When it was a bustling port city of the mid-18th century, Santa Cruz exported many goods: agricultural products, lumber, leather, and lime. Initially, goods and people we...
Lighthouse Point in Santa Cruz, California, is surrounded by world class surf spots and amazing views. It’s named for the lighthouse built to commemorate a local bo...
Brandt’s cormorants (Phalacrocorax penicillatus) are back on the sea cliff just west of Natural Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz. They started using this ledge in...
Part of Lighthouse Field State Beach, this beach just west of Lighthouse Point, is a favorite for locals. The west end of the beach contains a beautiful sea arch eroded i...
The two tree types you mostly see along West Cliff Drive are the Monterey cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa) and the Monterey pine (Pinus radiata). Both are often seen togeth...
The lighthouse at Lighthouse Point in Santa Cruz, is an icon to locals and visitors alike. It is rich with history of the lighthouse keepers who raised families there, so...
The Purisima Formation is the rock type that shapes the landscape characteristics of the central and southern Santa Cruz coast. It is present from the intersection of Swi...
Today, the Swift Street Courtyard area, in combination with the adjoining businesses off of Ingalls Street, has become a nexus for locals who like fresh local products, c...
In the late 1800s you could take a street car to Santa Cruz’s West Cliff Drive and then gamble, dance and stay in a hotel—all right there! The station was built in...
Most of the ice plant you see in California is all the same species: Highway ice plant (Carpobrotus edulis). As the common name indicates, it has been widely planted in C...
