Following a $7.5 million renovation of its 156 guestrooms including 44 suites, Santa Cruz’s Chaminade Resort & Spa is debuting a marriage between its 1930s Spanish Revival architecture and a contemporary California vibe throughout all guestrooms.
The renovation connects the upscale property with its rustic surroundings, incorporating natural textures, layered colors and locally inspired details that emphasize the resort’s history with the beauty of the outdoors. Warm earth tones, layered textiles, handwoven Spanish-style wall hangings and colorful historic Santa Cruz imagery give each guestroom a sense of place without feeling overly formal.
Twelve guestrooms also include living rooms and kitchenettes, providing families and extended-stay guests with additional space and conveniences including pull-out sofas, built-in window seats, rustic wood dining tables and wet bars with intimate seating for two.
Onsite amenities include The View restaurant, a full-service spa, flexible International Association of Conference Centers-certified meeting space, an expanded pool complex, hiking trails, pickleball, games, a certified forest therapy trail, beehive tour and honey tastings, family programming and pet-friendly experiences.
Set on 300 acres in the legendary Santa Cruz Mountains with a view of the Monterey Bay, Chaminade has been part of the region’s narrative for nearly a century.Built in 1930 as a Catholic school, the property later served as a monastery and church retreat before reopening in 1985 as Chaminade Resort & Spa.
A countywide trend is the next logical step in vinyl culture for audiophiles who are looking for a mellow spot to enjoy vintage, new and emerging tunes. Three new spots for sound waves have opened in mid-county, the westside and Downtown Santa Cruz.
The first listening bars, or ongaku kissa, were created 100 years ago in Japan. Customers drank coffee while European classical music played through high-fidelity speakers. Today, Santa Cruz County brings a classic west coast vibe to this historic pastime.
Aptos, located eight miles south of Santa Cruz is home to Fawn Pizza and Vinyl Bar, where guests are surrounded by wallpaper depicting an extraterrestrial and Bigfoot walking hand in hand through a redwood forest while a DJ spins records, filling the room with old school sounds. The aim is to combine the vibrancy of a live-music experience with the comfort and intimacy of listening at home.
In the westside’s Swift Street Courtyard, a spirited corner popular with locals and visitors alike, Private Press pours brews alongside spinning vinyl. Specializing in barrel-aged imperial stouts and barleywines, Private Press is a comfy spot reminiscent of a hipster-style den complete with vintage hi-fi equipment.
In Santa Cruz, Offshore Sounds – a diminutive record shop the size of a collector’s closet – makes browsing for tunes easy and a selector service offers hand-picked records based on clients’ interests and furnished as a subscription.
Redwood Records specializes in albums featuring new artists debuting their music on vinyl and also purchases used records in good condition. Occasional listening parties are hosted in the rustic shop, which also purveys select high-end hi-fi equipment.
The former home of Henry Allen Rispin, a wealthy oil entrepreneur and developer, is now the focal point of a new park in Capitola, a small seaside community six miles south of Santa Cruz.
Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the .86-acre Park at Rispin Mansion includes a new amphitheater, seating areas, picnic tables, restoration of a grand staircase and other historic elements. The mansion was originally built as a second home for Henry Allen Rispin, a San Francisco-based oil baron, whose aim was to encourage wealthy investors from the Bay Area to purchase property in Capitola and build similar structures in an effort to transform Capitola into the Riviera of the New World. The construction costs at the time of the three-story, 9,000 square foot, 22-room Colonial Revival/Mediterranean style mansion was $250,000 ($4.3 million in today’s money.) Following Rispin’s financial downfall, the mansion was sold to St. Joseph’s Monastery for use by nuns of the Poor Clares and became a home for an order known for their vow of poverty and their habit of living barefoot. After the nuns moved out, the mansion was abandoned for decades and fell into disrepair. It was purchased by the City of Capitola in 1985. While the home is not open to the public, the carefully manicured grounds serve as a gathering spot to enjoy the outdoors with a side of history.
The highly anticipated Vertigo 360, a new ride that spins, soars, and thrills riders at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, California’s favorite seaside amusement park has opened for summer.
Vertigo 360 features a spacious circular gondola where 16 passengers face outward, their feet dangling below and secured by over-the-shoulder restraints. The ride simulates a pendulum motion, combining swinging and rotating movements. With each increasingly powerful swing, the gondola gradually reaches a full 360-degree rotation, delivering a uniquely exhilarating experience.
Opened in 1907 as the Coney Island of the West Coast, the iconic Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk features the historic 1924 Giant Dipper wooden roller coaster, the 1911 Looff Carousel, dozens of family-friendly rides and midway games, indoor arcades, and mini golf.
