It’s easy to forget we’re within four hours of the world’s largest unbroken monolith of mountains. And it just so happens that a fantastic ski season has (finally) begun. The top destination resort? Squaw Valley (aka Olympic Valley). Bisected by a meandering creek and lorded over by craggy, saw-toothed peaks, this is one of the Tahoe Sierra’s most gorgeous alpine basins, surrounded by mountains so big that you’ll lose perspective on distance and height.

Host of the 1960 Winter Olympics, the games put Squaw on the map and established Lake Tahoe as a world-famous ski destination. Development of golf courses and hotels over the past 47 years has significantly altered the valley’s character, but the land remains spectacular. Skiing and snowboarding are the major draws, but since the construction of the new Village at Squaw, the valley now has a burgeoning nightlife scene and some of Tahoe’s top places to stay and eat.

See & Do in Squaw Valley

Though skiing at Squaw Valley USA is—by far—the biggest attraction, there’s enough to keep non-skiers entertained, at least for an afternoon. Wander the Village at Squaw Valley, an assemblage of four-story faux-Alpine buildings connected by a pedestrian mall. The Village is chockablock with shops and galleries, most of them nothing-special, with a few stellar exceptions. Waxen Moon is a super-fun make-your-own-candle studio, the perfect place to get crafty when the weather is lousy. To up your winter wardrobe’s chic factor, head directly to Plumpjack Sport, the hottest ski-garb boutique in Northern California, and the place to find a fur-trimmed parka or a sexy one-piece (yup, they’re back in style, in some circles, at least). Across the street at Plumpjack Squaw Valley Inn, there’s another branch, with pretty-girl and fancy-boy street clothes.

Ride the Cable Car up 2000 vertical feet to High Camp (elevation 8200ft), where you can twirl around the Olympic Ice Pavilion, tour the tiny Olympic Museum, then sip cocktails at Alexander’s Café and take in the gorgeous lake views (skip the food). If you can’t snag a window table at Alexander’s, head to the Terrace Bar instead, which is essentially a cafeteria, but the views are just as good.

If you’re not a skier but love a good adrenaline rush, take the kids snow-tubing at the Papoose Learning Center. A dedicated lift hauls you uphill, then you fly back down on specially groomed tubing lanes. It’s a blast! Make reservations on weekends.

Try your hand at rock-climbing or bungee-trampoline jumping at the Squaw Valley Adventure Center. Inside the Cable Car building, don a harness and climb a 30ft-vertical fake-rock face of the Headwall Climbing Wall, an especially good activity if it’s storming and the kids are…uh, climbing the walls. If you can’t commit to working that hard, head outside to the Skyjump Trampoline, where you strap into a bungee harness and start hopping; once you gain enough height, do mid-air somersaults. It’s more fun in summer, when you can wear shorts, but for a five-minute thrill, it’s worth the ten bucks.

Get the lowdown on all of North Lake Tahoe’s major ski resorts.

Squaw Valley Restaurants

The biggest name at Tahoe is also the best spot for dinner anywhere around the lake. Outpost of the namesake San Francisco restaurant, Plumpjack Café ($$$$) imports urban style to the Sierra, with a sophisticated menu of seasonal cooking, all expertly prepared using top-notch ingredients by artisinal growers—no small feat in the Sierra in wintertime. Most dishes shine for their simplicity and bright flavors: expect pan reductions instead of fat-laden sauces, perfect after a day on the slopes. The wine list is remarkable for its low prices and stellar vintages. The intimate dining room’s minimalist decor, dressed-down chic, and low lighting make it the ideal place for holding hands by candlelight. If you’re into food, don’t miss Plumpjack. Reservations essential.

