Santa Cruz: Seal City
A college town filled with surfers, this city just an hour south of the Bay Area and offers some of California's finest scenery. It's always been a spot that I've heard about and wanted to visit, but just never made it out to, so I was super excited to stay here, even if it was for just a night. Here's what I found about this sleepy surfer town.
Where to stay: Hotel Paradox
One of the most unique check in desks in any hotel I've visited.
This motel-turned-Marriott-branded-boutique is located just across the river from the downtown area of the city, so if you are wanting a stay where you are walking distance to shopping and dining, along with a hotel that has a vast array of amenities and features to keep everyone entertained, Paradox is the place to stay. The hotel has a great pool area with firepits to lounge beside and cabanas to relax inside. One of the city's better restaurants is located by the lobby of the hotel. The lobby, speaking of which, has one of the coolest check-in counters I have ever seen at a hotel-it's the trunk of a massive tree! The rooms are smaller than we expected, but it had a solid amount of storage which is increasingly rare in this minimalist age of hotel design we are in.
Pool area early in the morning
Where to eat: Seafoooooood
It would be a crime not to take advantage of this city's fantastic seafood scene. We went out to sushi on our first night out, aptly named I LOVE SUSHI. This college-run joint on the outskirts of downtown and right by the river serves up a huge selection of sushi dishes, with dozens of seafood creations. The nature of the restaurant is very "college", so don't expect anything fancy, let alone some good service.
The next morning, we had breakfast on the end of the wharf at the Dolphin Restaurant. It's a small little restaurant with a good sized outdoor area and serves up a great breakfast to go along with the great views. I had a Hangtown Fry, which was basically an egg-scramble with oysters, and is a testament to the food culture of the town and its commitment to seafood. This restaurant is definitely a must visit, as is the wharf itself.
A classic diner with hearty breakfast and fantastic views.
What to do: Chill
Just take a stroll down the wharf, walk along the beach and maybe throw in a roller coaster ride or two, go for a run along the river, and window shop until the sun goes down. This place is designed to make you want to do nothing other than doing nothing, so take advantage of it. If you want things to do, drive up an hour and you can go to the Bay instead. That's just my take. I've never been to a city that was quite as laid-back as Santa Cruz is, and I loved it!
Do as the seals do in Santa Cruz-eat seafood and chill!