Pebble Beach, California, is renowned for its stunning natural beauty, situated along the rugged Pacific coastline of the Monterey Peninsula. The area is famous for its dramatic views of the ocean, majestic cypress trees, and pristine, pebble-strewn beaches. The 17-Mile Drive offers one of the most scenic coastal routes, showcasing iconic landmarks such as the Lone Cypress and the famed Pebble Beach Golf Links, which is often ranked among the top golf courses in the world.
Enjoy your first trip to this iconic coastal destination!
Thanks for reading a bit about my time in Pebble Beach. The serene environment, crashing waves, and the blend of coastal cliffs with lush, green forests make it a haven for nature lovers, photographers, and anyone seeking a peaceful yet invigorating escape.
Operating since 1907, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is the perfect spot for some California fun! The vibrant seaside park features a spectacular beach setting, great rides, food, and a friendly atmosphere. Best of all, The Boardwalk is super affordable, admission is free and the ride tickets are very inexpensive. A visit to The Boardwalk is truly a unique California experience!
The family-operated Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is the oldest amusement park in California and one of the last seaside amusement parks on the West Coast of the United States. The Giant Dipper roller coaster and Loof Carousel are both National Historic Landmarks and the entire Boardwalk property is a California Historic Landmark.
According to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk website, the Boardwalk’s roots date back to 1865. John Leibrandt opened a public bathhouse near the mouth of the San Lorenzo River. Other bathhouses opened and tourists began visiting Santa Cruz to enjoy the natural medicine of bathing in salt water. Soon more concessions began to pop up including restaurants, shops, and photo stands. Toward the end of the century, The Boardwalk had plans to become the Coney Island of the West.
If you’ve been following me along here on the blog, you know for my birthday I went on a Pacific Northwest Road trip. I flew in to Seattle, and drove to San Jose California, with stops in Portland Oregon, Santa Cruz, Carmel By The Sea, and Big Sur. After being on the Highway for several hours, the Boardwalk was the perfect stopping point in Santa Cruz. The salty beach air, the smells of the concession foods, and the sounds of all the rides were so welcoming after a long car ride.
The Boardwalk is packed full of attractions. You’ll find miniature golf, an arcade with over 300 video games, laser tag, air hockey, bowling and so much more. Most of the attractions are open from 9am to 12am, but be sure to check for seasonal hours online before you visit. As you stroll along The Boardwalk you’ll find lots of classic Midway games and fun vendors offering caricatures, photo booths, face painting (and henna) and so much more. You could spend hours out here and not be bored!
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk features a wonderful variety of fun and delicious food choices. Most of the food locations open with ride hours, and there are options for indoor dining, outdoor dining, and takeout. I was amazed by the amount of food choices on the boardwalk! You have options for sandwiches, fries, burgers, ice cream, fish & chips, crepes, Boba tea, pizza, corn dogs (Surf City Grill offers vegetarian corn dogs), gyros, cheesesteaks, beach tacos & nachos, BBQ, pretzels, saltwater taffy, caramel apples, and so much more! Needless to say, you won’t leave The Boardwalk hungry!
Spending the day in Santa Cruz and on The Boardwalk was one of the highlights of my birthday trip. I can’t recommend a visit to the boardwalk enough. The family-friendly atmosphere was so inviting and of course, I couldn’t get enough of all the food. It reminded me of the State Fair back home in NC but with much nicer weather! For a true California experience make sure to add a stop to Santa Cruz on your itinerary.
Thank you so much for reading and I hope you’ll stick around for more of my time on the West Coast!
If you’ve been following along with my blog posts or on my social media, you’ve seen some of the adventures I’ve had in California at Napa Valley and Alcatraz; now I’m going to talk about Sausalito!
During my stay in San Francisco, my husband and I decided to take a day trip to Sausalito and it was indeed the highlight of our Cali vacation! Sausalito is just a hop & a skip from San Francisco and it is the most charming seaside community I’ve ever visited! The town is full of beautiful shops, cafes, restaurants, and great waterfront walks.
The lovely beach town of Sausalito is right in San Francisco’s backyard. We simply headed across the Golden Gate Bridge and boom, you’re right in the quaint small town of Sausalito! Be prepared to fall in love instantly…homes nestled into the hillside, the sounds of sea birds chirping in the air, the salty breeze blowing in, so amazing!
We started our day trip from San Francisco to Sausalito with the most delicious breakfast at Kitchen Sunnyside. Kitchen Sunnyside is a small restaurant located in Mill Valley, CA which is just a short 15 minutes from Sausalito. My husband and I enjoyed a wonderful breakfast spread, with chicken & waffles for him, a turkey sausage hash for me, and berry french toast for us to share. The drinks were great too, I had a classic latte and Sidney had a chai tea latte. Be sure to check my IG for a fun reel featuring the excellent breakfast from Kitchen Sunnyside!
