It may not be the best time to visit California. But here’s a prior blog posting of mine to keep in mind for when you next visit.
SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA – Sip wine on a patio overlooking the Santa Cruz Mountains. Ride a steam train through a forest of towering redwoods. And stroll glorious, empty beaches on a perfect spring day.
The Santa Cruz region of California doesn’t get the attention that places like the Napa Valley or Big Sur tend to attract. But it should. If you’re looking for a great getaway that’s an easy (and beautiful) drive from San Francisco, this is it.
Wrights Station Vineyard and Winery, north of Santa Cruz.
Wrights Station Vineyard and Winery is a stunning winery high in the Santa Cruz Mountains; only an hour and 10 minutes from San Francisco and 25 minutes from San Jose. The winery, named for an old train station in the area, has lovely, not too oaky-tasting Chardonnay that’s a nice mix of new world fruit with old world restraint. The same could be said for their Pinot Noir, which does well in an area with hot summer days but cool nights.
There’s a beautiful indoor tasting room in what used to be a private home, complete with huge windows and a lovely seating area in the former living/family room. The decorations look like something out of Home Décor monthly.
But the patio is probably where you want to be; a multi-tiered effort on the north side of the building with bright, colourful gardens and exceptional views of the Santa Cruz mountains.
You’re pretty much right on top of the San Andreas Fault here, which a winery worker told me accounts for the variety of soils in the area.
“Even right across the street the soil could be completely different,” she said.
Hula hooping to live music on Capitola Beach. JIM BYERS PHOTO
You’re up around 1,000 feet of elevation, but it’s only 15 to 20 minutes down the hill to lovely Capitola Beach, where you’ll find a nice pier you can walk out on and beautiful, pastel-coloured rental homes right on the sand. The town has a great mix of galleries, surf shops and restaurants, including Margaritaville (nice beach views) and Mr. Toots Coffeehouse (exceptional views on their small patio out back).
On some weekend days local musicians gather in a park at the east end of the beach and play ukuleles and guitars en masse and sing popular tunes, such as “Sweet Caroline.” When I was there the other day, folks were out in front of the group with hula hoops. A bit California-goofy, perhaps, but utterly wonderful if you ask me.
The main draw here is the ocean, but don’t miss a chance to stroll along Soquel Creek and admire the homes and gardens and the towering train trestle. You can access the river walk from the small bridge that sits on the western edge of town, behind the Armida Winery Tasting Room.
My family has had a cabin in the hills near Capitola for 40 years, and I’ve spent a good deal of time in Santa Cruz. But I’d never taken a train ride with the Roaring Camp Railroads folks until my recent visit. Roaring Camps offers two old-style train rides, the Redwood Forest Steam Train and the Santa Cruz Beach Train.
Riding the Redwood Forest Steam Train in Santa Cruz, California. .JIM BYERS PHOTO
Both trains leave from a depot and western-themed park in the hills north of Santa Cruz. One heads down towards Santa Cruz Beach and the wonderful Boardwalk, while the other steams high into hills dotted with thousands of towering redwood trees. We opted for the Redwood Forest trip and were rewarded with a fantastic ride under towering, ancient redwoods; some of them several hundred feet high and 1,000 years old.
It was like riding through a cathedral, so powerful and beautiful are these amazing trees. Not only that, but our tour guide said it’s the steepest railroad grade in North America. We had to do several switchbacks along the way.
Admiring the redwoods along the Redwood Forest Steam Train route. JIM BYERS PHOTO
We also got to get off at the highest point along the way and stretch our legs, examining the trees up close and resting in the California sunshine on a brilliant, 20-degree day in Santa Cruz in April. There’s a small clearing up the hill from the tracks where they perform weddings.
We spotted old railway trestles along the way and watched as the sun sent slanting rays of light through the deep forest, rolling slowly along. Every so often the trains have to emit some of their steam, so you’ll get the periodic blast of water coming out from the engine. Keep your cameras and phones handy for that.
Back at the Roaring Camp station you’ll find a western-styled town complete with a snack bar, a couple of shops, a man hammering away in a blacksmith shop and a massive display of model trains and little villages. They also had a good country singer crooning hurting tunes when we were there. It’s a fun place for kids of all ages, and I highly recommend a visit.
The Roaring Camp Railway Station area is a fun, park-like area that’s great for the whole family. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Tickets are $29 for adults 13 and over on the Redwood Forest Steam train and $22 for children. The trip up Bear Mountain lasts an hour and 15 minutes.
The ride to Santa Cruz beach and back (or from the beach to Roaring Camp and back) is $31 for adults and $25 for kids. Children under two are free for both train rides.
We had dinner that night at Shadowbrook, a long-time Capitola standard that spills down the side of a hill on the west side of Soquel Creek with several dining levels. You’ll find amazing gardens, waterfalls, brilliant trees and several awesome patios with views of the creek. Parts of the restaurant look like an old house or castle, too.
I had excellent lamb, but they also serve a variety of seafood and feature a great bar on the top floor.
The coast of Santa Cruz near Steamer Lane. JIM BYERS PHOTO
You hear a lot about the driving trip along Highway 1 in Big Sur. And understandably so. But that area is a good two and-a-half hours south of San Francisco. Do that trip, for sure, if you have time. But if you only have part of a day, the drive between Santa Cruz and San Francisco is sensational and can be easily accomplished in a half day.
We started out in Santa Cruz and briefly checked out the surfing action along Steamer Lane, a famous surf spot west of the Santa Cruz Boardwalk (which has an old-time carousel from 1911 and a fabulous wooden roller coaster, by the way). The parking around Steamer Lane can be tricky on a warm weekend day but with a little patience you’ll nab a spot.
We more or less stumbled on this scene at Davenport Landing, north of Santa Cruz. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Natural Bridges State Beach is a marvellous spot just west of Steamer Lane; a great spot for a walk on the sand or for admiring the cool rock formations.
The drive from Santa Cruz to San Francisco along Highway 1 takes you past small villages such as Davenport and Pescadero, as well as the city of Half Moon Bay, where you’ll find Miramar Beach Restaurant, a marvellous seafood place with a fine patio.
Along the way we turned off onto Davenport Landing Road and found a fantastic, nearly deserted beach with a homemade swing set in the grass. We also stopped to take pictures at the roadside park alongside Greyhound Rock; a beautiful spot south of Half Moon Bay.
The Califiornia Coast at Greyhound Rock, north of Santa Cruz. JIM BYERS PHOTO
The cliffs and ocean views get even more dramatic north of Half Moon Bay around the town of Pacifica, a suburb of San Francisco. If you’re REALLY pressed for time you could leave San Francisco at 11 a.m., drive to Half Moon Bay for lunch, and drive back through Pacifica and be back in SF by 2:30 or 3 p.m. But better to make a day of it and head south to Santa Cruz and then double back. It’ll be a great trip.
MORE INFORMATION: http://www.santacruz.org/
COMMENTS, COMPLAINTS, QUESTIONS? Email me: jim@jimbyerstravel.com
MY VISIT TO WRIGHTS STATION AND ROARING CAMP RAILROADS WERE SUBSIDIZED. ALL OTHER COSTS WERE ASSUMED BY MY FAMILY OR MYSELF
