Santa Cruz is a coastal beach community with beautiful beaches to comb or spend the day soaking up the sun. Located on the California coast south of San Jose, day trips to Santa Cruz from Mill Valley are a great way to explore the town. The drive from Mill Valley to Santa Cruz is approximately 86 miles so expect driving for around one hour and forty-eight minutes, depending on traffic.
On your trip to Santa Cruz, if you have the time, it is definitely worth checking out Big Basin State Park to see the largest grove of coastal redwoods in California. Another great side trip is a visit to Mount Hermon in the Santa Cruz mountains for a zip-line eco tour of the redwood forests canopy. The tour includes six zip-lines and two bridges 150 feet in the air. The zip-line adventure is sure to satisfy the adventurer in you.
Santa Cruz has its own wine country located in the Santa Cruz Mountains. With more than 70 wineries in the region, wine tasting is a great way to spend the afternoon.
Santa Cruz is a typical California beach town better known for its relaxed pace, beaches and beautiful weather, but it also has an active arts and culture scene. Santa Cruz has many art galleries and museums such as the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum established in 1986 that documents one hundred years of surfing. Santa Cruz also hosts theatrical events like the Shakespeare Santa Cruz. Shakespeare Santa Cruz is one of the top ten Shakespeare events in America.
Weekends in October in Santa Cruz are a great time to check out Open Studios, which opens art studios of local artists to the public. Here the public can view artists in action and see the processes artists utilize to make beautiful art.
Whether it's going to the redwood forest, visiting wineries, watching plays, or browsing in an art studio, Santa Cruz has activities for everyone.