Peanut Butter on a burger?!?

 Clam chowder is one of my favorite foods and I can eat it in hot or cold weather. Today on my Santa Cruz trip, I ordered a bowl to enjoy with my lunch.

 I went to the Surfrider Cafe which is just outside of the downtown Santa Cruz area. One of the things they are known for is the Skippy Burger, which is a regular hamburger that has peanut butter, bacon, and cheese on it. I tasted it and the bacon and peanut butter combination was okay, but this isn't a burger I would order for myself. I do like peanut butter, but I'd rather eat it on something other than beef.

 What I did end up ordering for myself was a plate of fish tacos. They were delicious! The sauce had the right amount of tang and the spice was countered with the coolness of fresh avocado slices.

 Love me some clam chowder!

 Here is a close-up of the Skippy Burger. It comes highly recommended and a lot of people like it.

 What a nice lunch. When I am on the coast, seafood is a must.

 The interior decor is made up of ocean and seaside colors.

 I really liked the flowers outside the cafe.

I like how they have a few different colors all in the same flower.

 After lunch, I headed over to Comicopolis which is one of the comic book stores in town. In addition to comics, they have a good selection of childrens books and a variety of games.

 I didn't pick up any books for myself, but I did get a copy of an Iceman comic for a family member.

 They had some coloring books and colored pencils for sale, too, which is always fun for me to see.

 After I made my purchase of the book and a new Harry Potter game, I went to the municipal wharf. I had to go to the candy store, of course. I can't go to Santa Cruz and not get Marini's saltwater taffy.

 For some reason I thought they had more flavors of taffy than what they had available. That was okay because it was still enough, and I did pick up some other candy as well.

 They have a lot of gummies, some sour, some traditional, and some extra sweet. And they have so many different shapes like sharks, fruits, even toilets!

 I took a walk down the wharf to see if the sea lions were hanging out. It only took me a few steps before I could hear them barking.

 Beautiful day out on the water.

 There was an icee stand where they had shaved ice and you could pick up to three flavors. It was warm enough out that an ice drink was refreshing.

 I sat at this bench to chew on bits of tropical flavors and cherry. Yum yum!

 After walking on the wharf, I felt like walking down to the sand to check out the water and look for shells. There were lots of mussel shells but I didn't take any.

 I didn't have my swim suit with me so I didn't go in the water. But I still had a great time walking on the sand and taking in the view.

After my excursion to Santa Cruz, I felt like I wanted to extend my day. I wasn't ready to go home, and it wasn't dinner time yet. So I came up with the idea of driving along the coast to Half Moon Bay.

 I ended up at Sam's Chowder House which I visited in March. I liked the restaurant, especially their Manhattan clam chowder. So I ordered some. By this time, the weather was much cooler and the warm broth warmed me up nicely.

 My travel buddy got this tasty looking salmon that was served on a bed of greens. It looked really good, but I had my own yummy treat on the way.

 I got the seafood pasta, which is something I always order. Yeah, I know it is good to try new things, but I like what I like. Especially when that food has noodles. I ate until I was *stuffed*.

After dinner, I said thank you to this driftwood carving which I think was Sam. I had a satisfied tummy and memories of a good day. Oh I just love living in California.