Recently I have spoken of the old Colonial charm of an East Coast city, but I thought I would travel to the other side of the country and talk a little bit about Santa Cruz, California. About 70 miles south of San Francisco, Santa Cruz sits on the northern boundary of Monterrey Bay. 
Founded in 1791 by the Spanish as the Mission La Exaltación de la Santa Cruz, the city has grown in to a place offering a huge selection of recreation such as swimming, sailing, kayaking, and the kids’ favorite -- amusement park rides.
Santa Cruz is probably best known for the Boardwalk. The site for the Boardwalk has been host to many tourist attractions dating all the way back to 1865, but it was in 1908 that the first amusement ride was added. At the centennial of the Boardwalk, it now offers 35 rides, three arcades, a game deck, 27 games of skill, 36 food vendors, electronic shooting gallery, indoor miniature golf, and over 15 gift (Source: BeachBoardwalk.com). It is a great place to spend the day with the family, riding the rides and swimming in the ocean.
For the more contemplative person, drive west of the boardwalk to Point Santa Cruz (also known as Lighthouse Field State Beach). Although the lighthouse has been moved back from the coast several times as the land underneath it has changed, Point Santa Cruz has been warning vessels of the dangers there since 1869 (Source: SantaCruzState Parks.org). Walk out onto the rocks and consider your place in the Universe as you watch the powerful ocean waves crash against the jagged coast. If you are not the contemplative type, still stop by the lighthouse, as the building now houses the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum.
If you’ve had enough of the ocean, go downtown where you will find a surprise. Having been founded as a Spanish mission, you would expect to find a predominance of the Spanish Mission style of architecture. Instead, you will find a heavy Victorian influence, similar to what you see in San Francisco. Though some buildings were torn down after the 1989 earthquake, much of the original architecture remains. As you walk along, taking in the architecture, you will be able to shop, eat, see a movie, look through an art gallery, or hear some live music.
(Additional sources: Encarta, Wikipedia)
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Destination: Santa Cruz, California
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2 comments:
As for food, I never ate downtown. I always grabbed something at the Boardwalk, like a hot dog and cotton candy. You also need to get salt water taffy while you are there.
Thanks for writing this.
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