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Organic Farm Dinners - Set between the soil and the sky,
local farm dinners pair hosting organic farmers with guest chefs
from the region's top eateries. Starting with a
tour of the farm and culminating in a lazy multi-course feast, the
fun, casually elegant evenings offer adventurous diners the chance
to enjoy dinner at the source.
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Best Place to Learn to Surf - Cowell's Beach next to the
Santa Cruz Wharf is undeniably the best place on the West Coast
to learn to surf. A sheltered point break provides long, gentle
waves in shallow waters with a soft, sandy ocean floor.
Surf school instructors will outfit you with wetsuits and surfboards,
coach you in small groups or one-on-one and guarantee to get you
up on the waves on your first lesson.
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Shakespeare in the Redwoods - The nationally acclaimed Shakespeare
Santa Cruz throws stereotypes out the backstage door while remaining
steadfast to the Bard's original words. Every season for the past
25 years, an outdoor glen has provided the enchanting backdrop for
the summer performances-cleverly interpreted with imaginative
wit and an exuberant company of players. The audience brings blankets,
beach chairs and picnics as part of a long-standing tradition for
enjoying the plays under the redwoods.
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Top 10 Free Things To Do - On a budget? Go wine tasting,
visit eclectic museums, explore unusual gardens, watch a free seal
show, explore art studios and galleries, take a
historical walking tour, people watch in Downtown Santa Cruz, hike
through ancient redwoods, walk along scenic West Cliff Drive, or
build sand castles on the beach.
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Art Glass - From the museum quality lamps, vases and paperweights
of Lundberg Studios, to sumptuous glass dinnerware of Annieglass,
Santa Cruz is home to a number of renowned glass
artisans. In addition, the Paperweight Museum in downtown Santa
Cruz houses rare and antique paperweights from around the world.
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Eccentric Winemakers - They fraternize with varietals of
questionable background such as Malvasia, Cinsault and Freisa. They
carry on with 100 percent organic, "sulphiteless"
potions such as "Big House Red en Screw Cap", "Chaucer's
Mead" and "Rusty Ridge." And they integrate herbs
with wine, resulting in ginseng blends that may be as good for you
as they taste. Welcome to winemaking, Santa Cruz style.
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Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary - Santa Cruz County
serves as the gateway to the nation's largest marine sanctuary and
offers endless ways to explore the bay including:
whale watching charters, sunset cruises, fishing charters, kayaking,
surfing, windsurfing, kiteboarding, tide pool exploring, and Santa
Cruz's newest attraction, the Seymour Marine Discovery Center at
Long Marine Lab.
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The Music Never Stops - Between the free beach summer concerts,
the acclaimed Cabrillo Music Festival, the Bay Shore Lyric Opera,
Santa Cruz Baroque Festival, Santa Cruz Chorale,
Santa Cruz Symphony, New Music Works, Kuumbwa Jazz Center, eclectic
nightclubs and countless festivals, the possibilities for enjoying
live music are endless.
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Wintering Monarch Butterflies - From October through February,
thousands of Monarch butterflies migrate to Natural
Bridges State Park. Visitors can catch sight of these royal creatures
clustered in the park's magical eucalyptus grove.
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Romantic Escape - While long known as a family destination,
Santa Cruz is also a romantic escape for the young
at heart. The scenic beauty, combined with a rich infusion of arts,
wine, cozy bistros and award-winning inns, rouses the romantic muse
in everyone.
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Top Spot for Kiteboarding - This new, adrenaline-packed
sport combines the best of windsurfing and wakeboarding
with a specially designed kite to get gigantic air. Spectators get
stoked just watching. Waddell Beach north of Santa Cruz has become
the top destination in California for daredevil kiteboarders.
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Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail - Big Basin Redwoods State Park
is one of the few places where you can still hike
an unbroken trail from the redwood-covered mountains to the rugged,
windswept beaches of the Pacific Coast. The 12-mile trail winds
along majestic old-growth redwoods, graceful waterfalls and gorgeous
vistas, down to the beach.
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Bird Watching - The Pajaro Valley and Watsonville regions
are recognized for the over 200 species of waterfowl,
raptors and songbirds which call it home, making it an ideal place
to watch for feathered creatures. During peak migration, Elkhorn
Slough National Estuarine Reserve near Watsonville supports up to
30,000 wintering and migrating shorebirds alone. Both areas can
be explored on foot, by kayak or by guided pontoon boat tour.
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Unusual Gardens - Explore a forest with over 40 different
varieties of bamboo, see rare and antique roses,
view entire landscapes of exotic plants from Australia, New Zealand,
and South Africa, pick up organic gardening tips, or tour drought-resistant
demonstration gardens.
