Santa Cruz and Monterey

We spent a couple of days in each of Santa Cruz and Monterey on Monterey Bay. We were good tourists, and spent an afternoon at the beachfront amusement part in Santa Cruz, riding rollercoasters and playing arcade games. It was more fun than I would have thought, and a good antidote to boat, boat, boat.

Santa Cruz is a really youthful town, and I don't think it was just because we were at the amusement park. There's a huge beach with volleyball courts, surfer and university students. It was a cool place to hang out.

Monterey was touristy in a different way. We walked along Steinbeck's Cannery Row (now shops, hotels and restaurants for the rich), and wound up at the world famous aquarium. At $25 apiece, the entrance fee was steep but worth it. They have an excellent facility with lots of cool fish, otters and birds to see. They put a great emphasis on ecology and conservation, which was also great. I do feel a little uncomfortable seeing animals cooped up outside tier natural habitat, but other than that it was
a great visit.

We also met up with BCA member Dave on Demelza again, and sailed to Morro Bay with him. It is nice to finally have some company on the water.