Celebrating the redwood forests surrounding Santa Cruz, The Hotel Paradox is now part of Autograph Collection Hotels, Marriott International’s distinctive portfolio of independent properties. The Autograph Collection Hotels brand features properties that embrace their locale through refined design, thoughtful amenities and stand-out service. Located in the heart of Santa Cruz near the downtown’s iconic Pacific Avenue, the property was recently renovated, with an open floor plan in its Solaire Restaurant + Bar, new guestroom furniture, and additional fire pits and updated cabanas surrounding its pool.

Twelve new interpretive signs designed to introduce visitors to the each of the gardens at the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum are the latest features at this hidden gem adjacent to campus. Free and open to the public, many of the species in the arboretum collections are not otherwise available for study in American botanical gardens and arboreta.

Expanding her love of farm-fresh food and craft beer, Emily Thomas of Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing has opened The Cremer House in the San Lorenzo Valley. Lovingly restoring the 1874 vintage building – the oldest in downtown Felton – The Cremer House features a main bar created from 18th century barn wood and vintage light fixtures, preserving the integrity and honoring the history of the space.

Scotts Valley, located amidst the area’s dramatic redwood forests in the western region of the Santa Cruz Mountains, is a small suburban community with a proud link to the past. Once a stagecoach stop between San Jose and Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley’s deep history goes back more than 150 years.

S. Martinelli & Company, founded in 1868 and still specializing in non-alcoholic apple juices, has debuted a new company store and tasting room in Watsonville where the business is headquartered.

New exhibits and artwork are on display at the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center. These exhibits feature dynamic new artwork in an existing fisheries display, a new watershed exhibit, enhanced messaging for an underwater sonar mapping display and an engaging interactive presentation about animal migrations and seasons in the sanctuary.

Joining more than 2,500 other sites throughout the United States, the California Powder Works Bridge near Felton has been designated as a National Historic Landmark by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell.

Citing its strong infrastructure, cycling education programs and the fact that 10 percent of its population bikes to work on the sixty percent of Santa Cruz’s arterial streets which have bike lanes, the City of Santa Cruz was honored with a Gold Award by the League of American Bicyclists.