Santa Cruz: Ready for Visitors in Summer 2021

Although tourism in California has a tough road ahead to regain its pre-pandemic glory, some areas that boast an abundant share of nature’s beauty are ready to shine later this year. Make some of your first travel adventures a visit Santa Cruz County, where surfers rule, Redwoods captivate and even the world’s smallest bowling museum awaits. Located on the state’s Central Coast, Santa Cruz County is reached by traveling scenic Highway 1 or by traversing winding Highway 17 through the Santa Cruz Mountains, making the trip there as scenic as the destination.

Redwoods Rising from the Flames

Basin Redwoods State Park, California’s oldest state park, was heavily damaged by the Lightning Complex Fire in summer 2020 which in total burned over 85,000 acres in Santa Cruz County and adjacent San Mateo County. Established in 1902, Big Basin’s more than 18,000 acres is a mix of old-growth and second-growth redwoods, including the largest continuous stand of ancient redwoods south of San Francisco. Visitors have come from every corner of the globe to admire these majestic giant redwood trees – some more than 50 feet around and standing as tall as the Statue of Liberty.

Although the wildfires that ravaged the park resulted in an almost total loss of the historic buildings, campgrounds and visitor amenities, some encouraging news has surfaced: most of the massive coastal redwoods have survived – including the famed “Father” and “Mother” of the forest: two of the oldest trees in the park.  The rebirth of Big Basin in 2021 will bring opportunities to celebrate and admire the redwoods in Santa Cruz County. From hiking among the giants, riding a relaxing steam train ride through the Santa Cruz Mountains or zip-lining high up in the canopy, there are still a variety of ways to get up close and personal with these magnificent coastal redwoods.

Roaring Camp

Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park is known for its rich history and lush, towering redwoods native to the land. Notable visitors such as President Theodore Roosevelt spent time among the old-growth redwoods and inspired preservation efforts to keep it pristine. Located in Felton, Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park’s wheelchair and stroller-accessible Redwood Grove Trail circles around the park’s oldest and largest trees. More trails crisscross the San Lorenzo River and its steep, redwood-covered canyons.  Adjacent to Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, Roaring Camp Railroads offers a tour of California’s towering redwood trees from two historic trains. Travel on authentic 19th-century steam trains through the Big Trees to the summit of Bear Mountain or ride early 1900s Pullman cars on open-air excursion cars along a scenic river gorge through Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park to the beach of Santa Cruz.

Walk the Walk:  Experience the Santa Cruz Public Art Walking Tour

Public art in Santa Cruz is taking shape five ways this summer, using concrete, traffic signal cabinets, public walls and planter boxes to showcase local creations. This roundup of artwork is available as a public art walking tour, using a map, or virtually from the Santa Cruz City Arts Commission.  SculpTOUR, Graphic Traffic, Architectural Art, Permanent Sculptures and City Murals are the latest installments making public spaces more vibrant.  Santa Cruz’s SculpTOUR is a curated rotating art exhibit that spans the raised planter boxes on Pacific Avenue in Downtown Santa Cruz. Sculptures made from metal, concrete, wood and other mediums are displayed on this pedestrian-friendly street, bringing the work of local artists to residents and visitors. Graphic Traffic showcases artwork on traffic signal cabinets throughout the city. Whimsical portraits, paintings of local points of interest and other subjects transform the mundane into eye-catching inspiration. Architectural Art integrated into larger construction efforts like streetlight posts, skate park tiles, and railings on public walkways. Murals of various shapes and sizes around the city grace outdoor walls located in prominent places as well as tucked-away on sides of buildings.

Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing Unveils Taproom Renovation

Fresh on the heels of its 15th anniversary this year, Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing has renovated its taproom. Located on Santa Cruz’s westside in a redeveloped warehouse setting, the Swift Street Courtyard is home to wine tasting rooms, boutique shops, a bakery, candy shop, specialty grocery store and restaurants. This lively neighborhood spot has fostered a strong connection with local lovers of suds, pup-friendly people and families wanting to enjoy a Santa Cruz IPA while people watching on a roomy outdoor patio. Inside, the newly designed taproom features an abundance of natural light, fresh plants, and twinkle lights – surrounded by bright white walls that show off the beauty of natural wood highlights. 

Commemorative Plaque at Cowell Beach Honors Santa Cruz Surf Club

Santa Cruz, California has long been recognized as the historical birthplace of mainland surfing in the United States, when in 1885, three Hawaiian princes who were attending a military academy in what is now Silicon Valley came to Santa Cruz and surfed the beaches here on redwood boards crafted from a local lumber mill. The latest historical addition to the area where surfing began is a commemorative plaque honoring the Santa Cruz Surfing Club.  Established in 1936, the club began when a group of 27 surfers joined together to hold regular meetings, elect officers, and share their knowledge of this fledgling sport. These pioneers of the waves are credited with helping to cultivate the sport at the local level. Designed locally and made of 12,000 pounds of concrete, the bronze relief shows the group’s clubhouse and includes the names of the original club members.  The plaque overlooks Cowell Beach and is a tribute to those whose talent helped foster the sport of surfing in Santa Cruz.

“World’s Smallest Bowling Museum” Opens in Santa Cruz 

A diminutive exhibit – curated by an archivist at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk – has opened in Santa Cruz. The exhibit showcases the history of bowling by the beach with a display of bowling artifacts, photographs, and memorabilia from the Boardwalk’s Archives and is housed inside the Boardwalk Bowl, adjacent to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Bowling has a long history in the Santa Cruz beach area beginning in 1909. However, 1930 marked the last year of bowling on the Boardwalk, although duckpin alleys emerged throughout the first half of the 1940s. A set of antique duckpins is on display in the new exhibit. The Santa Cruz bowling community also shared their own stories and memorabilia. The unique items in the exhibit tell the story of bowling in the Santa Cruz beach area and the people who have played integral roles in creating that history.

Contact Visit Santa Cruz County for more information.