santa cruz

Visiting the butterflies

 in Fitness / General Fashion  tagged fall 2025 / hiking / outfits / santa cruz / staycation by

wearing: sunglasses / statement earrings / lightweight jacket / long sleeve tee / classic jeans (old, also love this pair) / nail polish / water bottle / east/west handbag / sneakers (also, also love this pair) /

It’s Monarch Butterfly season! Every year, from mid-October to January, the Monarch Butterflies visit Natural Bridges State Park in Santa Cruz and dazzle us with their beauty.

The butterflies gather on trees and enjoy the natural foliage around the area. Although there were large groups hanging out together on trees, my iPhone camera was too far away to get a good photo. That being said, I was able to get the up-close picture you see above!

Natural Bridges State Park offers an easy hiking trail, made up mostly of a wooden bridge, through the area where the butterflies enjoy gathering. This allows for the perfect view of the butterflies.

The parking lot is conveniently positioned between the butterfly trail and the beach. So, you can do both on the same day without moving your car. Love that!

After we viewed the butterflies, we relaxed on the beach and watched the waves and surfers. The view of the ocean at Natural Bridges State Park is fabulous. If you are local, it is a must-see!

After our visit to the beach, we went to downtown Santa Cruz and enjoyed a delicious meal at El Palomar. The food was top notch, and the service was friendly, fast, and beyond expectations. It’s my new favorite restaurant in Santa Cruz! Love!

So, if you are local or visiting the area, I recommend this fall/winter activity. You will love seeing the butterflies and relaxing on the beach!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

Natural Bridges State Beach sea arch

 in General Fashion  tagged beach / family / santa cruz / staycation by

Natural Bridges State Beach is a small park in Santa Cruz; just north of the famous boardwalk area. This beach area is a jem if you love both the beach and easy hiking trails. In addition to a clean, sandy beach which is mostly flat and easy to enjoy, there are short trails behind the beach where you can hike before relaxing by the ocean.

In addition to a beautiful beach for relaxing, and hiking trails for a little exercise, there is a very fabulous sea arch! This sea arch is one of three natural bridges left at the beach. Around 1900, there were three arches, the farthest arch collapsed in the early part of the 1900’s. Until 1980, the first arch, which connected the middle arch to the mainland, collapsed in a storm. If you are local, and old enough to remember, you may have seen it! Perhaps it’s in the background of one of your family photos!

Alas, there is only one arch left; so if you are local, or plan to travel to the Santa Cruz area, definitely visit the beach so you can see the beautiful arch in person; before it’s gone too! Unfortunately due to erosion, these sea arches don’t last forever.

So of course, I had to take a touristy photo in front it; just for memories of course 🙂

Our family visited Natural Bridges State Beach over the weekend, and enjoyed a relaxing day by the ocean. We wore sweats, and brought blankets, to stay cozy in the cool, 50 to 60 degree weather. It was a nice day of book reading, and picnicking by the sea.

Sometimes the beach is nice when it’s a cold day; it does not always need to be a sunbathing and swimming type of occasion. Relaxing with the sound of the ocean is a great way to enjoy the coast during the spring and fall months. I love it!

Shop my fall beach day outfit (pants are sold out, linked to similar styles)

Do you enjoy the beach in cooler weather? What are favorite cool weather, beach activities?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk tips during summer vacation

 in General Fashion  tagged family / lifestyle / outfits / santa cruz / staycation / summer 2019 by

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wearing: squared hoop earrings / sunglasses / summer lipstick / olive green henley tee / summer nail polish / handbag / snake buckle belt / jeans / black mule espadrilles /

One of my kids favorite summer activities is heading over to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. While we enjoy going during the off-season in order to avoid the crowds, there is something nostalgic and fun about going in the thick of summer vacation. Of course, when we go to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk during the summer months, we still know how to avoid the crowds. So if you are planning a trip to the Boardwalk, here a few tips so you can visit and enjoy the area like a local.

How to visit the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk like a local

  1. Go early: Never ever ever go to the boardwalk after lunch. The whole world shows up between 1pm and 4pm. Always go when they open at 11am so you can hit all the fun rides before the lines get long.
  2. Get a wristband: Don’t bother counting points, get the all day wristband so you can freely enjoy going on all the rides, and going on your favorite rides multiple times in a row. If you are local and plan to visit multiple times during the year, consider getting the season pass.
  3. Go on a weekday: If you can avoid heading to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk on a weekend or national holiday-do it! The best time to go is on a weekday, more specifically, on a Tuesday or Wednesday. Those are the slowest days, with the shortest lines. If you must go on a weekend, go early at 9am and enjoy brunch at a local spot such as The Picnic Basket or the Beach Street Cafe.
  4. Take the train: If you can’t go first thing in the morning, or you want to have some fun, take the Roaring Camp Railroad train to the boardwalk from Felton. It’s a fun way to get there, plus you don’t have to navigate traffic during peak hours.
  5. Rides first, arcade later: The lines for the rides are usually longer than the ones for the arcade or mini-golf. Hit all the rides first, before the crowds arrive, then go inside for the arcade after lunch. You can go inside when the temperatures start to soar, plus avoid all the long lines at the rides. Mini-gold indoors is also quite fun!
  6. Stay for the show: The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk also has amazing concerts. Enjoy the boardwalk and the games first, then relax on the beach near the stage so you can enjoy the concert at night. You can make a day of it!
  7. Leave before everyone: If you are not staying for the concert, go back over the hill around 2pm-3pm. Once 4pm hits the traffic builds up and it’s beach traffic galore. Go early, leave early, and you will have an enjoyable ride.

santa cruz historic merry go roundhistoric carosel santa cruz beach boardwalk

One of the rides you can’t skip when visiting the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is the historic carousel. It’s a beautiful and fun carousel installed in Santa Cruz in 1911. It’s a National Historic Landmark, and it has it’s own Wikipedia page! It’s one of the oldest surviving rides on the west coast, and it’s a must-do! Don’t miss the roller coaster either, it too is historic, and from 1924.

Shop my Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk look:

Enjoy your trip to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk! If you have been before, what is your favorite ride? Feel free to share your tips in the comments below!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

santa cruz beach