What’s New in Santa Cruz County for Summertime
Contact: Christina Glynn, Communications Director/Film Commissioner
Phone: 831-429-7281, ext. 112, email: cglynn@santacruz.org
April 21, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WHAT’S NEW IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY FOR SUMMERTIME
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA – In keeping with this summer’s Playcation theme, this summer, Santa Cruz County, the Central Coast’s favorite vacation destination, announces new activities and places to stay. Listed below are a few of the new hotels, attractions and popular events that make planning a trip to Santa Cruz County more appealing than ever:
At the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk free summertime concerts are all the rage, on Friday nights June 19 through September 4, 2009. Bands from the ‘70s and ‘80s perform two free concerts at 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. The Boardwalk is also hosting two free shows Sundays thru Thursdays of Cirque Magnifique July 12 – August 20th. These world-class French-Canadian performers will grace the Boardwalk’s beach bandstand with spinning German Wheels, cycle stunts, high-energy trampoline, gravity-defying balance, amazing acrobatic feats, colorful clowns, and more. And in Capitola Village, the tradition of free Wednesday Night Twilight Concerts continues in the Esplanade Park. Families An array of musical styles from jazz, western, Latin, swing, orchestra and rock and roll will perform from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
The Pacific Blue Inn is a boutique inn with an eco-conscious heart and a local flair. Promoting green living and a healthy outlook on life, the Inn is located on Pacific Avenue in the heart of Santa Cruz. Newly opened in March 2009, the inn exceeds California’s stringent “green” standards, built with long-lasting blue wood and utilizing recycled, reused, and reclaimed construction materials and dècor. The Inn also features non-toxic paint, renewable bamboo flooring and energy efficient lighting and appliances to reserve natural resources. Reducing carbon footprints is easily achieved with a central location within walking distance of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, beaches, Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, shops, galleries, and restaurants.
Has the downturn in the economy meant that you must forego the $495 greens fee at Pebble Beach? Ditch the clubs and head to the newly opened “Pebble Beach of disc golf” in Santa Cruz County! Pinto Lake Championship Disc Golf Course at Pinto Lake County Park is located in Watsonville. Created by Disc Golf Hall of Famer and local resident Tom Schot, the new course was designed for tournament play. The front nine is in the trees, and demands a variety of technical shots, while the back nine is open and requires power throws. Disc golf is a game in which individual players throw a flying disc into a basket or at a target. According to the Professional Disc Golf Association, the object of the game is to traverse a course from beginning to end in the fewest number of throws of the disc. And best of all, it’s free to play!
In Santa Cruz, there is a dawning of a new age: the age of the Aquarius Restaurant. Inside the all new Santa Cruz Dream Inn, and set to debut in June just in time for summer, the Dream Inn will premiere the 120-seat Aquarius Restaurant featuring ocean front dining with a focus on sustainable foods and locally grown organic offerings. Silicon Valley’s Philippe Breneman, formerly the executive chef at Paragon restaurant in San Jose, has carefully crafted a menu which highlights the best of local cuisine, all under one roof. The only luxury beachfront hotel in Santa Cruz, the Dream Inn is a gem of a destination property, boasting 165 ocean view rooms from either private balconies or patios, with ocean front heated pool, hot tub, pool bar and beach access.
Twelve new sculptures have been installed in Downtown Santa Cruz as part of a SculpTour rotating public art exhibit. Standing on five separate sites along Pacific Avenue, the exhibit showcases works in steel, concrete, stones and mortar. Ranging in subject from “Rocky Dogs” to “Pendulum” and “Waterfall”, the exhibit features artwork by seven local artists, including a blacksmith, a kinetic sculptor, an architectural metalworker, a commercial artist, a bronze and steel sculptor and a stone and masonry artist. The pieces are strategically placed at intersections visible to both pedestrians and drivers, allowing the most public exposure possible SculpTour’s goal is to enliven and beautify the downtown Santa Cruz through showcasing works of contemporary art by artists working at large scale and in durable materials.
Roaring Camp Railroads in Felton features a brand new program for the summer called “Twilight Evenings”. Guests gather at Roaring Camp for dinner prepared in Dutch ovens over an open fire, followed by a guided nature walk through the forest complete with flashlights. Once back at Roaring Camp, gather round a big roaring fire and enjoy marshmallow roasting, peach cobbler and a cowboy sing along. If there is no fog, an impromptu astronomy lesson is also offered. Twilight Evenings take place Fridays, July 3rd, 10th, 17th and August 7th and 14th, 2009. For cycling lovers, Roaring Camp’s “From the Trees to the Seas” takes guests to Santa Cruz’s Main Beach via steam train, stopping at Depot Park. A guide meets the group and escorts them to the Seymour Marine Discovery Center on bikes, where lunch and a private behind-the-scenes guided tour is included. Then it’s back to Depot Park to catch the train back to Roaring Camp.
Ready to relax? Following a $2.5 million renovation, the Spa at Chaminade has recently reopened, including a unique type of massage. The Hot Shell Massage uses all-natural Tiger Clam Seashells and other elements from the ocean along with a mixture of purified water, salt, and lavender essential oils. The heat from shells penetrates muscles, helping to achieve a deep state of relaxation. The shells are also used in various deep tissue and effleurage massage strokes to soothe tired muscles. This new trend in spa treatment is found exclusively at the Spa at Chaminade, on a menu that reflects Santa Cruz County’s landscape: vineyard, farm, mountain and ocean-themed treatments. A signature scent has also been custom-designed for the resort, bringing guests the scents of aloe and the sea.
In response to a growing movement in the food and beverage industry to produce wines in the most natural and least invasive manner, Casablanca Restaurant has added “green” options to its menu. The newly revamped wine list at the eatery offers wines which are organically grown, using biodynamic and no-added sulfite methods. Some wines come from the Santa Cruz Mountain appellation, with additional wines from various other regions of California, Austria, Italy and France.
Newly restored, the historic Meder farmhouse at Wilder Ranch State Park a mile north of Santa Cruz is a hands-on living history museum where visitors can experience the details of daily life on a turn-of-the-century dairy farm. The original farmhouse was built by dairy farmer Moses Meder in the late 1870s. Previously boarded-up and padlocked, the deteriorating Meder farmhouse has been restored to its early 1900s grandeur. Complete with replica furnishings and supplies, the house is now open to visitors. Along with its Victorian homes, barns, living history demonstrations and tours, the park offers hiking, biking and equestrian trails that skirt the cliffs, as well as more challenging trails that climb steep hills and meadows overlooking Monterey Bay.
For a complete listing of summertime events, visit www.santacruzevents.travel or call 800-833-3494.