Our Favorites - Santa Cruz County

Jonathan And Marissa
Jonathan And Marissa
Our Favorites - Santa Cruz County

Food scene

Plenty of places to get a good burrito. This is our favorite. Grab one and walk East Cliff to enjoy the scenery and surfers. Cash only!
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The Point Market
23040 E Cliff Dr
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Plenty of places to get a good burrito. This is our favorite. Grab one and walk East Cliff to enjoy the scenery and surfers. Cash only!
Great coffee and atmosphere. Employees are so kind! You can walk to East Cliff from here as well.
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Cat & Cloud Coffee
3600 Portola Dr
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Great coffee and atmosphere. Employees are so kind! You can walk to East Cliff from here as well.
Great local creamery with unique flavors. Verve Coffee Roasters is next door as well.
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The Penny Ice Creamery Pleasure Point
820 41st Ave
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Great local creamery with unique flavors. Verve Coffee Roasters is next door as well.
This is just at the end of our road, so we probably eat here too much! Great sandwiches. Keep in mind they close at 6 PM.
Surf City Sandwich
4101 Soquel Dr
This is just at the end of our road, so we probably eat here too much! Great sandwiches. Keep in mind they close at 6 PM.
Super unique spot not far from our home in downtown Soquel. Fresh and approachable food from a Michelin-Star chef out of SF. Keep in mind they close at 5 PM.
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Pretty Good Advice
3070 Porter St
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Super unique spot not far from our home in downtown Soquel. Fresh and approachable food from a Michelin-Star chef out of SF. Keep in mind they close at 5 PM.
We hail from Alabama, so we love some good BBQ. This is as close as it gets in this area! Live music every night. Great tap list as well.
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Aptos St. BBQ
8059 Aptos St
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We hail from Alabama, so we love some good BBQ. This is as close as it gets in this area! Live music every night. Great tap list as well.
Maybe the best food around. This place is special.
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HOME
3101 N Main St
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Maybe the best food around. This place is special.
Our favorite bakery. Great breakfast and lunch as well.
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Gayle's Bakery & Rosticceria
504 Bay Ave
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Our favorite bakery. Great breakfast and lunch as well.
Popular coffee spot. Several of these around town.
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Verve Coffee Roasters
816 41st Ave
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Popular coffee spot. Several of these around town.
Best beer around. Period.
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Sante Adairius Santa Cruz Portal
1315 Water St
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Best beer around. Period.
Great bottle shop/taproom. Nice outdoor seating and good atmosphere.
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Beer 30
2504 S Main St
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Great bottle shop/taproom. Nice outdoor seating and good atmosphere.

Neighborhoods

This is a great stretch along the coast to walk or run. The premiere spot for surfing on this side of town.
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West Cliff Drive
West Cliff Drive
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This is a great stretch along the coast to walk or run. The premiere spot for surfing on this side of town.
Great little downtown area for walking, shopping and dining. A family friendly beach is here as well.
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Capitola
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Great little downtown area for walking, shopping and dining. A family friendly beach is here as well.
The downtown of Santa Cruz. Good food, theaters, shops and a fun place to people watch.
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Pacific Avenue
Pacific Avenue
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The downtown of Santa Cruz. Good food, theaters, shops and a fun place to people watch.
The stretch on Hwy 1 from Santa Cruz to San Francisco is stunning. This is a great spot just 15 or 20 minutes north of Santa Cruz to check out on that route. Explore Shark Fin Cove or one of the many beautiful beaches around and then grab a bite to eat across from the ocean. Finish it off with a treat from Swanton Berry Farm and make the beautiful drive back. Or don’t!
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Davenport
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The stretch on Hwy 1 from Santa Cruz to San Francisco is stunning. This is a great spot just 15 or 20 minutes north of Santa Cruz to check out on that route. Explore Shark Fin Cove or one of the many beautiful beaches around and then grab a bite to eat across from the ocean. Finish it off with a treat from Swanton Berry Farm and make the beautiful drive back. Or don’t!

Sightseeing

The main tourist draw and can be crowded at times, but still a lot of fun!
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Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Amusement Park
400 Beach St
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The main tourist draw and can be crowded at times, but still a lot of fun!
Our favorite trail of plenty to choose from in the area. Less foot traffic than the Henry Cowell Loop nearby, and there's plenty of redwoods and greenery. Pro Tip: A half mile in, stay left just before you cross the creek. That trail is a bit more green and scenic.
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Fall Creek Unit Trailhead
Felton Empire Road
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Our favorite trail of plenty to choose from in the area. Less foot traffic than the Henry Cowell Loop nearby, and there's plenty of redwoods and greenery. Pro Tip: A half mile in, stay left just before you cross the creek. That trail is a bit more green and scenic.
You name it, it’s got it - hiking, trail running, mountain biking. Beautiful area. Just remember that it’s a state park and has a $10 entry fee.
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The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park
Aptos Creek Road
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You name it, it’s got it - hiking, trail running, mountain biking. Beautiful area. Just remember that it’s a state park and has a $10 entry fee.
A beautiful and popular spot to get in the woods. The most popular area, The Henry Cowell Loop, is the “Santa Cruz Boardwalk” equivalent to hiking. Can be crowded but a nice easy hike and super informative.
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Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
101 N Big Trees Park Rd
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A beautiful and popular spot to get in the woods. The most popular area, The Henry Cowell Loop, is the “Santa Cruz Boardwalk” equivalent to hiking. Can be crowded but a nice easy hike and super informative.
A beautiful place to hike, run or bike up the coast close to Davenport.
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Wilder Ranch State Park
1401 Coast Rd
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A beautiful place to hike, run or bike up the coast close to Davenport.