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Santa Cruz Travelers Journal

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• Right On The Beach In Santa Cruz

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About Vacation Rentals in Santa Cruz

The beach and Santa Cruz, California, are one! Santa Cruz is the beach community, where the beach isn't only an attraction, it's what constitutes the lifestyle of the community at Santa Cruz. Entertainment at Santa Cruz revolves round the beach, and nowhere is it more evident than at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk which is the last remaining seaside amusement park on the West Coast.

The City of Santa Cruz is located on the northern part of Monterey Bay, about 74 miles south of San Francisco and 30 miles from San Jose. The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk features a full-blown amusement park full of rides, eateries, eclectic gift shops, and arcades. The Boardwalk is also home to the 1924 built Giant Dipper, which is one of the best roller coasters in America.  But if you're looking for a more quiet place by the waters, and if you have the surfing blood in your genes, you should head east to the Cowell Beach where you'll find the mouth of the San Lorenzo River. Southwest of Santa Cruz, you have the Natural Bridges State Beach. Sunset Beach, in Watsonville offers 3-1/2 miles of beach and great spots for camping and a spontaneous beach picnic.

Santa Cruz also has forests of giant Redwood trees. The Big Basin Redwoods State Park is around 25 miles north of the city of Santa Cruz and is California's first State Park. For a quick trip and a gorgeous view, head out on the Redwood Trail and see the park's strand of virgin redwoods. The Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail is an overnight hike that follows the park to the Pacific Ocean. Downtown Santa Cruz also offers year-round recreation and has over 300 days of sunshine every year.