​Evan and I road tripped Highway 1 in October. We started in Santa Cruz and ended in Santa Barbara. We flew to San Francisco, rented a car, and drove to our first stop, Santa Cruz. We stayed the night in Santa Cruz but looking back, I think we would have spent a half-day here. We hiked Wilder Ranch state park. The park was gorgeous once you got to the edges. The waves were huge and the hidden beaches were something I will never forget. After the hike, we headed towards downtown. There was an funky new development on Swift St. Here, there were a few shops worth visiting: Cat & Cloud Coffee, Humble Sea brewery Sawyer Land & Sea Supply shop. Our favorite was Apero wine, the décor, music, and wine selection was fabulous. We had orange wine and a rose—definitely, one of the highlights of Santa Cruz.
 
In Santa Cruz, we stayed at the paradox hotel. Paradox is an upgraded motel. The bathroom amenities were great, and the pool was well done. The property has bikes that you can rent, which we did one morning to bike to the boardwalk.
 
Some restaurants I recommend in Santa Cruz: Gabriella cafe, Picnic Basket,  Alderwood Santa Cruz, & Oswald Restaurant
 
Something we didn’t do but might be fun for kids: mystery spot

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