Also, as the name suggests, it’s in the perfect location to get food packed to go for a picnic on the beach! (Thanks to Sara at the Indie Traveler for telling me about this place!) The Picnic Basket is located right at the base of the pier, giving you a much better option than the otherwise overpriced and not very good food options nearby. They also serve all the daily flavors of our favorite ice cream, from Penny Creamery! (see more below, under Downtown) I had an amazing ricotta and beet panini (with lemon, toasted walnut spread) and Kimi had a turkey and avocado sandwich that she was equally pleased with. There are lots of vegetarian options, but they offer meats as well. We went to my favorite restaurant near the Santa Cruz Boardwalk! It’s called the The Picnic Basket and they offer a wide variety of artisan food products that almost all feature locally-sourced ingredients. Yes, I’m biased as a vegetarian local who visits Santa Cruz regularly just to eat and shop at the many organic food markets, but I’d say lots of non-vegetarians would be remiss at not checking out this portion of the culture. For this reason, there are LOADS of great natural food restaurants in town that offer the most authentic taste at Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz is a college town, and a particularly hippy one at that. Dine at one of the countless vegetarian-friendly/locally-grown/organic food restaurants in town (1 hour) On summer afternoons it is packed with people riding the rides, playing games in the arcades and eating fried dough and assorted junk food awesomeness (Kimi was really tempted by the Dippin’ Dots!) The Santa Cruz Boardwalk hours are extended on weekends and during the summer. I plan to go back later this summer to check it out and will report back!įinally we took a stroll through the historic Beach Boardwalk amusement park.This free, open air amusement park is over 100 years old and one of the last remaining on California’s coast. In just a few weeks, the Monterey Bay Exploration Center will open its doors nearby, a brand new visitor’s center/education center featuring exhibits on the ecosystem of Monterey Bay. We even saw one lone sea lion lounging on the beams underneath the pier. Next stop was the pier where we browsed the seafood restaurants, watched surfers out on the water, and tried our hand at taking photos of pelicans in flight. (Kimi and I learned that lesson the hard way and wound up walking back to the car). Unfortunately, you can’t walk directly from one beach to the other as the two are divided by a massive, rock wall. There are even fire pits that can be used year-round. There were a good amount of families lounging, kids and teenagers playing on the beach. It’s cleaner, more attractive, and less crowded than the Boardwalk. It’s just south of the Boardwalk, and I much prefer it to the Boardwalk beach. Our first stop was Seabright Beach where we walked around for a bit. Turns out I was only free on one of her last days in town and she had to be back to SF for dinner, so we had to make it a quick trip.īut we had a lot of fun and I wanted to share my itinerary of the best things to do in Santa Cruz in about five hours: Walk on the beach and visit the Boardwalk amusement park (1 hour) When our friend and travel blogger, Kimi told us she would be in San Francisco for the first time, I suggested we plan a trip down to Santa Cruz. What are some fun things to do in Santa Cruz if you have just a few hours to spare? The rides will be open daily, though with varying nighttime hours.įor more detailed schedule info, ticket prices, and advance purchases visit the Santa Cruz Boardwalk website. Neptune’s Kingdom and the other arcades and indoor venues are open daily, with nighttime hours. The Santa Cruz Boardwalk 2023 admission is free Other attractions include Neptune’s Kingdom, Mini Golf, Laser Tag, Midway Games, Fright Walk, Casino Arcade, and the Boardwalk Bowl. The bands on the summer concert schedule are Sang Matiz, Man in Black, Extra Large, Fast Times, Santa Cruda, Tsunami Band, The Deadlies, 4to Prestigio, and Pacific Roots. Thursdays, 8:30 to 10 PM from June 15th through August 10th. So, bring your snacks, a beach blanket or chairs, and some warm layers to watch: The Lost Boys, Mama Mia, Space Jam, Labyrinth, Selena, Minions: The Rise of Gru, Top Gun: Maverick, Shrek, and The Neverending Story. The Santa Cruz Boardwalk 2023 is buzzing with activities that are great for both date nights and the whole family.Īt 9 PM on Fridays from June 16th through August 11th free movies will be shown on the main beach in front of the colonnade. Concerts, Rides, Arcade, and Beach Movies!
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