Santa Cruz

After last week's short trip to Half Moon Bay, this week we ventured out to explore Santa Cruz beach. We were accompanied by our lovely friends mentioned in this post.

Santa Cruz is an hours drive southwards from Sunnyvale. We took the scenic CA-17 route. The traffic this week was no different than last time and we were slowed down tremendously. After a very frustratingly slow drive through the over crowded, winding roads. we reached the Santa Cruz beach.

It was different from the Half Moon Bay beach because it was very lively and colorful. Shops, eateries dotted one side of the beach. There is a small amusement park  called 'The Boardwalk' on the beach. It has a whole bunch of fun looking rides. 

Boardwalk Entrance

There is a heritage train that starts at the beach and takes you to the Roaring Camp in Felton. It is an hour long ride that goes through the Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park and stops at Felton and returns after an hour. The tickets are sold on board and costs $28 per head for a return ticket. The train is has an open top and the ride through the Redwood forests is superb. There is nothing much to do at Felton except walk around the big camp. There is only one food stall which, like all tourist spots, serves over-priced bad food. I'd advice you to carry a picnic lunch with you to enjoy there.

 

Train through the Redwood forest

Train going through the tunnel

We came back to the beach after a bad lunch at Felton. The weather had suddenly become much colder and we were shivering. We walked along the beach, visited the curio shops and grabbed a quick bite. The cold wind made it quite difficult for us to stay and so we started back home at around 6 pm.

Santa Cruz Beach