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Savor Strawberries - Watsonville is the "unofficial"
strawberry capital of the nation. Local farms
offer the opportunity to pick your own, and each August, visitors
can join in the fun of the Monterey Bay Strawberry Festival. The
free festival features an array of strawberry treats, art and crafts,
music, pie eating contests, and a carnival.
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Made in Santa Cruz - A fourth-generation, family-run candy
company is credited with bringing salt water taffy
to the west coast. A create-your-own perfumery mixes signature scents.
A local glass artist creates art for the table that is sold internationally
to the style-conscious shopper. These and many more fascinating
artisans comprise Santa Cruz County's long list of residents creating
products found nowhere else.
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Little-Known Wineries - The Santa Cruz Mountains were established
as an acclaimed wine-producing region in the 1800s,
but prohibition knocked it out of the running for while. Santa Cruz
Mountain wineries have since re-emerged with award-winning wines
and an independent spirit that is distinctively Santa Cruz. There
are now nearly 50 family-owned wineries in the appellation.
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Healthy Living - Santa Cruz County is a magnet for the health
conscious. The region offers a plethora of day
spas, yoga centers, woodland retreats, vegetarian restaurants, an
oxygen bar and natural food stores. There are also several area
farmers' markets-one for nearly every day of the week.
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State Parks - Hike an unbroken trail from the redwoods to
the sea. Watch wintering monarch butterflies.
Explore a historic rancho that once served the Santa Cruz Mission.
Stroll wide expanses of pristine coastline. Santa Cruz County has
an extraordinary number of state parks-14 in all-and is home to
California's oldest, Big Basin.
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Nightlife - Big talent at intimate venues is the norm at
area nightclubs with Santa Cruz serving as a favorite
jumping-off point for musicians traveling to and from San Francisco.
Kuumbwa Jazz Center, The Catalyst, Moe's Alley Blues Club, and Henfling's
Firehouse Tavern serve up the best in live music ranging from bluegrass
to surf punk to jazz.
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Downtown Revitalized - From the rubble of the 1989 Loma
Prieta earthquake, Downtown Santa Cruz has re-emerged
as one of the most engaging destinations on the California Coast.
Here you'll find a vibrant city adorned with public art, graceful
architecture, and bustling coffee houses.
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Antiques - In the quaint hamlet of Soquel Village, visitors
can stroll from one antique shop to the next in
search of countless treasures. Other antique spots may be found
in Aptos, Watsonville, Santa Cruz and the San Lorenzo Valley.
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Whale Watching - Catch sight of grey
whales as they migrate from Alaska to Baja between January and March.
Humpback whales can be found in the bay through the spring and summer
months. Cruises and charters are available from the Santa Cruz Harbor
and Moss Landing Harbor.
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Organic Cuisine - In Santa Cruz County,
cooking begins in the garden. Chefs base their imaginative culinary
offerings on the bounty of locally grown, organic fruits and vegetables.
They forage local farmers' markets to select the finest ingredients
for their daily specials and create menus in harmony with the seasons
to feature local produce at its peak.
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Surfing Wahines - 63-year-old legend Rosemari Reimers Rice
still surfs Santa Cruz breaks every chance she
gets. Home to Northern California's only women's surf shop, a number
of women-only surfing events, and women-only surf classes taught
by women instructors, women rule the waves in Santa Cruz.
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Golf - Designed by Alister MacKenzie, Pasatiempo Golf Course
is ranked among the nation's top 100 courses.
Santa Cruz County is also home to several other beautiful courses
including Boulder Creek Golf & Country Club, Seascape Golf Club
and DeLaveaga Golf Course.
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Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk - The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
celebrates its 100th birthday in 2007! The boardwalk
is the West Coast's last remaining major seaside amusement park
and Santa Cruz's most popular attraction. The park blends the best
of the nostalgic rides and arcade amusements with the latest high-tech
rides. Favorites include the 95-year-old Looff Carousel and the
Giant Dipper, an 81-year-old wooden roller coaster.
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Roaring Camp Railroads - Train lovers and history buffs
can celebrate the days of old at Roaring Camp Railroads, a place
where a 1890s steam train still carries passengers
daily through some of the most primitive scenery in the American
West. History often comes alive as wily desperadoes from the 1800s
try to rob trains, and Civil War re-enactors play out gun battles
along the route.
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History - Historical walking tours bring to life the history
of Capitola, the logging days of Boulder Creek
and the Victorian homes of Watsonville and Santa Cruz. Also, don't
miss the Museum of Art & History, Agricultural History Museum,
Wilder Ranch State Park, Santa Cruz Mission, and the other historical
museums around the county.
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29 Miles of Beaches - Whether it's building sand castles,
learning to surf, playing a round of volleyball, tide-pooling or
taking a romantic stroll, Santa Cruz County's 29 miles of sun-splashed
beaches offer something for everyone.
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