The Carousel Motel (King Room pictured) offers special overnight package rates that include lodging and tickets to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. RELATED LINKS Return to Best Beaches

Accommodations

Tourists have been hitting the beach at Santa Cruz for more than a century, and over the years the city has cultivated an abundant supply of casual lodging options. You'll find plenty of basic motels, both independents and more predictable chain properties, within a few miles of the boardwalk. Several, including the Carousel Motel (www.santacruzmotels.com) and the Casa Blanca Inn (800-644-1570), are just up from the beach, though you might prefer a quieter setting farther removed from the action. Some noteworthy alternatives include the Fern River Resort (www.fernriver.com), a collection of 15 reasonably priced cabins a few miles outside of town; the cozy Babbling Brook Bed & Breakfast Inn (www.babblingbrookinn.com); or for more upscale accommodations, the Hilton Santa Cruz/Scotts Valley (www.hilton.com), a short drive north of town off Highway 17.

Dining Options

If still have an appetite after subjecting your junk-food-filled stomach to the dreaded Double Shot ride, take a spin up Highway 1 to nearby Aptos for impeccable California cuisine at the Bittersweet Bistro (www.bittersweetbistro.com). The Santa Cruz area also is fertile ground for various ethnic foods. Try Ristorante Avanti (831-427-0135), a casual Italian trattoria; O'Mei Restaurant (831-425-8458) for elegant Chinese fare; Rosa's Rosticeria (831-479-3536) for eclectic Latin American food; or Thai House (831-458-3546) for spicy Siamese delicacies.

Insider Tip

Throughout most of the summer, visitors to Santa Cruz should be prepared for frigid ocean temperatures and cool coastal weather. Even on warm, sunny days, it's not unusual for evening temperatures to drop precipitously as onshore winds bring fog and low clouds in off the Pacific, so keep extra layers handy. And while an ordinary swimsuit may be adequate for brief dips in the ocean, wetsuits are essential for surfing, sailboarding, diving or sea kayaking. Oddly enough, the most reliably hot weather typically occurs from late August through early October.