J and I celebrated our eight year wedding anniversary on June 4. As a surprise, I took him to the beautiful
Dream Inn in Santa Cruz. He didn't guess where we were headed until he saw the Highway 17 sign to Santa Cruz.
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| Best place to stay in Santa Cruz |
Although we only stayed one night, we had such a blast! Because it was our anniversary, we were upgraded to a "Cloud" level room; rooms on the highest floors. It was such a treat, as the views are phenomenal. You can hear the waves crashing and seals barking. If you haven't been to the Dream Inn, it's a place for your travel bucket list.
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| View of Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk from our room |
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| View of the Wharf from our room |
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| Dream Inn Pool and Sun Deck |
Our day was very relaxing. We walked to the Wharf and saw the seals. There were also a ton of jellyfish in the water. I thought it was the coolest thing ever, because I have only seen them at aquariums.
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| Santa Cruz Seals Sunning |
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| J and the Seals |
After the Wharf, we headed to
Ideal Bar and Grill for lunch. It's right on the sand and truly is an "ideal" place for lunch. After lunch, we made our way to the beach boardwalk. I have not been there since I was in high school. It hasn't changed much, but still makes you feel like a kid. We walked the boardwalk and rode the Sky Ride - a fabulous way to view the scenery. I joked with J that we are getting old; looking for the rides that offer the best scenic view, not the most thrill.
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| Ideal Bar and Grill - great lunch spot |
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| Ferris Wheel on the Boardwalk |
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| View from the Sky Ride |
We spent the remainder of the afternoon on our balcony and later had drinks there before dinner. We wanted to explore more of the area, so went to nearby Capitola for dinner. Always in the mood for Mexican, we settled at
Margaritaville (not to be confused with Buffet's Margaritaville.) After dinner, we strolled along the Capitola strand and the full moon was cascading over the water. It was a spectacular sight. Our last Capitola stop was to
Starz Cupcakes. The owner gave us several cupcakes for our anniversary and they were delicious! If you are in the area, treat yourself to a Salted Carmel or Triple Chocolate cupcake. You will not be disappointed.
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| Capitola Beach |
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| Moon over Capitola |
Monday morning was a rainy day so we were thankful that the weather on Sunday was perfect. After a stop at Rip Curl, we drove up Highway 1 into San Francisco. We stopped in Sausalito at our favorite deli,
Venice Gourmet and had lunch. It was a great way to end our trip.
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| Golden Gate Bridge |
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| Road into Sausalito |
So, here's to our ninth year together. I know we are both looking forward to what new adventures are in store. This is going to be an exciting year for us. It is the year that we hopefully become parents!
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| Celebrating 8 years |
Until then...
