Keep Santa Cruz Weird...

because where else can a teddy bear roam freely without receiving puzzled looks or small chuckles?




The Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History

In the courtyard of the museum are pretty flowers and a nice fountain.

Some risque shops are in the Cooper House Mall.


Santa Cruz Cafe and Roasting Company.

And this proves my belief that teddy bears can be found in any gift shop. This one is dressed appropriately for one of many Santa Cruz beaches.

Every other business is either a coffee store or a place that serves coffee. This one is Bad Ass Coffee. I didn't taste any to see how bad ass it is, but maybe next time. I started the day with a Starbucks drink, but next time I will leave my mind open to try a new coffee house.

Pacific Avenue is the main drag in Downtown.


One of the main reasons for my visit to santa Cruz was to stop in Marini's on the Boardwalk for some fresh saltwater taffy and a candy apple. I was excited to see their location in the middle of Downtown. I did not resist a visit.


This location is so much larger than the one on the Boardwalk and has so much more in their offerrings, including ice cream, coffee drinks, and many types of fruit dipped in chocolate. Everything should be dipped in chocolate.

I think this box off taffy weighs more than I do!
I chose my favorite flavors: chocolate, watermelon, peanut butter, and cinnamon.


Which flavor do I start with?


After all the walking I wanted to rest on the beach. I went to the Boardwalk and relaxed under the sun for a bit.

The Boardwalk is closed for the season.







The arcade was scheduled to be open but was closed. Disappointing as it would have been fun to play some skee ball or miniature bowling, or my favorite Boardwalk nostalgia: the crane machine.

The drive over the mountain was sunny and I enjoyed having the windows down to breathe in the fresh air and had fun listening to A Newfound Glory. But I didn't want my day to end there. As I was driving west I saw the sign for Mission Santa Clara. Since I had never visited before, I figured today was as good a day as any.

The church is still used for worship.


The mission is part of the Santa Clara University campus.


Mission Santa Clara de Asis is the eighth of twenty-one Spanish missions.


This is the first mission named for a woman.


Beautiful Calla Lilies are in bloom.


A bear carving in one of the doors.





A fountain on one of the buildings.





Santa Clara University is a stunning campus.


There were grave markers in front of the church. There were no dates, only names.


Mission Santa Clara is California Historical Landmark #338.