A floor-to-ceiling river-rock fireplace dominates the knotty-pine dining room at Graham’s ($$$–$$$$), one of the valley’s coziest restaurants. (So what if they preset the napkins inside the water glasses? You’re in the mountains, not the Marina.) The ambitious menu bills itself as southern European, with dishes like paella and osso bucco, though there are a number of Cal-American staples like crab cakes too, making it a good choice for groups with diverse tastes. Some items fall short in their execution, a result of the menu’s unnecessary complexity: to ensure a spot-on meal, order straightforward dishes. Reservations essential.

One of north Tahoe’s only sushi joints, Mamsake ($$$-$$$$) serves all the standards, plus some inventive signature rolls made without rice. A big-screen TV shows extreme-ski movies, some filmed just up the hill, making this an über-fun spot for a kick-back meal of raw fish. Alas, service can be downright bad, prices are sky-high, and you may wait a long time for a table, but if you’re craving sushi, this is the place. No reservations.

For an easy dinner, Fireside Pizza ($$) in the Village does a reliably good job, especially when you’ve hungry kids in tow. For steaks and Guinness on tap, hit the the Auld Dubliner ($$$–$$$$), a kick-back Irish pub. Alas, Balboa Cafe is no more. The Squaw branch closed this past summer, but the SF flagship remains open.

Squaw Valley Bars

There’s a major après-ski scene at Squaw. Between 3pm and 5pm, budgeteers head directly for Mamasake and order the $5 special: a spicy-tuna or salmon handroll and an ice-cold can of Bud. (Score!) The boho-fancies meet at Plumpjack, the top spot for fur-clad winos. Few people know that Graham’s restaurant also has a cozy wine bar, a great alternative when the Village is packed. After dinner, the cool cats head to Zenbu Tapas Lounge in the Olympic House, at Squaw’s base area, where live DJs spin thump-thump house, techno, and hiphop; there’s also a pretty good tapas menu till midnight.

Squaw Valley Hotels

For luxury and style, you can’t beat Plumpjack Squaw Valley Inn ($$$–$$$$), Tahoe’s definitive boutique hotel. Originally built to house visiting dignitaries to the 1960 Olympics, the two-story lodge sits right next to the lifts and has a smart, sophisticated design. Rooms are decked out with sexy custom furnishings, silky fabrics, cushy beds with feather-light duvets, and top-flight bathroom amenities. Best of all, the service—solicitous and personable—is stellar, no small feat in a ski town. Not all the rooms have bathtubs, but you can soak away your ski legs in the hot tubs outside on the pool deck.

The Resort at Squaw Creek and its black-glass, Reagan-era towers look way out of place in the mountains, but this is the only true full-service resort hotel this side of Incline Village. The once-tired rooms at the 650-acre property were renovated in 2005, and the new decor is spiffy, if slightly uninspired, with heavy wooden furniture crammed too close together. Still, there’s a full complement of activities, making this a great pick for families—kids love the skating rink and lagoon-like swimming pool. There’s also a ski lift right from the hotel to the mountain. One drawback: you’ll have to drive across the valley to reach the main lodge and the village’s nightlife.

Built in 2000 as the valley’s new centerpoint, the Village at Squaw Valley ($$$$) has one-, two-, and three-bedroom condo units right near the lifts. All have full kitchens with granite counters and living rooms with gas fireplaces. The look is clean, but strictly generic, with textured drywall and Ikea-like furniture; service is lackluster. But you can’t beat the location: the village is in the middle of everything, making it a good pick for families and nightlife hounds. If Plumpjack is full, I like to stay here.

Condos at the Squaw Valley Lodge ($$$–$$$$) front directly on the mountain and, depending which building you’re in, you can ski right out the door to the lifts. There’s a fantastic gym for real athletes, as well as a good-size pool and hot tub, but the lodge has two major drawbacks: decor and noise. Because each condo is individually owned, there’s no uniformity to the furnishings; some are downright tacky. And the walls are thin, so if your upstairs neighbors traipse around in their ski boots, you’re gonna hear ‘em. For maximum quiet, book a top-floor unit or bring earplugs. Still, the location is fantastic—this is the only true ski-in, ski-out lodge at Squaw—and the service is remarkably good. For the best rates, join the lodge’s free Granite Chief Club.