History is afoot in Santa Cruz with three walking tours from Walk Santa Cruz. These small-group excursions feature scenic areas of town and neighborhoods rich with stories of notable pioneer families, lovingly preserved examples of late-Victorian style architecture such as Queen Anne, Stick-Eastlake, and Italianate, and local culture as it was at the turn of the century. These personalized, 90-minute walking tours host a maximum of 10 guests.
The Santa Cruz Surf Walk tour sheds light on the history of surfing in Santa Cruz, educates guests about how to read the waves and surf conditions, and explores the innovations that arose from the sport, such as wetsuit technology and skateboarding. This oceanside tour also touches on offshore wildlife and explains the importance of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
During the Heart of Downtown tour, guests will see the last remaining adobe from the original mission and visit historic points of interest and learn the background of each – such as Santa Cruz City Hall, Squid Row, the Town Clock, Santa Cruz’s “Garden District” and more – as well as learn insider tips for local restaurants, coffee roasteries, and nearby attractions.
The Beach Hill Loop tour showcases the historic mansions grand estates built by San Francisco’s wealthy elite in the 1870s in the Beach Hill neighborhood overlooking the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Guests will learn about the historic train depot site and rail routes that connected the region’s industrial wharves, delivering lime, lumber, leather, and produce and transporting visitors to the beach area. This tour includes Downtown Santa Cruz, where excellent examples of Victorian, Craftsman, and Art Deco architecture can be found.
Walking tours are held Thursdays – Saturdays; cost is $45 per tour.
Located in the heart of Downtown Santa Cruz’s Pacific Avenue, Chef Desmond Schneider has renovated a cozy space into an elegant bistro offering fresh sustainable seafood caught daily, pasta dishes, steaks, and craft cocktails.
Formerly chef de cuisine at the now-closed Michelin-starred Alderwood, Schneider approached the creation of Mane Kitchen + Cocktails with locals in mind, but where visitors can mix effortlessly and pick up on the only-in-Santa-Cruz vibe. The flavors of Mane stem from the close relationship he has with local purveyors of seafood, produce, wild foraged mushrooms, and other ingredients which emphasize the county’s abundant foodshed. Comfort foods like freshly shucked East Coast Virginia oysters, chicken liver pâté, and French onion soup, topped with a giant cheesy “crouton,” graced the menu on opening night, with expanded options to follow. The Mane Margarita is the eatery’s signature cocktail, and includes mezcal, Montenegro, passionfruit, pineapple, lime, pomegranate and tajin and is one of an array of creative, hand-crafted cocktails on the bar menu.
Blurring traditional boundaries between kitchen and lounge, the new Alley Oop Cocktail Lounge, located on Jazz Alley off Downtown Santa Cruz’s Pacific Avenue, has quietly opened in time for the summer season.
Formerly an Irish bar called the Poet + Patriot, which served a cross-section of locals for nearly four decades, The Alley Oop takes inspiration from the nearby Kuumbwa Jazz Center, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2025. Designed to be a cocktail lounge for date nights, the lineup will feature classic, signature, and seasonal cocktails, zero-proof beverages, wine, bubbles, beer, cider, and coffee. A rare and fine spirits collection caters to the guest seeking a more refined experience. A newly installed industrial kitchen offers hors d’oeuvres and small plates. A moody atmosphere is reinforced by a piano and its location: steps away from a venue featuring world-class jazz and other performances.
An additional 153-acres have been added to Big Basin Redwoods State Park in Boulder Creek – the first expansion of the park in 15 years. This permanent expansion of this land – called the NoraBella Property – was made possible through a $2.415 million acquisition from the Sempervirens Fund, a non-profit organization that works to protect and preserve coast redwood forests, wildlife habitat, watersheds, and other natural features of the Santa Cruz Mountains.
The acquisition is significant, especially in light of the park’s regrowth following the CZU Lightning Complex fires in August 2020 which burned over 97 percent of Big Basin, California’s oldest state park, founded in 1902. Eventually Santa Cruz-based Verve Coffee Roasters co-founder Colby Barr purchased the property from Santa Cruz County in June 2020 and the Sempervirens Fund acquired it from Colby in February 2021. Portions of the NoraBella property offer locations to build some of the park’s necessary operations facilities, making the acquisition important for rebuilding the park as well as for conservation. California State Parks staff are working collaboratively to establish a new vision for the park, new management plans for the park’s natural resources, a new facilities plan to guide rebuilding the park’s future infrastructure, and a forthcoming trails plan to guide the park’s renewed recreational experiences for visitors.
Expanding beyond their popular locations at local farmer’s markets, a bakery serving up gluten-free handmade treats has debuted in Downtown Santa Cruz: the first of its kind in this pedestrian-friendly shopping area. Switch Bakery is designed for those who seek out celiac-safe foods, including treats that are free of gluten, soy and corn. Switch Bakery features autoimmune-friendly items, with an expanded menu of keto-friendly and sugar-free desserts.
