Blogs from Santa Cruz, California, United States, North America

On Monday, I was suddenly presented with an opportunity to spend time with Y during the week. What’s a better way to spend it than to go camping? Things might be hectic without V but don’t worry about it, just do it! I searched for the most coveted campsites in the area. This is a rare opportunity to snag a weekday spot! Half moon bay was out solid except for a few RV sites but New Brighton Beach was a go for Wednesday night! That is just a 40-minute drive and that place is always heavily booked 6 months ahead. So excited!! Wednesday morning, we hit the road at 9:20 am. We weren’t particularly in a hurry since the campsite check-in wasn’t until 2 pm. By the time we got to Santa Cruz, it was past ... read more

Santa Cruz can be chilly in the summer. Our first day was going to be the warmest day so we decided to go to the beach. We had lunch first at Tacos Moreno, 1053 Water Street, Santa Cruz. This is a small local spot and there was a line out the door but it moved quickly. Despite it's name the place is known for their burritos. We bought beer at the gas station across the street and headed to Seabright Beach. There is no parking but we found street parking nearby. This is not a great beach if you have children because the beach drops off. The beach has a bathroom but no other amenities. We enjoyed our lunch, read, napped and our adult kids and girlfriends enjoyed the cold water. Mark and I walked 1.7 ... read more

Geo: 36.974, -122.031Today was pretty much a rest from traveling day. We stayed a 2nd night at the hostel in Santa Cruz and had no real plans for the day. Alex slept in a while I wondered down to the waterfront. As I sipped a coffee I scored from a local deli, i heard the bark of what reminded me of a seal at one of those Sea World shows. I immediately headed out to the pier towards the sound. I quickly found the noisemaker, a sea lion hanging out on a floating dock with a buddy. After watching in amusement for a little while, I headed back towards our hostel stopping to watch the locals arriving at the volleyball courts for some early morning practice. Being a relaxing day, I decided i would try to ... read more

La Highway 1 est un classique aux Etats-Unis ! Cette route suit le littoral entre San Francisco et Los Angeles, et offre des paysages sublimes. Au départ de San Francisco, on longe de belles plages californiennes. Plusieurs spots de surf y sont très réputés. Plus loin, la route parcourt de hautes falaises qui surplombent la mer. Le panorama est saisissant. Il est difficile de ne pas s'arrêter tous les quarts d'heure pour admirer la vue. D'ailleurs de nombreuses publicités de voiture sont tournées à cet endroit. Du haut des falaises, nous avons pu observer des baleines et des otaries qui s'approchaient des côtes. C'est une zone encore sauvage où la nature a tous ses droits ; et où l'homme n'a pas (encore) bétonné les côtes. Beau souvenir de la Californie. * QUELQUES PHOTOS SUIVENT PLUS BAS ... read more

Rained on arrival and pretty much remained rainy throughout our stay in Santa Cruz. On the last day we finally got to explore and saw that Santa Cruz seems to be a relaxed and friendly town of surfers and strollers in their 30s and 40s. We were told this was the "Silicon Valley money" so house prices were high. Lots of dogs being walked along the promenades along the coast after two days of rain. best part was the redwood forest just north of town... read more