Last week I published a family road trip itinerary that includes a stop in Santa Cruz: Scenic CA-1 Family Road Trip. If you want to spend more time in Santa Cruz and explore further, this new itinerary is a great add-on to the previous one for an excellent weekend getaway.
Our most favorite part of Santa Cruz is located on the outskirts of town (if you are driving from the North on CA-1 you don’t even have to get to the busiest parts of town). It encompasses Natural Bridges State Park and Seymour Marine Discovery Center, part of University of California at Santa Cruz.
Natural Bridges State Park is relatively small in size but huge on attractions:
- The rock formations off the coast are unique and the beach itself is perfect for all types of water and sand fun;
2. The rocky area to the right of the beach (when facing the ocean) is famous for its tide pools. You just need to time your visit so that you are there at the very low tide (preferably below 0 ft). You can check the tides predictions on NOAA website ;
3. If you are visiting in December – February you will have a bonus of seeing Monarch butterflies who come to the park to winter in thousands. Their preferred congregation place is in a eucalyptus grove which is less than 0.5 mile walk on a Monarch trail from the Visitor’s Center.
Seymour Marine Discovery Center is a gem in its own right. It has three main parts:
1.the outdoor exhibit featuring skeletons of blue and grey whales (the size is mind boggling!);
2. indoor aquariums where you can observe and interact with sea creatures. Two “interaction” aquariums are: tide pools (where you can touch multiple tide pool inhabitants from sea stars to crabs to sea urchins and much more) and shark aquarium where you can touch friendly swell sharks. Sharks are a big hit with kids of all ages and adults too!
3. indoor Exhibit Hall, which takes you behind the scenes to learn more about scientific research in the ocean.
In addition to all of the above the Marine Center offers a) daily guided tours (family tours are shorter and adapted to families with younger kids); b) Sunday Seaside Crafts (ocean themed, naturally) and c) special family events throughout the year.
Also don’t miss a pleasant short hike outside the Marine Center along the beautiful coastal bluffs. The Center is doing great work in restoring native plant habitat.
We love visiting this part of Santa Cruz because it has less congestion than downtown area and both the Marine Center and the State Park have their own parking.
USEFUL RESOURCES FOR THIS TRIP (images are clickable links):
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