Visitors can enjoy the outdoor patio and partake in flatbread pizzas, salads, sandwiches, eclairs, cream puffs, pies, cookies, muffins and tea cake. A range of breads, such as baguettes, focaccia and sandwich bread and a bread club subscription are also available.
With timing aimed at summertime visitors, the 107-space campsite at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park is now open following extensive renovations and upgrades. Improvements to aging infrastructure include new ADA-compliant restrooms, accessible pathways, and updated signage and wayfinding upgrades.
The campground, which typically operates from spring through fall, makes the April reopening the start of a full camping season with these newly upgraded facilities. Main features of the campgrounds are ADA-compliant pathways for improved accessibility and the installation of accessible seating at the Campfire Center. Located in a shady pine and oak forest with a separate entrance from the day-use area, this campground is one of the more popular camping areas within the county. The campground is situated near the Santa Cruz Sandhills habitat – a rare ancient marine deposits home to endangered animals and plants.
The first step in an urban riverfront project has taken place with the Santa Cruz Riverwalk, which runs along the San Lorenzo River levee. The riverwalk runs from the north at a pedestrian bridge at Highway 1, continues south through Downtown Santa Cruz and ends at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. This pedestrian-friendly project coincides with RiverRow, a 175-unit housing development bordering the San Lorenzo Riverwalk.
Designed to offer retail, restaurant, and cafe shops on the ground floor of the housing development, creating a seamless intersection of commerce and walkways, the riverwalk brings the San Lorenzo River into the spotlight, creating synergy between urban experiences and plants and wildlife. The nearly 30-mile-long Pajaro River originates in Castle Rock State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains and flows south by southeast through the San Lorenzo Valley before passing through Santa Cruz and emptying into Monterey Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The river offers a tremendous amount of biodiversity due to the unique habitats and ecosystems of the Santa Cruz Mountains, nourishing riparian growth along its banks.
Visit Santa Cruz County (VSCC) has debuted a newly renovated visitor center in Downtown Santa Cruz, adjacent to the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History in the heart of the town. The new center features a sensory-friendly space for travelers with autism that has been infused into the new visitor center design. Weighted blankets, fidget toys, tactile pillows and a quiet environment are components of the separate space to instill a low-sensory area for the benefit of neurodivergent visitors.
Each Visit Santa Cruz County staff member received specialized training and are now Certified Autism Travel Professionals through the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES). Combined with staff accreditation, the amenities featured in the new visitor center have transformed it into a Certified Autism Center™ (CAC) – one of the only of its kind in northern California.
According to a survey by Autism Travel, 87 percent of autistic families don’t take vacations due to the sensory overload involved in travel – including loud noises, dietary changes and a disruption in routine. These stressors can cause discomfort and outbursts if not compassionately managed and addressed.
The new visitor center provides an environment rich with a taste of what the county has to offer in terms of outdoor adventure, family-friendly experiences, field-to-fork and ag-related activities, and art, culture and creative spaces that draw inspiration from the region’s natural beauty.
A polished concrete floor with GPS coordinates lays the foundation for the industrial-cool theme and a floor-to-ceiling map mural identical to the colorful design in the official Santa Cruz County magazine greets visitors. The daily surf report can be seen on a large screen behind the welcome desk, providing real-time weather and tidal information.
The visitor center welcome desk is crafted from a reclaimed redwood tree, evoking the magnificent heritage forests of the San Lorenzo Valley. The single piece slab was sourced from a local sawmill near Felton, where the tree either fell naturally or was removed by a tree service and is estimated to be between 200 – 300 years old. The front of the 14-foot desk – also sourced from local, sustainable redwood – was treated with Shou Sugi Ban, an ancient Japanese wood preservation technique that seals and protects wood, creating a beautiful black color by heavily burning the wood, then gently removing the charred material, and applying a hard wax oil to stabilize and bring out the subtle color tones; however, the natural redwood can still be seen through the burned wood, evoking the element of fire present in California.
One of the most intriguing features of the visitor center is a separate room where a point-of-view augmented reality video will be played on three walls, portraying a variety of only-in-Santa-Cruz-County activities available to travelers. Mountain biking through demonstration forest, admiring art and wine at a local festival, surfing at Cowell’s Beach, wine tasting at a mid-county vineyard, visiting a you-pick farm, hiking a breezy trail at a state park, perusing locally-sourced produce and artisan-made products at a farmer’s market are just some examples of the immersive content that will envelop visitors, enabling them to experience the destination without leaving the visitor center.
This newly designed space is where VSCC’s destination concierge will be able to direct visitors to countywide hotels, restaurants, attractions and parks and beaches.
