Coastal Traveler - Winter 2008 - (Page 56)

Santa Cruz Santa Cruz By Justin Nobel Santa Cruz is part university town, part rough-edged hippie holdout. Its faded counterculture vibe may turn off some tourists accustomed to sanitized small towns, but it will attract those in search of a salty authenticity. Nestled between gold hills just 60 miles from San Francisco, the town is easily accessible for any time-traveler in search of a weekend from another era. The best way to experience Santa Cruz is to walk “the strip,” Pacific Avenue. It leads south from Highway One to the town’s world-famous surfing beach and classic boardwalk amusement park, which is celebrating its 100-year anniversary this summer. On the way you’ll pass relics from every great pop-culture wave to sweep the nation since the 1950s. Get oriented to cultures past and present at Locos, a massive warehouse of music that has hung onto an impressive collection of cassette tapes. For the paper version of history, head up the street to the epic Bookshop Santa Cruz, where their devotion to literature supports an organized selection of used books, local writing and photography contests. Heading back towards the beach is Old School Shoes, whose Vans-heavy collection will take you back to your days as a wicked skateboard kid. Don’t be too chicken to check out their shoe-painting studio in back, where you can decorate your new kicks. A good way to watch the scene is with a slice from Rockers Pizza, a lone window that serves up New York-style pizza with a thin crunchy crust and a thick tasty sauce. Standing outside you are just as likely to spot a salty red-faced sea captain as you are sorority girls with Frisbee-sized Gucci sunglasses. Across the street is Retro Paradise, where mannequins wear leopard-skin bikinis and cowboy boots are featured just as heavily as tie-died hippy dresses. For $50 you can look like David Bowie circa 1975, but if it’s bargin-bin retro you’re after visit The Salvation Army, located one block away. The three-floor, airplane hanger-sized store offers baby clothes, lawn chairs, artwork, and grossly oversized mirrors. At Saturn, just down the street, you’re back to 1950’s Americana. A pink refrigerator greets you at the door of the circular, UFO-like building. Sit at glittery magenta booths and scan their vegetarian menu and wonder: Did The Fonz eat tofu burgers? Afterwards walk the few blocks to Santa Cruz’s most timeless spot of all: the boardwalk. You can play minigolf and arcade games in a pirate-themed plaza or ride on the amusement park’s famous Giant Dipper, a half-mile long wooden coaster that begins with a 65-foot plunge. Having turned stomachs since 1924 – more than 50 million of them – it’s now designated as a National Historic Landmark. After the boardwalk, head to the Santa Cruz Wharf, where you can sail or kayak amongst sea lions and humpback whales, or learn to surf on one of the most famous breaks in California. When the afternoon or the weekend is over make sure to set the dial on the DeLorean to the present, unless you want to remain lost in time. Carmel by the Sea Where to Stay Babbling Brook Inn 831.427.2437 • www.babblingbrookinn.com Where to Eat Acapulco 831.426.7588 • www.acapulcorestaurants.com Hoffman’s Bakery Café 831.420.0135 www.hoffmanbakery.com Taqueria Vallarta 415.457.8226 Where to Play The Red Room 831.426.2994 The Attic 831.460.1800 • www.theatticsantacruz.com Avenue Cigars 831.427.9747 Wired Wash Cafe 831.429.9473 56 coastaltraveler winter http://www.babblingbrookinn.com http://www.acapulcorestaurants.com http://www.hoffmansbakery.net/ http://www.theatticsantacruz.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Coastal Traveler - Winter 2008

Coastal Traveler - Winter 2008 Contents Coastal Hotel Coastal Adventure Coastal Gambler Coastal Rider Coastal Skier Coastal Art Santa Barbara Pismop & Avila San Luis Obispo Big Sur Carmel Monterey Santa Cruz San Francisco Sausalito Mill Valley Stinson Beach Bolinas Olema Point Reyes Station San Geronimo Fairfax Iverness Marshall, Tomales Sebastopol Petaluma Sonoma Coast Redwood Coast Napa Map

Coastal Traveler - Winter 2008

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