugs available in Monterey or anywhere else for that matter!

Believe me, I sincerely doubt that 2% of UCSC "kids" get their drugs in Beach Flats. All the heavy drug users that I know that went to school there got them from fellow students.

Anyway, back to the question at hand.... Deblynn's interests and budget.

Thanks for all your input on Santa Cruz. Any suggestions on lodgings that are at least a 3 star property would help. Some of the B&B Inns look nice but don't take children. One place, Chaminade, was recommended in trip advisor, but was sold out for my dates. What we really want is someplace that has some fun shopping areas, a nice beach to walk along and gather shells with the kids. But someplace that doesn't keep us as busy as San Francisco, maybe a little more relaxing. Anymore suggestions on lodging that's nice in Santa Cruz or Carmel, but that's not over $200 per night. Thanks!

The West Coast Santa Cruz Hotel is nice & right on the water -- within walking distance of the boardwalk and the shops/restaurants on the wharf.

Scurry,

Not "labeling", absolute firsthand experience in the flats, that's all. Yes, there's drugs and crime everywhere, but Santa Cruz just happens to have some hotel/motels in neighborhoods that are near the beach/boardwalk and might sound good but are a little sketchy.

love
roxy

And I would second the West Coast SC hotel as being possibly one of your best options in terms of location--right on the beach, next to the wharf, one block from the boardwalk, and near downtown even, maybe a fifteen minute walk? I haven't stayed there, but it's big and fancy for Santa Cruz and I know when visitors of any caliber visit they stay there usually.

You might find Chaminade a bit removed from things in SC in terms of walking distance. It's way up on a hill in the woods, and you can't walk to anything like the shops or restaurants of the wharf or downtown, it's several miles away from all that. It is nice though, it's pretty and peaceful up there and the brunch is good with an expansive view outside. Just in case you happen to be able to get a room there, or have a Sunday brunch you need filled!

love
roxy

We've got a 10 year old who doesn't like to shop, & a 15 yr old who likes shopping, both boys. We planned on doing the 17 mile drive, maybe the aquarium in Monterey. Which beach is nicer? Monterey/ Carmel area or Santa Cruz for gathering shells? Are the beaches clean? After reading alot of these posts, I am hesitant about taking our kids here. We prefer a more upscale area. Last year in San Diego, our older son got approached by two men that tried to sell him drugs. Anymore advice would be great! Thanks, Deb

We'd been to Carmel several times and so the last time we were in the area I decided I wanted to go to Santa Cruz based on an old Grover Washington Jr. song that I liked ("Santa Cruzin'"). I am no SC expert, having spent only a few hours there for lunch and exploring, but if Carmel is the kind of atmosphere you're hoping for, then stick with Carmel. I was not too impressed with SC. Sorry...

Fair enough.

How about driving down from SF in the morning and spending the afternoon at the SC Boardwalk (http://www.beachboardwalk.com)-- then driving to Monterey that evening for the rest of your stay?

(I'd just hate to have you completely skip our town because of one person's post.)

You should also do an archive search on the 17 mile drive. As a teenager, I was bored to tears -- but you know your kids best.

Can't really help with a "shell beach" -- perhaps towards Big Sur?

Have fun & enjoy!

Santa Cruz is fun & worth a trip, but Carmel is stunningly beautiful. No contest -- Carmel.

The beaches in Santa Cruz are very clean. It is a very popular destination for families with children. I would not hesitate to take kids there.

There generally aren't a lot of shells on the beaches, because the beaches are popular and people pick them up, but I've found shells on the beach in the early morning hours after an overnight high tide has washed them up.

There are upscale areas in Santa Cruz and working class areas. The area around the Boardwalk, commonly known as the Beach Flats, which is what the negative posts have been about, is not the best. Look at a map of Santa Cruz and see the area bounded by the river, the ocean, Pacific Avenue, and Front Street. I wouldn't recommend staying in a hotel in that area, but during the day and evenning you wont have any problems back and forth to the Boardwalk and the wharf. Late at night, you should be careful, but then there really isn't any reason for you to be there late at night anyway so it's really a moot point.

