SUNSET STATE BEACH: On the outskirts of
Santa Cruz, about 16 miles south of Santa Cruz, is this state beach
and park facility. The beach features pine trees, mountainous sand dunes,
and ocean side picnic spots. Bordered by large agricultural fields west
of the city of Watsonville, the beach is a year-round destination for
thousands of visitors and campers.
CLIMATE: The climate on the central coast
varies greatly with elevation and the amount of coastal influence. Areas
with more coastal influence experience moderate temperatures year round
with fog likely from June through mid-August. Plan your coastal visit
in the late summer or fall to ensure the best conditions for viewing
the scenery. In addition, occasional clear days between winter and spring
storms are incomparable. Areas further inland experience greater temperature
extremes, with relatively cooler winters and hot summers. Inland areas
often receive frost on winter nights. As throughout most of California
most of the precipitation comes in the winter months, with April through
October normally very dry. Layered clothing is recommended.
ACTIVITIES: There are an array of hiking
trails, horseback trails, group tours, and family camping. Swimming,
surfing and all beach type activities are popular at Sunset, as well
as picnic tables and there is wheel chair access. For camping or using
the park facilities, reservations are strongly recommended.
LOCAL FLAVORS: Only 16 miles south of Santa
Cruz, Sunset State Beach is accessible for enjoyment, entertainment
and dining. Santa Cruz is famous for its year-round amusement park,
“The Boardwalk,” located on the other side of the wharf,
a haven for shops, rides, food and all around fun, sporting an incredible
view of the blue Pacific. Santa Cruz offers both the beauty of the forest,
with the Santa Cruz Mountains filled with towering California Coastal
Redwood trees, just minutes out of town. The University of Santa Cruz
campus is seated in the middle of this terrain and is a lovely campus
for hiking, or just taking in the fresh coastal mountain air. Downtown
Santa Cruz offers a wide variety of shops ready to delight the shopper
at any given time. There are also tours of historical Victorian homes
which mark the early years of Santa Cruz’s development as one
of the early cities established in California.
OTHER ATTRACTIONS:
Santa Cruz Wharf
Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History
Steamer Lane/World famous surfing spot
Memorial Lighthouse
Long Marine Laboratory
Mystery Spot
Santa Cruz Surfing Museum
Pasatiempo Golf Club
Santa Cruz County Symphony
by: Carla Iacovetti
©2006Carla Iacovetti