More Tahoe skiing

Introduction

Everyone complains about winter, but it ain’t going away. Instead of brooding, shift your perspective and get into it. The colors are glorious. The hills are turning green again, and the sky is magnificent with giant, puffy cumulous clouds. Head to the forest and hear the drip-drop of rain falling from giant redwoods onto spiky green ferns below. I can’t think of a moodier nearby place to submit to winter than Occidental.

You have to know where you’re going to find Occidental, an Old West lumber town hidden in the Sonoma County woods. Tourists whiz right past the turnoff, never knowing that there’s a picture-perfect village just up the road. Unlike most towns in Sonoma, Occidental is surrounded not by vineyards, but by redwood forests (including some old-growth stands) and Christmas-tree farms. To the west rolling, grassy hills unfurl ten miles to the Pacific coast—like a plein air painting come to life.

Occidental and its itty-bitty neighbor Freestone are classic NorCal small towns, populated by old-line ranching families and counterculturalists who bought in before the land boom of the mid-1990s sent prices through the roof. Lately you can see hints of change in some of the new shops and galleries springing up, but the old guard remains firmly ensconced, right down to the occasional acid-addled, aged hippie hanging out along the aptly named Bohemian Highway, town’s main drag. (On a recent visit a smiling, glassy-eyed old-timer with shoulder-length white hair approached me on the sidewalk and boomed, ‘Welcome to Occidental, the west pole of the planet!’ then ambled away. That’s what I call local color.)

The business district is tiny, only a few blocks long, and you can see the whole thing in an afternoon. If you’re not content to while away the remainder of the day with a book, plan to winery-hop, hike the woods, or take a scenic drive to the beach, only 20 minutes away.

See & Do in Occidental

Occidental has some surprisingly cool shops. My favorite is Renga Arts, a fab collection of functional art objects made entirely of reclaimed or recycled materials. There’s also an esoteric, smart assortment of books. Laurence Glassworks has a small, but exceptional collection of hand-blown glass and jewelry. Dig the one-of-a-kind art lamps and home furnishings at Verdigris—they’re gorgeous. Across the street, Aubergine imports men’s and women’s vintage European clothing by the bale (you read that right). The designs are unlike anything you’ll find elsewhere—fitted and tight (the stuff for big people goes fast; there’s lots in small and medium)—and prices are remarkably inexpensive.

The only spa of its kind this side of Japan, Osmosis Enzyme Bath is famous for its enzymatic spa treatments — redwood tubs filled with detoxifying hot cedar mulch. Fragrant ground-up cedar and evergreen, along with 600 hundred plant enzymes, ferment together and generate heat. The deeper you burrow, the higher the temperature – as high as 140 degrees at the bottom of the tub. Once you get past the singular experience of lying in hot wood pulp, the floating sensation is delicious. But it’s not for everyone. If you get squeamish about plunging your body into anything but water, opt for a facial or an outdoor massage in a Japanese-style pagoda. After your treatment, empty your mind of thought in the Zen-like calm of the tea and meditation gardens.

In the wooded hills above Occidental, Western Hills Nursery is a must-visit for any self-respecting gardener. Founded in the late 1950s by two budding horticulturalists who traveled the world in search of seeds, Western Hills grew over the years into an exotic oasis, drawing elite gardeners from around the world. Get this: ten years ago the Chinese government came here to propagate a species of Chinese pine that had grown extinct in its native land, but was thriving at Western Hills. The founders died 20 years ago, and the garden was passed down to a devoted friend who cared for it until last December, then sold it to new owners who just reopened the nursery last May as a public botanical garden. Oh, and if you wait to visit Occidental till spring, do a drive-by in April to see the huge wisteria vine growing around the trunk of a towering redwood, right outside the nursery’s main gate, off Coleman Valley Rd. It’s spectacular.