After breakfast, we drove straight into Sausalito and were just blown away by the beauty of this bayside town! I had fun taking silly photos that show the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance, and I was fortunate enough to glimpse a sea lion swimming by in the bay!
We spent most of the morning and early afternoon in Sausalito strolling the waterfronts, walking the marina, and visiting many of the local shops. I enjoyed selecting souvenirs from the one-of-a-kind shops that line the streets of the village.
For lunch we decided on Copita Tequileria y Comida, a modern Mexican restaurant with an incredible selection of Tequila. The tacos my husband and I shared were good but the Margaritas were the clear winners for me! If you know me you know I LOVE a good Margarita and I’d go so far to say that the Copita Margarita made with Herradura Slive Tequila, lime, agave nectar and a salted rim, is the BEST Margarita I’ve ever had, seriously. When in Sausalito, I highly recommend stopping by Copita’s for lunch or dinner. We enjoyed our meal inside, but they have a fabulous patio that right on the main drag of Sausalito.
A double scoop of ice cream from the Hawaiian chain, Lappert’s, was just the perfect way to end our day in Sausalito! Lappert’s Ice Cream is know for their tropical flavors and their Macadamia Nut ice cream sure did not disappoint! Taking in the scenic views of Sausalito with a delicious ice cream cone in my hand is definitely a memory I won’t soon forget.
Thanks for joining me for a fun day trip to Sausalito, California! Be sure to leave a comment and let me know what adventures you’d like to hear more about!
Welcome to “The Rock”! Located just under 2 miles off the San Francisco waterfront is Alcatraz Island & Prison. The Federal prison was in operation from 1934 to 1963 and at the time it was the most feared federal penitentiary in the United States. The famous 1979 movie, Escape From Alcatraz (starring Clint Eastwood) is based on the true story of Frank Morris, John Anglin, and Clarence Anglin and their 1962 escape from Alcatraz. Here is a clip of the movie if you are unfamiliar with it.
As I was planning my 40th birthday trip to California, there were certain spots I KNEW I wanted to visit (Napa Valley, for one) and others I just took a chance on. The Alcatraz Island visit was one of the chances and I’m so glad I took it; Alcatraz was one of the highlights of my California visit!
I purchased my tickets for the Alcatraz in advance and I went with the Early Bird Tour. The Early Bird Tour is the first tour of the day to Alcatraz Island. We purchased our tickets directly through Alcatraz City Cruises. Please DON’T fall victim to scammers, purchase your tickets online through a reputable vendor! Tickets were $41.00 per person and the price includes the ferry ride to the island as well as the audio tour. With tickets in hand, my husband and I made our way to Pier 33 to wait for the ferry to Alcatraz!
The ride to Alcatraz was stunning, with views of the Golden Gate Bridge on the port side and views of the San Francisco city line on the starboard side. The ferry was open-air so to smell the sea and hear the birds was an exhilarating start to the tour!
As the prison came into view, it became obvious how it earned its nickname, The Rock. The island literally looks like a rock rising out of the sea! I can only imagine what the prisoners arriving at Alcatraz must have thought of their fate.
After landing at Alcatraz, we were greeted by the Alcatraz staff and they explained the history of the island, hidden treasures to look out for, and they explained how the tours would work, We were all free to explore the entire island on our own and the ferry back to San Francisco leaves every 45 minutes. We decided to visit inside the prison first and save the prison grounds for later.
Stepping inside Alcatraz was surreal, I personally was glad that I could leave any time I wanted, unlike the men who served hard times here! As I mentioned earlier, Alcatraz tours include an audio tour in the ticket price. We were issued hand-held audio devices that allowed us to learn about each area of the prison we visited. The audio tour was narrated by ex-inmates and guards personally. We toured cell blocks, solitary confinement, areas used by prison staff, the warden’s office, the dining hall, and the recreation area. The highlight for me was seeing the actual cells of the 3 prisoners who escaped! Seeing the tiny hole they escaped from was incredible.
A visit to San Franciso should definitely include a trip to Alcatraz. Alcatraz is suitable for families, couples, friend groups, or single folks too. In addition to the Early Bird and day tours, Alcatraz offers night tours as well; imagine walking through the abandoned cell block at night…spooky!
Have you visited Alcatraz Island before? What was your favorite experience at The Rock? Head to the contact me page with your comments and feedback, I love hearing from you all!