| More than any other place in California, Santa | | | | really far south to Los Angeles. The surf here is |
| Cruz has become the town where I feel most at | | | | great and many guys, including Bob, love to go |
| home. This is the way I always imagined California | | | | surfing. We often play Frisbee, or just sit and |
| to be, full of colourful 'arty' ethnic stores; | | | | read. Seascape is rarely crowded, and is |
| wonderful bookshops; students and musicians | | | | frequented by a rich assortment of humanity. |
| frequenting the bustling coffee shops; petitions to | | | | Most people who come to Seascape are staying |
| be signed against war, the inhumane treatment of | | | | in the lovely resort that overlooks the beach. A |
| animals and other red-hot topics; a sense of | | | | special resort car takes residents down the hill to |
| openness and freedom in dress, attitude and | | | | the beach, and returns later to escort them back |
| conversation. And just around the corner, all this is | | | | to the bar or restaurant. |
| topped off with fabulous redwood forests, | | | | In the late afternoon it's time to head to Santa |
| spectacular mountains, and the most magnificent | | | | Cruz. Pacific Street is the main shopping area. I |
| sandy beaches that stretch for miles along the | | | | love to spend time browsing in Bookshop Santa |
| coast. | | | | Cruz, or at Borders bookstore. Both bookshops |
| Bob first brought me to Santa Cruz one rainy day | | | | have bargain sections where you can always pick |
| in October when we'd known each other all of | | | | up something of interest at rock-bottom prices. |
| eight days. I was enchanted on that first day, | | | | Then there are the fun stores: bead shops, art |
| driving through the rain-soaked hills, listening to the | | | | stores selling stunning handmade paper, stores like |
| Beatles on K-Pig radio, then arriving in this little | | | | East Meets West that sells tie-dyed clothing and |
| glistening '60s town that time had somehow | | | | long print dresses. Then there's Bunny's distinctive |
| forgotten. That same sense of captivation has | | | | shoe store, shops that sell Indian rugs, Thai silks, |
| never left me, though I must have retraced that | | | | embroidered Bali bags, and Mexican silver. There |
| route a hundred times by now. | | | | are also a few new-age bookstores selling |
| The drive out of Silicon Valley and into the Santa | | | | crystals and incense, where resident psychics |
| Cruz Hills is like crossing into another dimension. | | | | await the unveiling of your destiny. Every May |
| The super competitive world of silicon hi-tech | | | | there's an arts and craft festival held in the |
| start-ups is instantly left behind, the smog | | | | streets, and the most fabulous scarves, paintings, |
| suddenly lifts, and the air and the surrounding hills | | | | glassware, and jewellery are on sale. Then there |
| take on a new freshness and vitality. There are | | | | are the great little cafes, like the Santa Cruz |
| many routes to choose from to get to Santa | | | | Coffee Roasting Company or Lulu Carpenters |
| Cruz. From 880 it's a straight run to Los Gatos, a | | | | where you can sit and chat with a cup of |
| small hip town where shop windows dazzle with | | | | dark-roast coffee or hot chocolate. |
| overpriced goods, and the beautiful people | | | | We invariably end up at Java House. This is a real |
| assemble to preen and parade. We often stop | | | | student café, with ample sofas and tables |
| here for a coffee in the Los Gatos Roasting | | | | where you can read, study, or chat with the local |
| Company. God, the coffee is only marvellous, and | | | | clientele. This is where writers and artists, 'lefties' |
| the Posh Bagel next-door makes the nicest | | | | and Silicon Valley dropouts come to unwind, to |
| toasted cream-cheese bagels on the west coast! | | | | share their experiences and mingle with fellow |
| From Los Gatos it's onto Highway17, a very busy, | | | | seekers. Sometimes there is live music here. One |
| twisty highway that leads to Santa Cruz. We | | | | night we dropped in on a packed audience who |
| usually take the more scenic route, turning right | | | | were clapping along to the exotic gyrations of a |
| on Bear Creek Road, and then onto the Old Santa | | | | beautiful, dark bellydancer. Another night there |
| Cruz Highway. This leads to Summit Road, a | | | | was a guy from Chile who set up table and gave |
| lovely ridge top back road. We often stop off | | | | free medicine-card readings to customers. We |
| here at the Summit Store, an old grocery shop | | | | usually play scrabble there, and certainly that's |
