santa cruzin’ (part two)

I can never get enough of Santa Cruz – it’s my little micro-vacation spot, because Jules and I can get there in less than 2 hours and pretend we are far far away. Sometimes I like to spend the majority of our time in SC over near Swift Street, tasting wine and doing a little shopping. But this time, it was all about the Boardwalk! If you’ve never been to the Boardwalk in Santa Cruz, you should go, at least once. They have rides, a couple of arcades, miniature golf, and of course, a nice little patch of beach to hang out on, regardless of whether or not it’s sunny. Grab an adult beverage and lay out a blanket and enjoy!

This is one of the few rides I will actually go on.

While Jules rode a roller coaster alone, I did this. He was not happy that I wouldn’t go on with him.

Jules does not mind spending time at the arcade!

After a few hours of bumper cars and whirly rides, we also had a chance to visit the most amazing spa, called Well Within. Both of us have been under a lot of stress lately, and I wanted us to do something nice for ourselves so I booked massages and a spa room session. We got an indoor spa room that overlooks a tranquil Japanese-style garden with waterfall. In the spa room, you can sit in the hot tub, go for a dry sauna, and then douse yourself under a cold shower – great for circulation.

Indoor Spa Room at the Well Within Spa

A display boat dry docked on the Santa Cruz Wharf

After our spa trip, we were relaxed and starving. This trip to SC was the first time we’d actually gone down to the Wharf, where there are a ton of seafood restaurants. We dined on lobster, steak, and cioppino before making the drive back to San Francisco. It was such a beautiful and relaxing day, I didn’t want it to end!