What To Do And Eat In Santa Cruz
As ya’ll read in my previous post , my vacation to Santa Cruz was less than perfect. With no car, we were confined to a single area. However, we were still able to enjoy the city. Here’s a short guide on some things my boyfriend and I did and ate during our trip.
To do:
Visit the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk- this is Northern California’s Coney Island. It’s flashy, fun, and a little trashy . There’s plenty to do. There’s rides for everybody, the beach, and a massive arcade. It can get a little pricy however so be warned. Every ride is $5+. Some rides I enjoyed include the Sky Glider, which is basically a ski lift that takes you from one side of the park to another, the carousel, and the Fright Walk. The Fright Walk is a walk through haunted house that is surprisingly pretty scary. If you’re not into the dark, loud noises or jump scares, this isn’t for you. For more information on the boardwalk, visit their website .
Walk around downtown- Downtown Santa Cruz is quaint and cute. They have several stores and restaurants (which I will discuss below). Walking around was peaceful; you get a real sense of the city here. I particularly enjoyed going to BookShop Santa Cruz, a large independent book store with a massive catalog. I spent quite a bit of time here rummaging through books and enjoying the quietness of the store.
Rent a JUMP Bike and head to Lighthouse Field State Beach- As I mentioned earlier in this post, the boardwalk is right on the beach. This beach however is very crowded and very touristy. If you take a short 10 minute bike ride, you’ll find Lighthouse Field State Beach, a more secluded and local area. Santa Cruz is quite chilly but It was nice to enjoy the ocean and Northern California views here. Renting a JUMP Bike is easy with the Uber app. It is $1 to unlock and 10 cents a minute after that. It’s pretty affordable but like anything, the costs can add up so use at your own risk!
To Eat:
Surf City Grill- This is a counter serve restaurant that is located inside the boardwalk. It sells your classic American amusement park food like hot dogs, corn dogs, and burgers. I found the burgers to pretty good and I would of definitely gone back if I had time. Surf City Grill has no website but according to Google, they are open from 11 am to 6pm every day.
De La Hacienda Taqueria- My boyfriend and I ate here twice! It was that good. If you can guess by the name, this is a Mexican restaurant that offers burritos, crispy tacos, and more. It is also pretty affordable with everything being in the $3-$10 range. Their vegetarian and meat tacos were flavorful and their salsa was great. They also had a variety of Mexican sodas. Check out their website for more information!
Nick The Greek- Disclaimer; my boyfriend did NOT like this place but I sure did! I am not big into Greek food or even chicken but I really liked their Chicken Gyro. The chicken was flavorful and soft. But, they only use dark meat which is why my boyfriend did not like it. If you have no problem with dark meat, then I am sure you’ll like this place as much as I did. It’s casual and affordable as well. P.S. their fries are really yummy too! Their website has their entire menu and more.
The Picnic Basket- This is a little cafe a few blocks away from the boardwalk. They sell mostly sandwiches and to be honest, it is a little pricy. Their almond butter and strawberry jam sandwich was delicious, so much so that I thought it was worth the $10 I spent on it. This is a place to go if you’re looking for something light, fresh, or even if you’re just looking for some quality ingredients. Their menu can be found here.
Pizza My Heart-I am a simple gal, the way to my heart is definitely a good slice of pizza. That is why I was saving the best for last. I came here more than once and I loved it. They have several different types of pizzas and you buy by the slice. They also have delicious salads. A slice of pizza plus a Pizza My Heart T-shirt will cost you $8. You get good pizza and a souvenir, what else could you possibly want?
The Penny Ice Creamery- One word; wow. The ice cream here is AMAZING. Ok to be fair, I got their raspberry rose sorbet (pictured above) but it’s one of the best things I’ve ever tasted. I mean it tasted like real raspberries and roses. They do not have a menu on their website so my guess is that they change flavors seasonally. A small cup cost me less than $5 and I would gladly pay it again!
There ya’ll go, a small but comprehensive guide on what to do and eat while you’re in Santa Cruz!
