The Peninsula
In the sleepy village of Davenport, round out your palate with a wine flight in the friendly roadside tasting room of Randall Grahm's acclaimed winery, where Edison lights and rough-hewed wooden tables entice you to sample the Rhône-style red blend Le Cigare Volant (yes, that's a flying cigar) and other bottles made with lesser-known grape varietals.
The tasting room is about 10 miles northwest of Santa Cruz on Hwy 1.
10.3 MILES
The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk has been an Americana classic like few others for over a century. Now as in 1907 when the amusement park first opened, the…
9.75 MILES
Just over a dozen miles southeast of Pescadero State Beach, Año Nuevo State Natural Reserve is home base for one of the world's largest mainland breeding…
Seymour Marine Discovery Center
8.34 MILES
This educational center is part of UCSC’s Long Marine Laboratory. Interactive natural-science exhibits include tidal touch pools and aquariums, while…
24.67 MILES
Definitely the most interesting tech visitor center in the area. You'll be met by an army of Geniuses in red shirts offering information from how to use…
25.09 MILES
This ridiculous yet fascinating Victorian mansion is filled with 160 mostly non-utilitarian rooms with dead-end hallways and a staircase that runs up to a…
University of California, Santa Cruz
7.77 MILES
Check it: the school mascot is a banana slug! Established in 1965 in the hills above town, UCSC is known for its creative, liberal bent. The rural campus…
10.61 MILES
A kitschy, old-fashioned tourist trap, Santa Cruz's Mystery Spot has scarcely changed since it opened in 1940. On a steeply sloping hillside, compasses…
8.68 MILES
Great for sunsets, this sandy beach fronted by a natural sandstone bridge is a family favorite and tops for wildlife viewing. Scan the bay for whales,…
1. Swanton Berry Farm Stand & U-Pick
1.88 MILES
Roll up your shirtsleeves and harvest fruit at this organic pick-your-own farm. It’s a union outfit (operated by Cesar Chavez’s United Farm Workers), with…
7.06 MILES
Fascinating and compact museum detailing the story of Bigfoot in the surrounding Californian wilderness.
3. Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
7.37 MILES
The Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park has miles of hiking trails through old-growth redwood groves along the San Lorenzo River and campsites.
4. Rancho del Oso Nature and History Center
7.41 MILES
Just inland from Waddell Beach, Rancho Del Oso Nature and History Center has two kid-friendly nature trails, both open daily, through the marshlands.
7.66 MILES
Amble around this peaceful arboretum and picturesquely decaying 19th-century structures from Cowell Ranch, upon which the UCSC campus was built.
6. University of California, Santa Cruz
7.77 MILES
Check it: the school mascot is a banana slug! Established in 1965 in the hills above town, UCSC is known for its creative, liberal bent. The rural campus…
7. Seymour Marine Discovery Center
8.34 MILES
This educational center is part of UCSC’s Long Marine Laboratory. Interactive natural-science exhibits include tidal touch pools and aquariums, while…
8. Natural Bridges State Beach
8.68 MILES
Great for sunsets, this sandy beach fronted by a natural sandstone bridge is a family favorite and tops for wildlife viewing. Scan the bay for whales,…