This is the first post from home and the last one about the trip. Kinda. This is the last part. In my head I plan to write a little ’round up’ – like a top ten list and things that stood out A LOT and so on…. working on it. But the reality is: We are back. It is 5 am here in Sweden, the jet lag is playing with me, I am sitting in my own kitchen and it makes me happy to see the pictures. It makes me happy that we did this amazing trip. I actually already ordered a few prints from my Instagram pictures so we can have them up in the house and look at them…
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But lets get back to Santa Cruz for a moment. One of our last stops. And actually part of the Monterey Bay area so it was a really short drive from our last stop ( the ranch) over to Soquel just outside Santa Cruz and 2 min. from Capitola.
We left Corralitos in the morning, stopped for lunch and groceries and arrived in the early afternoon at our new home. A little up with a beautiful view over the ocean and (!!!) with a pool. I think the kids hardly slept the night before – a pool makes room for a lot of excitement (and makes you wonder why you told them… haha).
Unloading the car, clothes off, swimsuits on… pool time!
The next day it was boardwalk time. (I think we managed quite a lovely ending – with the pool and amusement park). We stay here for 4 days so our options were Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Mon&Tue are the 1 dollar days, every ride is a dollar and we were warned to avoid these days BY ALL MEANS. So we were left witht he week end.
First we strolled around the city a little, had lunch & ice cream and then it was boardwalk time. Sunny day (hot!!!), lots of people yet so fun… right next to the beach with rides for all ages!
On our war back to the car we had tacos at Las Palmas. An institution and very good!
Day 2 – Seacliff State Beach. The beach is most known for the concrete ship SS Palo Alto lying in the water. Home to many sea lions … one had a little swim very close to where we were sitting and the kids were so surprised and amused when his head made an appearance.
(There is a little kiosk at the beach and they have Marianne’s ice cream – no need to queue at their original shop before or after the beach just get it right here – it is really good!)
On Monday we finally went to Capitola. We were warned to go during the week end. It is too packed (the beach is really not that big) and parking is a nightmare. Monday it was. And wow… what a beautiful spot. You feel a little like in Italy with the colourful houses and the terraces by the water… Very cute!
In the evening we had to pack. Intelligent packing. One little suitcase with stuff for our 2 last days in San Francisco. On Tuesday we took the car and drove back to our origin destination and it was so strange. Back to where it all started. We dropped off the car. Checked in at the hotel. Hotel again… also felt a bit strange after all the houses we had, and off to the Yerba Buena Gardens (did you know that Yerba Buena was the original name of the Spanish settlement that would later become San Francisco, California?) and a stop at the Modern Museum of Art… well the shop.
On Wednesday we had breakfast at Picnic on Third (amazing house made Granola) and then went to Dolores Park. Very cool playground over there and a great neighborhood. Lots of little cafes and independent shops.
From here we went back to Market because I wanted to have a stroll through Anthropologie before we leave (a very successful one btw)…
And then we were back…
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