Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 47
Watsonville & Pajaro Valley
Pastoral charm, scenic nature
A variety of options await visitors to Watsonville and Pajaro Valley. Choose from an early morning bird watching excursion, an afternoon at a u-pick farm or museum, a sunset stroll on an expansive beach or attending a signature festival. Strawberry fields and apple orchards provide a gorgeous backdrop for this scenic destination. The area’s fertile soil and Mediterranean climate yield some of the nation’s finest produce. Berry fans flock to Watsonville every summer for the Watsonville Strawberry Festival at Monterey Bay to celebrate this ruby gem. Agriculture has long been the main industry in Watsonville. Celebrating this heritage is the Agricultural History Museum at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds. Restored horse-drawn equipment, interpretive exhibits and vintage items are all on display. The fairgrounds also host the annual Santa Cruz County Fair. The Wetlands of Watsonville Nature Center displays a diversity of wildlife habitats, including the Pajaro River, the Watsonville Sloughs and Pinto Lake. Over 200 species of waterfowl, raptors and songbirds live in and migrate through the wetlands, making it an ideal place to watch for feathered creatures, or enjoy one of the many trails winding through the area. Nearby, the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Reserve is one of California’s last undisturbed coastal wetlands. The annual Monterey Bay Birding Festival each September is a captivating way to take in the sights. Another kind of bird watching takes place during the Watsonville FlyIn. The largest air show in Northern California, the Fly-In features vintage planes and restored World War II war birds in an airborne extravaganza during Labor Day Weekend. The streets of downtown Watsonville are lined with Victorian buildings, 1880s storefronts, and the town’s centerpiece, the Watsonville Plaza, which serves as a gathering place for celebrations and festivals. A few blocks away, the Henry J. Mello Center boasts the finest acoustics in the county. The Pajaro Valley Arts Gallery features rotating exhibits, while the Pajaro Valley Historical Museum retraces the region’s past. In southern Santa Cruz County, Manresa and Sunset State Beaches are often uninhabited, and are perfect for sunset walks along the water’s edge. Watsonville’s unique landscape is rich with options for fun and exploration.
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the annual monterey bay birding Festival each september is a captivating way to take in the sights
“ ...birders are loving the six miles of new scenic paths along the 800 acres of preserved wetlands that start in the heart of town.” sunset MAgAzine, JuLy, 2010
Photo: Jeff Poklen©
www. s a n t a cr u z co u n ty. t r a v e l
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011
Contents
Welcome to Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz
Your Wildlife Watching Destination
Field to Table
Locally Made
From the Mountains to the Sea
Culture and Creativity
201163 Events Calendar
Maps
A Wine Lover’s Paradise
Monterey Bay
Galleries and Museums
Exploring Santa Cruz County’s Great Outdoors
Pajaro Valley and Watsonville
San Lorenzo Valley
Scotts Valley
Capitola and Soquel
Pleasure Point
Aptos
Davenport
Restaurant Guide
Lodging Guide
Visitor Activities
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - Intro
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - Cover2
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 1
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 2
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 3
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 4
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 5
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 6
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - Contents
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 8
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - Welcome to Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 10
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 11
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 13
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 14
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 15
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 16
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - Your Wildlife Watching Destination
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 18
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - Field to Table
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 20
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - Locally Made
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - From the Mountains to the Sea
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 23
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 24
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - Culture and Creativity
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 26
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 201163 Events Calendar
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 28
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 29
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 30
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 31
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - Maps
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 33
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 36
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - A Wine Lover’s Paradise
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 38
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 39
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - Monterey Bay
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 41
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - Galleries and Museums
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 43
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - Exploring Santa Cruz County’s Great Outdoors
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 45
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 46
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - Pajaro Valley and Watsonville
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 48
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - San Lorenzo Valley
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 50
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - Scotts Valley
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 52
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 53
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 54
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - Capitola and Soquel
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 56
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - Pleasure Point
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 58
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - Aptos
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - Davenport
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - Restaurant Guide
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 62
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - Lodging Guide
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 64
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 65
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 66
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 67
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 68
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 69
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 70
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - Visitor Activities
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 72
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 73
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 74
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 75
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - 76
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - Cover3
Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2011 - Cover4
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