The US Supreme Court ordered the preservation of the Grove of the Old Trees, a 28-acre stand of old-growth redwoods—including seven ancient trees—just west of town. Several easy, sun-dappled walking trails meander beneath the canopy of these mighty giants. Take Coleman Valley Rd to Joy Rd; turn left, then 500 yards ahead, turn right onto Fitzpatrick Lane. Continue about 3 miles. Cross the cattle grate and go 0.3 miles to a small gravel parking lot on the right side (if you reach the vineyard, you’ve driven too far); look for the tiny sign above the trailhead.

One of Northern California’s outstanding scenic drives, Coleman Valley Road winds through pastoral valleys and atop high ridgelines on its twisting 10-mile course to the ocean. Along the way you’ll pass fragrant stands of bay laurel arcing over the roadway, and douglas firs dripping with sphagnum moss—a moody sight in the fog. But the money shots are up high on the ridges, where fantastic centuries-old gnarled oaks grow by the side of the road, enormous rock formations rise from the hills, and the vast blue Pacific unfurls below. Drive west, not east, so that you’re looking at the sea as you go, and make the trip in the morning or early afternoon to avoid being blinded by the setting sun. There’s no guard rail and lots of potholes on the one-lane road, so take it slow. The road dead ends at Sonoma Coast State Beach. Turn around and head back to town, or drive south on Hwy 1 to Bodega Bay.

Occidental is close to Russian River Valley wineries, which are known for their cool-climate pinot noir and chardonnay. Within a short distance, along pretty little back roads, are three of my favorites. Take in jaw-dropping views from Iron Horse Vineyards, which sits high atop a hill. Famous for its pinot and sparkling wines (which the White House often pours), Iron Horse’s barn and outdoor tasting room is great for nervous amateurs and first-time winery visitors because it’s so casual: when your done with your glass, you dump it onto the grass!

Hartford Family Winery sits in one of West County’s prettiest valleys, surrounded by rolling hills dotted with redwood stands. The tasting room is a bit formal for West County, but you’ll hardly care what you’re wearing after a few sips of single-vineyard pinot, chard, or old-vine zin, the latter a richly complex wine with intense color. Outside are picnic tables with umbrellas, a lovely spot to unpack your lunch (b.y.o.). Marimar Torres is West County’s new important label, known for its earthy wines made with organic fruit. But it’s pricy—a tasting will set you back $10, an outlandish fee for around here, even if it is refundable with a purchase.

For more Sonoma County wineries, read our Healdsburg Wineries page. For more ideas on what to do along the Bohemian Highway, check out the excellent Bohemian Connection, a guide to activities between Occidental and Monte Rio.

Occidental Restaurants: Cheap Eats

Howard’s Bakery and Café ($) is the place for breakfast and lunch in Occidental. Inside an old Victorian with a big front porch, Howard’s makes good scrambles and omelettes, pancakes and waffles, crunchy salads, hand-cut fries, and a killer BLT with applewood-smoked bacon. Most ingredients are organic, the juice is freshly squeezed, and the bread home-baked. Lots for vegetarians too. Oh, and there’s Wi-Fi, a rarity around here (but come before closing time, 2:30pm).

Don’t let looks deceive you: El Mariachi Café ($) makes homemade tamales as good as your Mexican grandmother’s. The café has zero atmosphere (it’s essentially a trailer), but the food—simple, fresh, and cheap—is terrific, especially for this price point. Sit outside on plastic patio furniture and munch on salsa and still-warm tortilla chips while you wait for your meal. At breakfast there’s also good huevos rancheros.

Occidental is known for its two Italian restaurants, the Union Hotel ($$) and Negri’s ($$). Each serves six-course family-style Italian-American meals at tables with red-and-white-checked tablecloths; neither is particularly good – unless you don’t care if your pasta is overcooked. Though some readers have challenged me on this, I remain firm in my opinion. But the Union Hotel Saloon ($) has town’s best lunch deal: a whole pizza, salad, and soda for $8. Afterward peek into the Union’s retro-fabulous Bocce Ballroom.

