Santa Cruz

I could never, in a hundred summers, get tired of this.

– susan branch

This seaside city is one I will forever endeavour to return to.

It’s essence is something that cannot be found anywhere else, which makes it one of the most memorable places I’ve had the privilege of passing through.

From the famous seafront boardwalk, dating back to the early twentieth century; the green and colourful inner city and beautiful clarinet solos emanating from a jazz band sat playing on the corner opposite the beautifully old Delmar cinema; there is truly a sense that you get a taste for a bit of everything when visiting Santa Cruz.

I visited this beautiful place in July which meant that the day started well in terms of the weather; sunshine and warmth without a cloud in sight. It began, then, with a wander around the inland city area, stepping into various local vintage and second-hand shops which sold all manner of clothes, jewellery and cowboy boots in bright pink. On observing the scenery, it was clear to notice the beauty in the abundance of street art found on most, if not all, corners and intersections. It ranged from words to great murals dedicated to the very city they were painted on, often reflecting the strong skateboaring culture that has developed here over time.

Wide streets then morphed into narrower ones as we entered into the Downtown area with it’s luscious urban planters lining the roads and ivy crawling up restaurant walls, hanging its green tendrils over into the street. Then, walking further you could begin to notice the common theme to the shop fronts as they ranged from clothing brands to local restaurants, fifties-style theatres with block letters advertising the latest films and yoga studios offering classes. It was vastly different from other places I’d visited because there seemed to be this alternative more relaxed aspect to living, that the people here had adopted and that the rest of the world hadn’t caught up with yet.

The peeling posters on the lampposts didn’t advertise rock concerts or clothing sales but wellness retreats, indie music events, food markets and adult softball tournaments.

On the next corner I was met with the beautiful jazz tones of a clarinet, bass, trumpet and guitar ensemble with a lady dressed in red singing along to the likes of Frank Sinatra and Nina Simone. Watching them play beside the green, rusty-red and blue buildings was unlike anything because the atmosphere seemed to exude calm and good vibes. There wasn’t anything to be sad about here.

Next I followed the block along until I heard louder music from a radio station, playing from speakers located by the local market – the Santa Cruz Farmers Market- which was shaded under some twisted trees in a quaint little square. The marquees colourfully brought, what would normally be a dingier area, to life and the bustle of people drew you in when they chatted about cooking herbs, which soap is best and the quality of tomatos that were the larger than my head!

It was all-consuming, this atmosphere of people coming together to celebrate food and craft and nature healing remedies which, you could tell, brought comfort to locals and outsiders alike. I know I certainly felt welcomed.

Wandering on, I found my way to the Museum of Art History and the Abbot Square Market which revealed itself as a vast indoor food court catering for all tastes from coffee to fresh bread from the Companion Bakeshop (a born and bred Santa Cruz bakery) and amazing vegetarian alternatives from other vendors; most of which began just around the corner.

From there I then walked past blue, wavy colour schemes to emerge suddenly onto a corner where street performers were performing death-defying flame throwing tricks that lit up the bright faces of the gathering onlookers as the sun-set behind.

The drive back to the promenade and beach was intriguing, as the streets widened and tall palms replaced the creeping vines of the Downtown for the spacious, picturesque flats of Monterey Bay. It felt like something out of a photographers catalogue, walking along the top promenade after a round of crazy golf in the vintage arcades of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and a fish dinner on one of the pier restaurants looking out over the marina.

Despite its rich skate culture, Santa Cruz is also one of the homes of surfing and boasts some of the greatest surfing beaches in the USA. Which was why, walking along one at sunset is still one of the greatest things I’ve ever done. The sun, the sea, the sky and the people jumping into the waves was enough for many many mental photographs, memorialising the whole thing.

From the beach it was then time to head inland to the great forests of Southern California and with it, the Redwoods.

I’ve known, since I was about three feet tall and I saw a BBC documentary about the infamous trees that grew so high you couldn’t even see where they ended, that I needed to visit the trees in person some day. So, in mid-July I finally got that chance.

Passing the visitor centre and general information, the entrance to the forest was fairly underwhelming until you walked further in and came face to face with trees so different, yet so magnificent it stole my breath.

Red bark and enormous trunks stretched skyward in a gnarly mess of knots and roots but strong as steel and thick as double-decker busses. The sheer scale of these trees cannot be accurately written about because only seeing them in person can explain how, you really couldn’t see much of where the trees ended and then exploded into rich, green canopies above. Some of the thicker bases had twisted enough for a cave to emerge in the wood which any group of three or more could comfortably stand in, with head room to spare. It felt like walking as an Ant among regular trees.

Santa Cruz is unlike anywhere I’ve been because it is the perfect mixture of old and new. It is the old cinemas and theatres with the farmers markets and the new modern food halls teeming with international cuisine. Its the old industrial warehouses converted into bars and restaurants that welcome students from the University down for an evening of drinks, bright interiors and funky bar stools. It’s the age-old redwoods, stretching towards the outer-atmosphere and the new era of people taking up surfing, skateboarding, windsurfing and roller-skating. It’s the old, bright lights of the boardwalk arcade and the new marine conservation areas keeping wildlife safe for the future.

It’s all these things rolled into one incredible city, filled with incredible people. People who smile as they walk past and strike up conversations about music, art and life that leave a smile on your face, as they welcome you, and a promise on your lips to return as soon as possible.