"Santa Cruz - An Eccentri - City " a Santa Cruz Travel Page by karenincalifornia

Santa Cruz is not short on character. When my husband and I spent a weekend near the town, we found constant sources of amusement. Not just in terms of things to do - and there is a variety of that - but also in terms of the people. So many people in Santa Cruz march to their own drummers, if you know what I mean. They would be misfits in other places, but here in Santa Cruz, they add color and pretty much are accepted in an already screwball beach town.

We saw homeless people having philosphical debates with each other (possibly ex-UC Santa Cruz professors who had one too many mushrooms in their younger days), people sleeping in their cars near the beach, people with strange obsessive-compulsive disorders (like obsessing over house flies or spots on wine glasses), homeless arguing with the local police but not being arrested (kudos to the police for not getting abusive), and pedestrians apparently on a suicide mission as they darted in traffic in downtown Santa Cruz. On the other hand, we met people who were engaging and friendly (but very possibly belonging to the other categories of Santa Cruz people as well).

Santa Cruz is so retro, which may be why it is a magnet for people who are living in their own world, without a real care about "fitting in" with the current 2006 world. The retro flavor of the town is very much part of its endearing charm.

In how many places can you still find Bulgy the Whale? He's there on the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. Talk about retro. Did this amusement park ride every bring back memories for me! (No, I am not talking about last year.)

Santa Cruz is entertaining, to say the least. It is full of college students and Gen-Xers at night. It also served as a good base for exploring wineries and hiking in the mountains for oldsters like my husband and me.