Chad and I went to Santa Cruz for four days while my parents kept the kiddos. It was a fabulous trip!!! Life has been busy and it was the perfect way to catch our breath and slow down a little. We had pretty much no plans and just decided in the moment what we wanted to do. It's definitely not the way we usually vacation but it was just what we needed!
We stayed at my aunt and uncle's incredible beach house. Breathtaking doesn't do this house justice. It feels like a house in the movies and we definitely felt like the riffraff that didn't fit in. Haha!
They have so much beach frontage and gorgeous views basically every direction you look and the cherry on top is their private beach and the multiple decks.
Our first day we decided to walk along the beach and it ended up being an all day affair. Our first stop was a cute cafe for breakfast.
We talked to the lighthouse and just stopped to listen to the waves for a while.
We stumbled across this ukulele circle. It was so awesome to see all these people just enjoying music together.
Chad and I walked mostly together but also would peel away and explore the random things we were drawn to. I enjoyed playing with my camera and slowing down to capture the beauty surrounding us. Chad likes to wander and be alone with his thoughts.
We took our time walking around the harbor. It was fun to watch people prepare to set sail. One day we would love to learn how to sail and take a little boat out.
Santa Cruz has a pretty awesome boardwalk. We didn't ride any rides but we had fun walking around and exploring.
Near the wharf we stumbled upon a pretty big beach volleyball tournament. It was a high level of play and so fun to watch. We both miss volleyball and jump at the chance to connect to the sport again. We probably stayed and watched for around an hour.
Our last stop was walking the Santa Cruz Wharf. They have cute shops, lots of restaurants, and a few fish markets. We ate SO much delicious seafood (our fave) this vacation.
The sea lions love to lay on the pylons of the pier. I couldn't believe how many of them there were!
Eventually we headed home to hurry and get ready for our dinner reservations.
The restaurant we went to does a courtesy pick-up in old cars.
The restaurants is nestled down in Capitola and you take this small tram to get down to it. It was so romantic and the food was delicious.
After dinner we spent the night having fun in the game room at the beach house.
I am a horrible pool player...like the worst. Luckily I redeemed myself when we played shuffleboard and ping pong.
They have quite the wet bar and Chad made himself a flight of whiskey. He had fun trying a few new ones. I just stick to chardonnay.
Our second day we had a slow start. We ate a simple breakfast on the deck and then just relaxed and listened to the waves.
We decided to take a scenic drive up Highway 1. We went all the way up to Half Moon Bay but made a few stops along the way.
I loved stopping at various farms and we bought a little fresh produce.
We found an adorable ranch/campground/restaurant tucked a little ways off the highway.
We were able to get home in time to enjoy sunset together. We made a cheese and cracker tray and dug our toes in the sand...perfection!
Our last full day we had breakfast on the deck again. Then we watched a few Netflix shows in the middle of the day. We NEVER do that so it was fabulous. Eventually we decided we were ready to get out and rode our bikes to Capitola (the next little beach down). We stopped and watched the surfers and took in the view along the way.
We got in lots of reading while listening to the waves and our toes in the sand. It truly doesn't get much better than that in mine and Chad's world!
One afternoon we saw a small pod of dolphins swim right along the shoreline. It was AMAZING!
A huge thanks to my parents for watching the kids and my aunt and uncle for letting us enjoy their beach house. Chad and I love being parents but I think it is so important to have time away to reconnect.
This trip was fantastic!
