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Santa Cruz Journals

Beach town... Or not.

A travel journal to Santa Cruz by heh3d

Quote: Santa Cruz is many things to many people. It is a college town, a vacation spot, and a refuge for aging hippies. But what all agree on, is that it is beautiful.
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Beach town... Or not. Best of IgoUgo

Overview

Quote:
There are quite a few good resturants and shops in Santa Cruz. There is also a cheesy tourist industry that it is best to stay away from unless you like that sort of thing. And of course, there are beaches. This is not San Diego, and the water is not 70 degrees, but they are lovely none the less. Many beaches in this area have tidepools with sea life in them, there are some good sand beaches here, and there are always spectacular sunsets over the Pacific to look forward to.Quick Tips: There are several different areas where people are likely to visit. The most touristed is the Boardwalk, and if you stay away from it, your life will be easier. Best Way To Get Around: The Buses are pre...Read More

Saturn Cafe Best of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Quote:
The Saturn Cafe is not like anything else I have seen. It is staffed entirely by trendy gen-x college kids with colored hair, and piercings. The food is essentially that of a classic diner, except that everything in the resturant is vegitarian. For those of you who are fond of meat, don't let this discourage you, because a lot of what they have tastes quite authentic. I highly recomend that you try the corndogs, which taste exactly like the real thing. My girlfriend's parents who are vegetarian went there, and were very excited because it was just like having real corndogs, and it brought back all kinds of memories. Other excellent things to try are the Tomato soup, which is really good, and the tuna...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on March 16, 2001

Saturn Cafe
145 Laurel Street
Santa Cruz, California 95060
(831) 429-8505

Sabieng Thai Cuisine Best of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Quote:
Saibeng features delicious Thai food, including curries, noodles, and a number of other things. I enjoy curries myself, and "yellow currie" is heavenly. The Pad Thai is also good, as is most of their food. I don't think you can go wrong with anything on the menu.

They can be a little busy and I would recomend getting a reservation if you are going with more than 2 people on a weekend.

If you are in the mood for desert, get Coconut Icecream with Fried Bananas, they are spectacular.

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on March 16, 2001

Sabieng Thai Cuisine
1218 Mission Street
Santa Cruz, California 95060
(831) 425-1020

Santa Cruz Cinema 9 Best of IgoUgo

Attraction

Quote:
The Cinema 9 is a very nice modern theater, with THX, dolby digital, DTS, reclining seats, and all those other accoutrements that one has come to expect from movie theaters. The Cinema 9 generally shows the top movies out at any given time, and although it has a large capacity, tends to sell out the more popular shows. They have a good concession selection, with all the movie theater regulars, plus a secondary more specialized concession stand which serves gourmet coffee drinks, and a variety of pastries. There is a public parking garage one block east on Front Street, which is your best option for parking. It is the open sided lot next to the Wells Fargo. Since there are not a lot o...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on March 16, 2001

Santa Cruz Cinema 9
1405 Pacific Avenue
Santa Cruz, California
(831) 460-2599

Marini's Downtown Best of IgoUgo

Attraction

Quote:
When they say "like a kid in a candy store" I think they must be talking about Marini's. It is a candy store to shame most others. They have a large selection of chocolate truffles on one end of the store, and a large selection of gummy candies and gun balls, and all those other types of candy which they sell by weigh, on the other. In the middle they have an ice cream area, where they serve delicious ice cream, either by the scoop, or in elaborate sundae form. I would highly recomend this store to any sweet lovers, or anybody looking for a good ice cream, but be prepared to be tempted by the entire store.

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on March 16, 2001

Marini's Downtown
1308 Pacific Avenue
Santa Cruz, California 95060
(831) 423-3299

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Best of IgoUgo

Attraction

Quote:
There are a lot of rides here, ranging from roller coasters, to Ferris Wheels, and everything in between. There are also the classic carnival games, like break the plate, or knock the bottle over to pass your time and money away. For the teenager there is a very large arcade at one end of the boardwalk. There is also an indoor minature golf course for those who want to get out of the heat for a while. And of course, the whole thing is right on the beach, so if you get tired of the noise, you can go for a stroll. The boardwalk is generally pretty crowded like all amusement parks, so come prepared to deal with crowds and lines. Parking can be difficult, but there are lots which generally charge a...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on March 16, 2001

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
400 Beach Street
Santa Cruz, California 95060
(831) 423-5590

Pacific Avenue Best of IgoUgo

Story/Tip

Quote:
Pacific Avenue is what locals mean when they say "downtown". It is a strip of street, about 8 blocks long, lined with stores, resturants, and a few movie theaters. It is the city's center of activity. Start at either end, and just walk down Pacific' this can be an evening. There are lots of interesting stores to go into, and people to watch. If you want to take the bus, must buses will take you right there, because the bus station is at one end of Pacific. You can also drive there fairly easily, because the city has several free parking lots directly on, and nearby. Also there are some interesting things if you go a block or two off of Pacific, such as the Nicleodian theater, and a variety of ...Read More

About the Writer

heh3d

heh3d
Berkeley, California

  • "I am a student at the University of California at Santa Cruz. I am a European History major, and lov..."
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