PRESS ROOM

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…