Seacliff State Beach is a nice and chill beach in Aptos. We visited b/c we like the ocean and need…read moreto get away from the drab of the valley every once in awhile, haha. I enjoyed seeing the ocean and my kids love playing on the beach, but I wanted to highlight the Visitor Center. So Seacliff State Beach has a nice little visitor center/museum, it's small, but it's actually full of great info, and it's free. It gave me a whole new appreciation for that boat wreck (the SS Palo Alto) at the end of the dilapidated pier out there right on the beach. There was a ton of historical artifacts, documents, and pictures all providing great info on what happened, why, and how it all went down w/the SS Palo Alto. They even had a video about S.S. Palo Alto and you can look at it through the telescope. Pretty cool stuff. There were also excellent exhibits on the geology and wildlife in the Monterey Bay ecosystem in general and at Sea Cliff Beach in particular. So much to learn from this little place, my kids had a blast b/c a lot of the small exhibits were hands on. They also got a kick out of the "stuffed animals" i.e. the taxidermy of local bird which were well done and really allowed for literal close-up looks at the birds in this marine region. Neat for those of us who like science generally and marine biology and animals specifically. Finally, there's a gift shop in there too, if you want to pick up a book about this region, some souvenirs, or send a friend a postcard from your trip here and the prices were all reasonable. People who worked here were friendly, informative, and helpful. We'll plan to visit again, hopefully soon.

What a beautiful magical beach with a ship wreck peeking out of the ocean not to far from the…read moreshoreline. Plenty of beautiful rocks and sea glass. My girlfriend found two fossilized great white shark teeth so that is cool and she found a natural sea marble just beautiful. Stayed for the sunset it was amazing. You have to come. Plenty of parking it was a 10$ fee but worth every dollar. There are restrooms. And shower

Quaint local park: tennis courts,baseball field, playground, soccer field, community garden and…read moreCommunity Center It is a safe day time spot to take your dog (or for others, your kids.) Minus one star for not being well lit at night. Especially when it gets dark early...

I enjoy their variety of classes. So glad to be attending…read moreZumba classes bi weekly as well as language classes: Brazilian Portuguese, Japanese for traveling, Visualization and Yoga.

Lovely location in Santa Cruz - a bit off the tourist path which makes it special…read more We were in the area as we had booked a memorial cruise with extended family. There are plenty of parking spots ($2 per hour) and bathrooms are available. Beautiful little harbor, with a lot of good animal and bird watching (harbor seals, pelicans, cormorants, et cetera). Good restaurants and coffee shops as well, with excellent beach access. Will be back!

It's about a half mile walk there and back. This…read morelighthouse is very picturesque and great for photos. You can't go inside but it's nice just to walk there and take in the sounds of the waves breaking and the fresh ocean breeze in your face. It appears there are 2 lighthouses in SC. The other one is at the Pacific Surf museum. That one that one is closer to things and has a museum where the Walton one is just a standalone. I like the Walton better because it looks more like a classic lighthouse.

My wife and I had an amazing lunch on Thursday for our anniversary. The food is always terrific and…read morechanges monthly. Our server told us about the free monthly tours which included all three floors of the house and one was this Saturday, today. The tour was great and there was so much information on John Steinbeck and the history of the Salinas area. Our tour guide was John and he did a terrific job and had so many personal stories that he added into the conversation. Probably from over 12 years experience and knowledge of Steinbeck. Highly recommend and chicken mushroom crepe is hard to beat. Thank you and we can't wait to be back!

The food and service were fabulous. All persons working are volunteers--I would volunteer if I…read morelived in the area. I had called on our way in, and a special sign was waiting for me upon arrival. My cauliflower soup was delicious and I was so glad I decided to try it. The salad with the fresh local greens, apples and Brie Cheese was wonderful, and the chicken was fresh and perfectly prepared. Planning on my next visit when I am in the area.

Best recruiter SSGT. Nguyen I had a great experience with the Air Force recruiter in Capitola!…read moreThey were super helpful, knowledgeable, and made the process smooth and easy. Highly recommend!

I have been trying to get in contact with a military recruiter and I first tried the marines but…read moreended up going with the Air Force .Ssgt Kevin Nguyen was very helpful and informative. He set up my profile fast and I made it to MEPs processing in no time. He also gave me tips and made sure I made it through till basic military training. I have now graduated from my technical training and am doing Recruiters assistant program. I wouldn't recommend any other recruiter or branch to join.

A must visit beach in Seacliff with an historical cement boat as its centerpiece! Visit the museum…read morefor the full story!

So much fun for toddlers and young children. Active play plus arts and crafts. A good way to spend…read morea couple hours and burn some energy.

It was my family's first time and I wish we went my toddler was a baby. This place was so cute and…read morehad a lot of activities for kids and adults too. My 4 year old loved the different zones and kept jumping from one section to another. While we were there we joined the science activity and my toddler made an interesting airplane. It was a little busy in the afternoon on a Saturday mainly due to birthday parties. They only have one bathroom so be aware that you might have to wait in line especiallyif theres a party. Other than that, for $10 my kid had a great time for a couple of hours. We'll come when we visit Santa Cruz again.

Rispin Mansion Capitola CA Sat 10/30/21…read more The Rispin Mansion in Capitola California is a historic mansion, registered on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. I've been at this site countless times over the years, oh how I regret not to have posted my previously taken photos, lost in the mists of time (and annals of my old laptops somewhere)! Wish I had a review written back in a day. And I'll tell you why, in a second. Around 75% of the Rispin Mansion had been destroyed by fire about 10 years ago. It was soon after the Capitola City Council approved a 55-year lease that would repair the grounds and turn it into a 25-room boutique hotel, back in May of 2009. The project was billed at $14 million, however, just before the construction started, a fire broke out. And now you know the rest of the story! So the grounds are fenced with the chicken wire and abandoned on the day of my today's visit on Saturday October 30, 2021. The building was constructed in 1921 by San Franciscan Henry Allen Rispin. It was built with four stories, 22 rooms, and over 7,100 square feet, on the grounds of what was called "Camp Capitola". Described as being "cursed," Rispin Mansion was first used as a real-estate showroom, and then, at various times, as a residence, a nunnery, a SWAT practice ground, and even as a ghost hunting site! Why is it on the National Register, what's historic about it? Well, I'm glad that you asked. It's because Henry Allen Rispin was one of the founding fathers of Capitola. He saw its large potential as a vacation spot and tourist attraction. Rispin owned or controlled most of the land in the new city of Capitola. During the Great Depression, he lost his fortune and had to sell the mansion. It went to his business partner Robert Hays Smith through foreclose, then got sold to the Oblates of St. Joseph and became a convent, until 1959. For many decades thereafter, Rispin Mansion stayed unoccupied, neglected, vandalized with graffiti, ghosted. That is until the city purchased the property in 1985 for mere $1.35 million and eventually placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. It attracts supernatural interest from the ghost hunters who visit the property during the middle of the night, to film the paranormal activities. So I thought it was most fitting to pen my review on Halloween 2021 to bring your attention to Rispin Mansion and its ghosts of the past. Cheers! Review #654 posted with 6 pictures on October 30, 2021 Rispin Mansion Capitola CA Sat 10/30/21 ® It don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that swing doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah It don't mean a thing all you got to do is sing doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah It makes no difference If it's sweet or hot Just give that rhythm Everything you've got Rispin Mansion Capitola CA Sat 10/30/21