Occidental & Graton Restaurants: Our Favorites

Occidental’s year-old Bistro des Copains ($$–$$$) is firmly rooted in provincial French cooking, but not the fussy kind, the soul-warming kind served in bistros in France. Dishes include grilled hangar steak with red-wine sauce and french fries, and leg of lamb with potatoes gratin. There’s also a wood-fired oven for roasted meats and pissaladière, a French pizza (order it the classic way: with anchovies). The owners are so devoted to their craft that they took the entire staff to France for two weeks to taste wine and bone up on their culinary knowledge.

Alas, Pignoli recently closed its doors. Too bad. I loved that place.

Five miles east of Occidental, in the blink-and-miss-it town of Graton, are two unexpectedly good restaurants. The Cal-American menu at Willow Wood Market lists favorites like a juicy-delicious roasted chicken, and pan-roasted salmon, perfectly prepared with few ingredients, allowing the foods’ natural flavors to sparkle on the palate. The restaurant doubles as a general store, with wooden tables placed between shelves of unusual gifts and foodstuffs. Snag a table in the garden, if you can.

Across the street, the more fancy Underwood Bar & Bistro is the only place anywhere near Occidental with an urban vibe and full bar. The Mediterranean-inspired menu tends toward brasserie fare like steak-frites and fish stew, but there’s also a good small-plates menu if you’d rather sample a variety of dishes while swilling cocktails at the always-fun bar.

The new big name on the western Sonoma County culinary scene is West County Grill ($$$–$$$$). Read a complete review in one of my previous weekly posts.

Occidental & Freestone Bakeries and Markets

It’s hard not to love Wild Flour Bakery and its hearty brick-oven all-organic bread. Some connoisseurs find it a tad heavy, but such is the style here—and it’s delicious, with varieties chock full of nuts and fruits. And how marvelous to find still-warm crusty loaves in the middle of nowhere! Though the bakery also sells biscotti, scones, and coffee, Wild Flour is a bakery, not a café, so plan to buy a loaf then head elsewhere for lunch.

At last you can buy real groceries in Occidental. The Bohemian Market carries organic produce and has a small, but wonderful selection of meats and seafood, including cuts by Niman Ranch. Find fresh-from-the-ground produce at Occidental’s weekly farmers market on Friday afternoons, 4pm to dusk, June through October. If you need to do a big shop, head to Sebastopol; Fiesta Market is better than Whole Foods – and it’s local.

Occidental Hotels and House Rentals: Budget to Top End

The best-value accommodations are at the plain-jane Occidental Hotel ($) which is actually a single-story motel. The rooms are nothing to look at, but they’re clean. Some have kitchens. Down the road in Freestone, the four-room Green Apple Inn ($) has simple B&B rooms in an old farmhouse. It’s not fancy, but it’s a good alternative to a motel, and you can’t beat the price – about $85.

One of Sonoma County’s loveliest B&Bs, the Inn at Occidental ($$$–$$$$) occupies a beautifully restored 1876 Victorian farmhouse with a big wraparound porch, perfect for curling up with a book. The inn is chockablock full of collectible antiques and Americana folk art. Some rooms fell a bit small and cluttered, but if your idea of a fun Saturday is antiquing in small towns, you’ll love the decor. Breakfasts are lavish, well worth waking up for. Once a month, the inn hosts an excellent winemaker dinner, with a local celeb chef and vintner, worth planning your trip around.

Introduction

Incline Village in winter is ideal for two things: vacation rentals and upmarket gambling.

A master-planned community on the northwest shore of Lake Tahoe, the town of Incline Village, Nevada, was conceived in 1959, the year before the winter Olympics came to Tahoe. Envisioned by Oklahoma developer Art Wood, who purchased 9000 acres from land-magnate and playboy George Whittell for a mere $5.3 million, the idea behind Incline was to create a completely planned, residential ‘village,’ with two primary amenities for community members: a golf course and small ski area.

