Summer Santa Cruz, 2013 Vol. XXIX | Page 2

Earrings, Bracelets, Bangles, and so much more! to Santa Cruz! Welcome I Over 100,000 Sterling Silver Rings, Chains, Charms, Pendants, Earrings, Bracelets, Bangles, and so much more! t’s no mistake that this small seaside town has become one of the top tourist destinations in California–all the marketing hype is, quite simply, true. Buffered by a protective ring of redwood forests on one side and a glorious coastline on the other, Santa Cruz is many things to many people, and those who live here are justifiably proud of the place they call home. The Pacific Ocean stretches the length of the county, its coastline highlighted by the fabled Highway 1. The Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary, is home to all kinds of wildlife, from otters and sea lions to salmon and migrating whales. Surfers, kayakers and sailboats can be found in these waters, too, and a plethora of beaches - with names like Twin Lakes, Castle Beach, Sunny Cove, Pleasure Point, Hidden Beach – intrigue the curious visitor. Adventurous fashion, food and nightlife abound, and Santa Cruz remains an eclectic mix of ‘60s hippie idealism, surf culture and Silicon-Valley-is-our-neighbor chic. The 100+-year-old Beach Boardwalk offers giddy family fun at an old-fashioned amusement park and game arcade, complete with roller coasters, kiddie rides and an outdoor summer concert series on a stage built right in the sand. The biggest names in the music, dance and theater world perform here, but the town also showcases its own local talent, with street performers, a healthy live music calendar and a burgeoning art scene with monthly Art Walks and a twice yearly Open Studios event. A stone’s throw down the coast is Capitola Village, a tony enclave of restaurants, shops and boutique hotels built around a postcard-perfect beach with its own esplanade. It’s the home of the world-famous Begonia Festival each summer, where flower-bedecked floats make their way down a small creek, and also to an annual Sand Castle Building Contest. Nearby is Aptos Village, anchored by the 10,000-acre Nisene Marks State Park, home to the Santa Cruz Blues Festival as well as miles of peaceful trails for hiking. Nestled in the mountains around Santa Cruz are the towns of Ben Lomond, Felton and Boulder Creek. Notable for their long history, attractions include the real working steam trains at Big Trees & Roaring Camp Railroad, Loch Lomond, with its 87-acre lake (open for fishing), and miles of trails through redwood forests at Henry Cowell or Big Basin State Parks. The tall, majestic redwoods create magical playgrounds below where you can discover clear streams and waterfalls, centuriesold trees, winding deer trails and the welcome embrace that only a forest this old, this pristine, and this alive can offer. Santa Cruz 1301 Pacific Avenue Santa Cruz, Ca, 95060 (831) 460-9696 Capitola Mall Across from food court (831) 477-1932 Capitola Village 214 Capitola Avenue Capitola Village, CA, 95010 (831) 462-9696 Old Town Sacremento 1100 2nd Street Sacramento, CA, 95814 (916) 443-2801 Santa Cruz, with its exciting diversity of people, places and things to do, is a magical place to visit, or live! Wherever you go and whatever you do, your visit to Santa Cruz will create memories to make you smile for years to come. V i s i t u s a t w w w. s u p e r s i l v e r s a n t a c r u z . c o m summersantacruz.com By Janet Blaser SUMMER | 2013 3 ­