California - The Golden State - Part 3 of 3 - Santa Cruz

- - - - - I Left My Heart In California - - - - -

Out of all the cities and towns in California, Santa Cruz was our "dream" town to call home.  It offers us the soft, salty ocean breeze that we crave, the lifestyle that we live, the mediterranean climate, the outdoor activities we partake in, and the lifestyle mentality that we like.  You may ask, "why not just move there then?"  We have asked ourselves the same thing but it all comes down to the fact that the cost of living over there is much more expensive then the East Coast.  But who knows, maybe down the road we can finally call ourselves Californians.

One of the best things about Santa Cruz is its location, it is perfectly situated in the Monterey Bay in between San Francisco and Monterey. 

 Meaning, the marine life is out of this world amazing...you get to view the migrating whales from shore or sea, watch the sea lions folic everyday, and if you love dolphins this place is the mecca for them!  

The town itself is I guess is considered a "college town" because of the University of California at Santa Cruz but because of that the town offers a ton of fun, and funky shops, restaurants, and also exercise trails that hug the coast.  There really is never a lack of anything to do in Santa Cruz.

The view along the walking trail

One of the best breaks on a small day

Sunset from the balcony of our hotel

We stayed at the Sea and Sand Inn where all the rooms are ocean front

And you have to visit the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum

This is a great website to search for all Military discounts in the Santa Cruz area too :) 

 This post concludes my travels on California, I would love to hear from you if you want to pick my brain about anything or give you more information about UMT.  You can contact United Military Travel here or call them 866-582-9579 :)