Traveling: A Trip To Santa Cruz, California

(Drivebycuriosity) - California has been the land of my fantasies since I was a boy. Now I am here. My wife and I are having a nine day vacation in San Francisco and the surrounding area. We arrived last Tuesday night @ San Francisco airport and took a hotel room there for 2 nights.

On Wednesday we drove by rental car south to Santa Cruz, a little town on the Pacific coast. The journey, mostly along the beach, was awesome. I was impressed by the wild nature along the coast line. Some of the little bays where without people, so some places looked like untouched nature.

Strands like Pebble Beach and Bean Hollow amaze by the fascinating rock structure, developed over millions of years, the blossoming wildflowers and other plants, which have adapted to the harsh sea climate. We also spotted harbor seals, taking a sunbath to warm up from the cold ocean, cormorant birds, cranes and pelicans.



                                                               Surfer Rules

As we came closer to Santa Cruz we spotted another species: Surfers, who took advantage of the pacific waves. One of the surfer beaches has a board with surfer rules, which looks very German to me. Do the surfers follow the rules?

Santa Cruz  seems to be very laid-back, a magnet for a lot of hippies, but it is also a place for cool beach volley ball and there is an amusement park with the usual roller coaster, ferris wheel and other attractions. It seems this aera has something for everyone.

The described trip is highly recommended. Maybe some day we will come back.