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ter the overcharged tourism of Monterey, the unassuming
community of SANTA CRUZ , 75 miles south of San
Francisco, comes as a surprise. Although in many ways the quintessential
Californian coastal town, spread at the foot of thickly wooded
mountains beside a clean sandy beach, it has grown considerably
in the last few years, having recovered from the destruction wrought
by the 1989 earthquake. In the Sixties, the Merry Pranksters turned
the local youth on to LSD long before it defined a generation
in San Francisco's Summer of Love, and the area is still among
the most politically and socially progressive in California. It's
also surprisingly untouristy. No hotels spoil the miles of coastline;
most of the land is agricultural; and roadside stands are more
likely to sell apples or sprouts than postcards and souvenirs.
The Santa Cruz Boardwalk , one
of the last surviving beachfront amusement parks on the west coast,
is the main focus for visitors (MayAug daily 11am10pm; rest of
year hours vary; $1.803.60 per ride, unlimited rides $22.95).
Although it can get packed on weekends with teenagers on the prowl,
most of the time it's a friendly funfair, where barefoot hippies
mix with mushroom farmers. The star attraction is the 80-year-old
Giant Dipper , a wild and rickety wooden roller
coaster that has been ridden by more than 45 million people.
The beach next to the boardwalk
is good but can get rowdy (and dirty). For more peace and quiet,
follow the coast out of town to one of the smaller beaches such
as Capitola or New Brighton. From West Cliff Drive ,
you'll see some of the biggest waves in California, not least
at Steamer Lane , beyond the Municipal Pier.
Cowell's Beach, just north of the Municipal Pier, is the best
place to give surfing a try; Club Ed (tel 831/459-9283) in the
parking lot, will rent boards ($7 per hour, $20 per day) and assist
with lessons. The ghosts of surfers past are animated at the Surfing
Museum (daily except Tues noon4pm; donation) in the old
Abbott Memorial lighthouse on the point, where surfboards range
from early 12ft redwood planks to modern high-tech multifinned
cutters. A clifftop cycle path runs two miles to Natural
Bridges State Beach (daily 8amdusk; $6 per car), where
waves have cut holes through the coastal cliffs, forming delicate
stone arches (though three of its four eponymous bridges have
now collapsed due to erosion and visitors walking across them).
