Les meilleurs hôtels à Santa Cruz

The antique carousel at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is as charming as ever. The grand old lady of the park still has rings you can reach out and grab (although they're steel now, not brass), and the mounts have real horse-hair tails. Since 1907, Californians have escaped to the state's oldest oceanside amusement park, riding the Giant Dipper roller coaster, whirling in bumper cars and getting delirious on cotton candy. The Lost Boys was filmed here--Kiefer Sutherland's romp as a vampire. U.C. Santa Cruz, home of the "fighting banana slugs," is right up the hill and is arguably the most beautiful college campus in the country. The city of Santa Cruz lies on the coast of the Monterey Bay and below the Santa Cruz Mountains, treasured by outdoor adventurers, marine biologists and sunbathers alike. Tourists flock to this West Coast paradise despite the turmoil likely to occur en route. The dreaded Highway 17, which links Santa Cruz to Silicon Valley, is notorious for maddening traffic and short-fused drivers. U.S. Highway 1 is a serpentine, coastal alternative, but be careful not to get distracted by the breathtaking ocean views. For those who make it to Santa Cruz ... surf's up! Surfn' is king here, as proclaimed by all the surfer dudes with Santa Cruz stickers on their boards.