Getting There -- Santa Cruz is 77 miles southeast of San Francisco. The most scenic route to Santa Cruz is along Highway 1 from San Francisco, which, aside from the "you fall, you die" stretch called Devil's Slide, allows you to cruise at a steady 50 mph. Faster but less romantic is Highway 17, which is accessed near San Jose from I-280, I-880, or U.S. 101, and ends at the foot of the boardwalk. The exception to this rule is on weekend mornings, when Highway 17 tends to logjam with beach-goers while Highway 1 remains relatively uncrowded.
Visitor Information -- For information, contact the Santa Cruz County Conference and Visitors Council, 1211 Ocean St., Santa Cruz, CA 95060 (tel. 800/833-3494 or 831/425-1234; www.santacruzca.org), open Monday through Saturday from 9am to 5pm, Sunday from 10am to 4pm.
Special Events -- Special events include Shakespeare Santa Cruz in July and August (tel. 831/459-2159; www.shakespearesantacruz.org), and the Cabrillo Music Festival in August (tel. 831/426-6966; www.cabrillomusic.org).
