Santa Cruz is a beautiful place to spend a week, and if you’re headed for a California vacation I highly recommend it. From the adorably classic boardwalk (you can hear the rollercoaster screams from blocks away), to the beach, to the restaurants on the wharf, and the gorgeous 2000-acre UCSC campus, you can find something new to do everyday, and something new to eat every night. We enjoyed running and biking along the cliffs, kayaking in the ocean, and hiking nearby in Redwoods Big Basin State Park. Totally fascinated by the banana slugs, I loved hiking amid some of the oldest (and biggest) trees in the world, as I sprinted up the trails excited to get to the next view. Each day ended with a feeling of contentment, worn out by the many physical challenges we undertook and full with the yummy fresh seafood/Mexican food/pizza or other local places we tried. And, more to come on this, but Santa Cruz is home to the absolute best farmer’s market I have ever visited. Can’t wait to go back!