You've arrived at one of the wackiest and most livable cities in the USA. This town on the north shore of Monterey Bay has more to offer than cities ten to twenty times its new age-worshipping, vegan-eating, big business-eschewing, commune-living, and soy milk decaf chai-drinking population of 50,000. It's the alternative medicine capital of the west, is home to what's probably the only Chinese restaurant doubling as an espresso bar in the country, has a thriving alternative press, and probably keeps the local Kinko's in business from all the fliers you'll see posted promoting events that you'd insist have been made up. Santa Cruz has been overrun by UC-Santa Cruz students, a wealthy and pampered crowd who believe wearing Guatemalan clothing and eating organic sprouts will save the earth. I don’t know if there's a restaurant and mud bath center that serves tofu feta cheese substitute on a bed of organic greens served to you by a lesbian Zen Buddhist priest who also publishes an anarchist newsletter that insists Ted Kennedy is a right wing monster who kidnapped Patty Hearst . . . but if there were such a thing, I'd bet it were here! In sum, if I haven't scared you by now, this town is deranged and a lot of fun.
WHAT TO SEE:
Hike in the nearby Garden of Eden and the surrounding mountains, about which people often forget. Natural Bridges State Park is a treat for nature lovers: the tidepools are a microcosm of the Monterey Bay ecosystem. Many locals think they are too cool and wouldn't admit going there, but the Boardwalk, the last one on the West Coast, is an historic landmark for a good reason.
WHAT TO DO:
Walk along West Cliff Drive and admire the stunning Victorian homes. Downtown Santa Cruz, specifically Pacific Avenue, suffered horribly due to the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake, but has come back with gusto. Purists complain it's not the same (and it's not), but the city should be proud of salvaging what has become a lost way of American life: a thriving main drag with great shops and restaurants. Visit the Wharf as well. At night, the Blue Lagoon and the Catalyst, both on Pacific Avenue, have great live music, as do coffee houses such as Jahva Café and Café Royale.
WHAT NOT TO DO:
Don't admit to being a Republican. Heck, Democrats are scorned by many in this town! This many change, though, because Santa Cruz is fast becoming a bedroom community of prosperous Silicon Valley. Don't suggest to the most locals that a Hilton or Sheraton complex be built along the waterfront because they will chase you out of the county.
WHERE TO EAT:
Uh-oh. This town has an amazing, amazing Smithsonian-like collection of good eats. Vasili's, on Mission Street, is a must for Greek food lovers. It's often packed, so call ahead for reservations. Mobo Sushi, on Front Street, and Pink Godzilla, on 41st street in nearby Capitola, serve some of the tastiest sushi I've ever had. Santa Cruz has only about 1000 residents of Chinese descent, but over thirty Chinese restaurants. O Mei's on Mission Street is popular. Little Shanghai, on Center Street, has a great menu and offers espresso. Oh, coffee. You'll find a few coffee shops here. Café Royale and the Santa Cruz Roasting Company, both on Pacific Avenue, will satisfy your craving for caffeine. For a late night snack, Pizza My Heart on Pacific dishes out some pretty mean slices. Zachary's, also on Pacific, has a breakfast menu to die for, and the queues outside on a weekend morning rival the gas lines of the 1970's. Order "Mike's Mess." The kiosks on Pacific Avenue also offer yummy treats, from sushi to falafel. If you wish to dine with a view of the water, Carneglia's has great food and is a great spot for that special meal. If you only want a sandwich, Zoccoli's on Pacific will stupefy you with its menu: the eggplant sandwich is excellent.
WHERE TO STAY:
The West Coast Santa Cruz Hotel, once named the Dream Inn, looks like a concrete nightmare. This is one of the most historically significant spots in Santa Cruz. The high rise wing, built in the early 1970's, so enraged the hippie masses that the Republican City Council was Birkenstock-ed out of office and replaced by a "progressive" aging hippie peanut gallery that now dominates local politics. You could camp at one of the local state beaches: Sunset Beach, about ten miles south of Santa Cruz, has one of the best campgrounds around.