SCOTTS VALLEY ITINERARY

ScottsValley

San Lorenzo Valley Itinerary

SanLorenzoValley-2018

Santa Cruz Itinerary

SantaCruz-2018

WATSONVILLE & PAJARO VALLEY ITINERARY

Watsonville-2018

Strawberry fields and apple orchards provide a gorgeous backdrop that welcomes visitors. The Pajaro Valley – which can be seen from the summit of Mount Madonna – includes the communities of Corralitos, Freedom, La Selva Beach, Pajaro, Royal Oaks, Pajaro Dunes, and Watsonville. A variety of options awaits; from an early morning bird watching excursion to an afternoon at a u-pick farm or museum, sunset stroll on an expansive beach or attending a signature festival.

Must See

The Agricultural History Museum – Located at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, the museum features restored horse-drawn equipment, interpretive exhibits and other vintage items.

Admire the expansive acres of produce as you drive through the region and marvel at the very place where fertile soil and mild climate yield some of the nation’s finest produce.

Watsonville Plaza, which serves as a gathering place for celebrations and festivals, surrounded by Victorian buildings and 1880s storefronts.

For culture lovers, the Henry J. Mello Center boasts the finest acoustics in the county.  Other attractions include the Pajaro Valley Arts Gallery featuring rotating exhibits, and the Pajaro Valley Historical Museum rich with the region’s past.

Annieglass – Renowned glass artist Ann Morhauser’s retail studio in Watsonville showcases the delicate art of tableware, vases, glassware and other items, all inspired by nature.

Watsonville & Pajaro Valley Top Five

1. Take in a sunset at Manresa or Sunset State Beach.  Build a beach fire and enjoy s’mores as the sun sinks into the Monterey Bay.
   
2. Try your hand at milking a “cow” at the Agricultural History Museum.
3. Look for bird exhibits at the Wetlands of Watsonville Nature Center at Ramsay Park and then see how many you can spot on a free guided tour.
4. Take an Historical Walking Tour of Watsonville or explore the town and discover the Apple Crate Murals – exact mural replicas of box and crate labels used in the 1900s.  Maps are available online
5. Add to your Life List by cruising Elkhorn Slough by kayak and marvel at the abundance of birds, as well as otters, seals and sea lions.

With an impressive variety of wildlife watching experiences for visitors to enjoy, Santa Cruz County has become a destination for nature lovers.

Look For

Gray and humpback whales as they migrate through the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, travelling 12,000 miles round-trip from the arctic to warmer waters in Mexico to mate and nurse their young.

The touch tanks at the Seymour Marine Discover Center at Long Marine Lab, where sea stars, sea urchins, hermit crabs, and sea anemones bring the Monterey Bay alive.

An amazing diversity of birds in Pajaro Valley’s rivers and sloughs, which provide a rich habitat. Opt for a free guided tour of the wetlands, or head north and track hummingbirds and quail at the UCSC Arboretum.

Did You Know?

The new Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center near the Santa Cruz Wharf brings the sea life of the Monterey Bay to land, combining technology with interactive displays.

North of town, Año Nuevo State Reserve is the largest mainland breeding colony in North America of the northern elephant seal.  In winter, visitors can view these lumbering mammals up close on a docent-led tour from December through March.

That over 200 species of permanent and migratory birds thrive in Watsonville’s 800 acres of wetlands. Free tours of the wetlands are hosted every Sunday at 1:30 p.m.

Venturing out by boat affords some of the best views of sea life. Join a sailing charter on a luxury yacht from the Santa Cruz Harbor, or rent a boat at the harbor and the Santa Cruz and Capitola wharfs.

Santa Cruz County attracts visitors of all ages. From children who eagerly await summer break to grandparents who can recall fond memories of seaside beauty pageants of yesterday, Santa Cruz County is the perfect spot for multi-generational families to spend time reconnecting.

Look For…

Year-around family-friendly events hosted by the Museum of Art and History, for the artistically-inclined.

The admission-free, legendary Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk – California’s oldest seaside amusement park – which has thrilled visitors for 107 years. Check out the Giant Dipper wooden roller coaster and the Looff Carousel, two national historic landmarks.

The friendly shark who greets visitors in a specially-designed tank at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center at Long Marine Lab.(Guess what? It can also be gently petted!)

Sea fossils embedded in the hillside as you ride Roaring Camp Railroads’ steam train up Bear Mountain. Millions of years ago, these forested trails were underwater. After the train ride, walk next door to Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, where a wide, stroller and wheelchair-accessible path offer a close-up view of the redwoods.

Technology-driven exhibits at the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center near the Santa Cruz Wharf.

Did You Know?

Ms. Blue, the blue whale skeleton which sits outside the Seymour Marine Discovery Center is one of the largest blue whale skeletons in the world.

Now an indoor miniature golf course, The Plunge at the Cocoanut Grove was once a bathhouse where visitors enjoyed the benefits of “natural medicine” of bathing in salt water.

You can meet “Abraham Lincoln” at the Civil War Battles and Encampment at Roaring Camp Railroads every Memorial Day Weekend. Other wild and wooly characters can be found at the Summer Gathering of Mountain Men and more special events.

One of the best places for tidepool exploration is Natural Bridges State Beach, where little ones will delight at the tiny crabs, sea stars and sea anemones nestling in underwater crevices when the tide goes out. In wintertime, families can explore the park’s eucalyptus grove, thick with clusters of hibernating monarch butterflies.

During summer, a Friday night concert series at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and Capitola’s Wednesday Night Twilight Concerts in Esplanade Park are free music events that welcome kids. Wednesday nights at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, free summertime movies are shown on a big screen set on the sand, with family favorites from the 1980s bringing the nostalgia back, while enticing a new generation of fans.

Astronomy programs, Bug Day, campfires and kid-friendly guided walks are hosted by State Parks on a year-around basis throughout the county.

In south county, free family nature walks begin at the Wetlands of Watsonville Nature Center, where binoculars are provided to help spot the amazing bird species that call this habitat home.

On the Fourth of July, Scotts Valley’s Skypark is the place to be for family fun with a barbecue and fireworks to end the night.