Santa Cruz is the quintessential beach town, located on the northern edge of the Monterey
Bay, about 60 miles south of San Francisco. It is best known for being the home of the
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, California’s oldest amusement park and a designated State
Historic Landmark. It is also the West Coast's last remaining seaside amusement park.
Santa Cruz is also home to the University of California, Santa Cruz. Situated in the redwood
trees overlooking the Monterey Bay, UCSC is often considered the most beautiful of the
University of California campuses.
Santa Cruz is well known for surfing and skateboarding and is the home of O'Neill Surfboards.
It was here that Hawaiian royalty first introduced surfing to the mainland and surfers have
been riding the waves here ever since.
The downtown area, Pacific Garden Mall, has been rebuilt almost from scratch after
suffering extensive damage in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. This area is a gathering
place for Santa Cruz's population of street people, along with numerous street entertainers.
A walk down the Pacific Garden Mall is like going back in time to the 70's.
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