One of the most historic outdoor venues for interpretation and education has been restored to its original splendor. The campfire center at Big Basin Redwoods State Park was built in 1935 by Franklin Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corps and has been serving generations of campers and visitors to the park since then. The campfire center has suffered in recent years, but has finally been restored, thanks to the non-profit, Sempervirens Fund. The non-profit – named for the Latin word for redwoods – has been working to preserve these majestic trees since 1902. The Big Basin project began in 2007, but was just finished due to the restoration only able to take place during dry weather. The new area includes 139 new redwood benches for the over 1 million visitors to the park each year.
In 1952, Santa Cruz resident Jack O’Neill opened his first Surf shop starting his surfing empire from humble beginnings. Soon after, O’Neill experimented with a newly discovered product – neoprene – pieced together to keep himself warm in the cold waters of Northern California. “I just wanted to surf longer” Jack O’Neill said, launching the birth of the modern wetsuit. O’Neill’s company grew exponentially, going international in the 1980’s and continuing to transform the surf realm worldwide. Boasting global watersports teams, sponsorship for major competitions, wetsuit innovations and outerwear, O’Neill has transformed the surfing landscape worldwide.
Two new culinary stores have opened in Downtown Santa Cruz. These side by side stores both have the all-natural/organic theme in common, but have different and exciting options to offer the downtown dynamic. The True Olive Connection offers unique gourmet, fresh organic olive oil and basalmic tastings and offerings, brought to Santa Cruz from around the world. Nut Kreations opened in Summer 2011 by a local Santa Cruz couple looking to offer healthy all-natural treats and gifts. Striving to provide creations from local ingredients, Nut Kreations offers a custom nut bar with more than 120 varieties of nuts and dried fruits, along with packaged gifts and nut products.
Located on the Corralitos Wine Trail, an idyllic region in South Santa Cruz County, Windy Oaks Winery has opened a newly renovated tasting room. The 500-square foot tasting room features a curved tasting bar made from recycled redwood panels and Brazilian granite. Two sets of folding glass doors showcase the barrel room, and open out onto the 500 square foot patio overlooking the vineyard and redwood forests beyond. Parisian garden tables and chairs, shaded by market umbrellas, complete the restful scene. The soft natural colors of the tasting room, the terra cotta stamped concrete floor, and the contemporary lighting, all contribute to a feeling in the tasting room of bringing nature inside. Windy Oaks features 18 acres of pinot noir grapes and one acre of chardonnay grapes and is one of four family-owned wineries on the Corralitos Wine Trail, surrounded by redwood trees and apple orchards.
The new look of the Rio Sands Motel is the work of owner, Lou Bartfield’s vision. A $1.5 million makeover replaced the 1959 look of the Motel and transformed it into the Mediterranean style of arches and curves. A block away from Rio del Mar Beach, this 50-room motel was opened during the renovation, which was completed before the summer season began. Now, guests can enjoy the new façade along with a new mansard roof, larger entrance foyer, enclosures for the existing stairways, new landscaping and lighting, along with all the amenities already offered, like the pool and family spa, plus the BBQ and garden area.
