Santa Cruz

After the disappointment of Big Sur, we decided to spend that time in Santa Cruz. It turned out to be an excellent alternative. We found a room at the Knights Inn. It was very basic but it was a 2 minute walk from the boardwalk where everything was happening. We ate our first chilly dog, which turns out is a hot dog in batter. Not the most appetising meal. I will be avoiding these from now on. We took the chairlift to the other end of the pier and I bought a hula girl statue in a tiki style shop at the end of the pier.



We explored downtown in the afternoon, sat on the beach and walked along the boardwalk which was my favourite place. Mostly because it was used in one of my favourite movies, The Lost Boys, but also because of the fair rides. I couldn't wait to get on the rollercoaster. We tried the pirate ship first and it was so much fun. I had forgotten how much fun it could be. I convinced Jen to try the Giant Dipper and I laughed so hard, even squealed at one point. It made me so giddy, I couldn't stop laughing for about 5 minutes after the ride had stopped.



We ate at a lovely restaurant on the pier and watched the sun go down and pelican fly onto the roof. Their silhouettes looked amazing in the dusky sky.



After dinner we walked along the rest of the pier and I had a delicious chocolate strawberry. We found some sea lions resting on a jetty under the pier. It was quite spooky under there.



We were heading up to San Francisco the next day and I was starting to feel a bit sad that my trip was coming to an end.

Santa Cruz Gallery
http://flickr.com/photos/clarencecoconut/sets/72157606225081516/