I grew up in Santa Cruz (graduated high school in 1992) and visit there pretty frequently - I was there on Saturday. I had friends who lived in the Beach Flats and the problems there really only affect the residents, not the tourists. As a teenager, we used to go to the Boardwalk, Neptune's Kingdom, and the bowling alley down there a lot and never really had any problems.

The neighborhoods surrounding other beaches in the area are perfectly fine. Turn_it_On's recommendation not to stay near the beach should really have been not to stay near the Boarwalk beach.

For a more upscale atmosphere, check out Capitola and Aptos.

It sounds to me (after reading your follow up posts) that you should perhaps stop for a while in Santa Cruz on the way to Monterey. The kids should enjoy the path that runs all along the ocean in Pacific Grove. Here's a link to what that looks like:

http://www.pbase.com/image/13173668

In many places you can get down to little "pocket beaches" along the way. The path along the Asilomar area just south of Pacific Grove is also excellent for "shelling". The water is very deep near this shore (the Monterey Trench) so keep an eye out for whales...they come VERY close to shore here. Seeing whales spouting is quite common. Here's some typical beach debris from there:

http://www.pbase.com/image/13303245/medium

Perhaps rather than riding in a car on 17 Mile Drive, a trip to Poing Lobos State Park (a mile south of Carmel on the PCH) would be a lot more fun. This is to me the BEST example of the California Central Coast...a real treasure. You'll want to stop at the trailhead pavilion where a naturalist has all kinds of cools stuff to show you and the kids about the local wildlife. You can also take the road to the Whaler's Cabin to view lots of whale bones and whaling equipment:

http://www.pbase.com/image/13048147/medium

They don't allow beachcombing at Point Lobos and have docents who politely keep an eye on you at most of the beachy areas. If you go to the Monterey area and miss Point Lobos it is IMHO a crime. Great trails and spectacular views and some VERY STRANGE orange moss hanging from the trees:

http://www.pbase.com/image/13103723/medium

Feel free to browse around my California gallery to get a feel for the scenery. The Monterey area images are mainly on pages 8 through 26.

Oh yea, the Monterey Aquarium should be visited if you have kids. It is busy though and you may need to make reservations in advance depending on when you're going. It would be worth the call. Have a great trip...I'm jealous.

Like J Correa posted earlier Santa Cruz is very diverse. Most tourist go straight to the Boardwalk and that's all they see. The area surrounding the Boadrwalk is pretty seedy but that is as bad as it gets. Capitola and Aptos are beautiful. I personally think kids would enjoy Santa Cruz over Carmel.
A great place for kids is the Best Western Seacliff Inn. It's located in Aptos and is a short walk to a huge beautiful beach. They have a huge pool and really nice grounds. From there it's 15 min. drive to the Boardwalk (not including traffic) and a 40 min. drive to Carmel.
The Inn on Depot Hill in Capitola is great but pretty expensive. There is a B&B on Pleasure Point, ground zero for Santa Cruz surf culture, called the Pleasure Point Inn. It has awesome ocean views but again it's probably pretty pricey. There is a Best Western on 41st ave. that is in Capitola but I wouldn't stay there because it's in a very busy commercial area.
Another place in Aptos is the Rio Sands which isn't nearly as nice as the Seacliff Inn but it's a 2 minute walk to the beach.
I don't know what nights of the week you'll be there but Capitola has free sunset concerts on Wed. nights at the beach. They are a lot of fun , you can bring a picnic or have dinner at one of the restaurants on the Esplanade.
A plus regarding Santa Cruz is that while Monterey and Carmel can be stuck in the fog Santa Cruz is usually enjoying sunny skies. Maybe you could break it up with one night in either Carmel or Santa Cruz, that way you'll get the best of both worlds.