A creative new venue combining artisan food, craft beer and cocktails, live music and entertainment, and family-friendly activities which has opened in the heart of Downtown Santa Cruz is getting more creative! Abbott Square Market, supported by the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History (MAH) and located at Front and Cooper Streets, is designed to be the food and cultural center of the town. Now, a connection has been established between the present and the past. Nearby Evergreen Cemetery – open to the public and managed by the MAH – is a scenic, tranquil spot where early pioneers, Civil War veterans, and Chinese immigrants were laid to rest.

Located in Watsonville‘s bucolic Larkin Valley, the 1850 Castro Adobe State Historic Park has been brought alive through a restoration project and archeological work. Now for the first time in 168 years, the original home of Juan Jose Castro, a Mexican rancher who settled in the area, is officially open to the public. Free monthly tours of Castro Adobe offer visitors a unique opportunity to witness its captivating restoration, and experience a glimpse of what life was like in the 1800s.

Lúpulo Craft Beer House in downtown Santa Cruz has quickly become the go-to gathering place of visitors and locals alike. With 16 carefully curated and diverse beer drafts and hundreds of bottled brews ranging from the local mainstays to the highly coveted, Lúpulo-which means “hop” in Spanish-is a sparkling gem of a taproom/ bottleshop in a county rife with high-demand, small-batch breweries.

Following a recent $7.9 million renovation, the 156-room Chaminade Resort and Spa in Santa Cruz now offers a new treatment in its 1,700-square foot day spa. Chaminade’s Halotherapy is a new spa trend that seeks to recreate the atmosphere and wellness benefits of a natural salt cave.

There’s a brand-new art installation outside of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center, located next to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and Santa Cruz Wharf. The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS) is a federally protected marine area that stretches over 276 miles from Marin to Cambria in San Luis Obispo County, and is the country’s second largest marine sanctuary. The Exploration Center offers interactive exhibits and displays, as well as a film shown in their state-of-the-art HD theater. The new sculpture, a collaboration between the Exploration Center, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and local artist Robert Seals, features a dynamic formation of five metal humpback whales.

Ever since POPUP established its versatile micro-eatery adjacent to farm-to-table favorite Assembly restaurant’s main dining room in downtown Santa Cruz, adventurous foodies have been enjoying the rotation of cult favorites, from handmade ramen to artisanal doughnuts. But now it looks as though the experimental space has found a long-lasting partner, in bean-to-bar confectioner Mutari Chocolate, who chose the location as a permanent shop.

A new guest experience has been launched at The Hotel Paradox. Poolside Barre in collaboration with a local barre studio offers guests a unique wellness experience. Surrounding the pool, guests are led through a series of stretching and strength-building exercises as an introduction to barre.