| that sells scrumptious sandwiches, Rebecca's | | | | another way to meet some very interesting |
| mighty muffins, and great coffee. There's a little | | | | characters. |
| picnic area out front, and this is where you will | | | | The variety of restaurants in Santa Cruz is also |
| meet all kinds of interesting people who live in the | | | | astonishing. You can eat Japanese, Chinese, Indian, |
| Santa Cruz hills. Several guys I spoke to over the | | | | Italian, Thai, Mexican-there's even an Irish pub, |
| years were Vietnam veterans, now eking out | | | | Rosie McCann's, that serves traditional Irish fare. |
| some kind of existence. Considering that this is | | | | There's also real budget cuisine, such as Pizza My |
| one of the prime locations in California to live, it's | | | | Heart, where you can buy a huge slice of pizza |
| hard to imagine how these people survive. | | | | for $2.50. The greatest bakery has got to be |
| Perhaps they share family homes that were | | | | Gayles on Bay Avenue in Capitola, about six miles |
| bought for a pittance before house prices | | | | from Santa Cruz. Here you can sample key lime |
| exploded in the '70s. | | | | pie, hot apple slices, dark chocolate cake, or 'melt |
| From Summit Road we usually drive through | | | | in your mouth' lemon cookies. And as for luxury |
| Highland Way. This is all redwood forest, with tiny | | | | items, there's a small hand-made chocolate store, |
| creeks dripping down the mountainside, scary | | | | called Donnelly's on Mission Street. This sells the |
| cliffs, and incredible canyon views south and west | | | | most incredible chocolates, such as rose-flavoured |
| towards the ocean. Bob knows this whole area | | | | milk and dark lavender truffles, all for the princely |
| inside out as he lived in Santa Cruz for a few | | | | sum of $4 each! |
| years when he first moved to California from | | | | There's no shortage of culture and entertainment |
| Boston. This whole area is a paradise for hikers | | | | in Santa Cruz. There are four movie theatres in |
| and cyclists. We've gone for a hike a few times in | | | | town: the Nickelodeon on Lincoln and Cedar, the |
| Nicene Marks State Park, just off Highland Way. | | | | Riverfront Stadium Twin on River street, the Del |
| Bob does an annual solitary walk of Highland Way | | | | Mar theatre, and the Santa Cruz Cinema on |
| every October of over twenty miles. At nighttime | | | | Pacific. There's an annual Pacific Rim film festival |
| it's wonderful to drive this forest road, to pull | | | | that shows interesting Japanese and Asian films |
| over for a moment and just sit there in the | | | | for free at the Del Mar theatre. The Del Mar also |
| darkness, gazing at the stars. | | | | shows independent films, and this makes a |
| Eventually Highland Way leads to Corralitos, a | | | | pleasant change from attending Hollywood |
| very agricultural area where all kinds of crops and | | | | box-office hits. There's also a great concert |
| vegetables are grown. Bob loves the Correlitos | | | | venue called the Catalyst. You can see all kinds of |
| Market for hot dog sandwiches. My favourite is | | | | old rock groups, country and blues singers |
| Gizdich Ranch, a real working ranch where they | | | | performing there. One evening we went to see |
| make fresh apple and berry pies, and serve | | | | Lucinda Williams and it was a really great concert. |
| unusual juices and herbal teas. We then drive onto | | | | Sometimes we go to the University of Santa |
| the small village of Aptos, just five minutes from | | | | Cruz campus. This has the most wonderful forest |
| Seascape beach. Bob used to have a friend, Alan, | | | | grounds and a fantastic library. It would be great |
| who lived here. Many a fun weekend we had with | | | | to take a class there sometime, or to attend one |
| Alan, soaking up the sun and sea in the morning, | | | | of their Shakespearean festivals. |
| browsing around Santa Cruz in the afternoon, | | | | Invariably time ticks by and we set out once |
| then driving to Monterey or Moss Landing for | | | | again for Highway 17 and Santa Clara. It takes |
| dinner and some pub life in the evening. | | | | about fifty-minutes to drive home taking this |
| There are so many beaches in this area: Seacliff, | | | | route. Maybe we'll come back to Santa Cruz |
| Natural Bridges, Del Mar, and La Selva, but | | | | tomorrow. At the very least there's always next |
| Seascape in Aptos is always our favourite. The | | | | weekend. |
| water in California is never warm, unless you go | | | | |