The effect is ersatz. Shops and services are bunched together in a small commercial center that now jams with SUVs on any given weekend afternoon. Brown-painted houses line countless cul de sacs. Kids play basketball in driveways, while moms and dads barbecue around back. Everyone drives everywhere.

With the exception of the late-20th century lakeside mansions along Lakeshore Drive, Incline is basically a giant subdivision of vintage-60s and -70s second homes on some of Nevada’s most expensive real estate. There’s a huge inventory of affordable rental properties, some of them damn big and with fabulous lake views, making Incline a primo locale for a weekend getaway of ten friends, or for a big family house party.

Aside from skiing at Diamond Peak, wintertime entertainment centers around dinner at a handful of restaurants or gambling at the Hyatt Regency, Lake Tahoe’s only true full-service resort. Its casino is the cleanest and best kept at Tahoe, ideal for clean-hands gamblers who find South Lake distasteful.

Forego bottled water while you’re here. Instead drink from the tap: the lake supplies Incline’s municipal water. And it’s delicious.

See & Do

Because it’s largely residential, not a lot happens in Incline in winter. There’s good golfing, a terrific Shakespeare festival, and a cool historic mansion tour we’ll tell you about once the weather warms up, but for now, the big activity is skiing at Diamond Peak or Mount Rose.

If the weather isn’t cooperating, consider booking a spa treatment at the swanky Stillwater Spa at the Hyatt Regency Resort. The arid, high-altitude winter air is hard on skin, so a body wrap and hot stone massage feel great at Tahoe. But bring your checkbook: all this pampering doesn’t come cheap.

If you’re not feeling flush, the best free activity in Incline is a drive along Hyatt Lake Tahoe Casino, the top casino at Tahoe.

Incline Village Restaurants

Everybody rushes to the Lone Eagle Grille ($$$$) at the Hyatt, by far the grandest dining room on the north shore, with soaring ceilings, huge rock fireplaces, and enormous plate-glass windows overlooking the lake’s blue water. Too bad the overly fancy steakhouse fare doesn’t live up to the surroundings. And those prices? Outrageous. If you’re on an expense account, go for it.

If it’s truly great food you want, the hands-down best cooking at Incline is at Le Bistro ($$$), a tiny French-provincial restaurant run by a 43-year veteran French chef who trained in a Michelin three-star restaurant in the French countryside. A master craftsman, he’s one of Tahoe’s best chefs—and hardly anybody knows about him (even though Gourmet and Bon Appétit both have featured him). At a time when everyone is racing to capitalize on the next big trend, it’s comforting to find a sure-handed, old-guard chef who knows how to breathe new life into old classics. If you know real Gallic cooking, prepare to be wowed. You can order a la carte, but the five-course prix fixe ($42) is the way to go.

Alternatively, choose Frederick’s ($$$–$$$$), a small Cal-Asian bistro with hearty dishes like braised lamb shank and gnocchi, as well as a small sushi bar and good sake menu. Request a table by the fireplace for maximum romance. Thursday is locals’ night, with half priced sushi rolls served at the bar.

At the other end of the spectrum, the best cheap eats are at T’s Mesquite Rotisserie ($), a hole-in-the-wall barbecue joint that serves mesquite-grilled tri-tip and chicken. It’s a good place to pick up food the night you arrive in town, and ideal for feeding the kids before a movie at the cinema next door.

Incline Village Hotels

The premier (and only) hotel at Incline is the Hyatt Regency Resort ($$$$), the one truly full-service destination resort on Lake Tahoe, with the usual cadre of four-star in-room amenities, including plump down pillows and high-thread count sheets (alas, service could be stronger, but this is Tahoe after all, land of ski bums and slackers). Most rooms on the 26-acre lakefront property are in the casino-hotel tower, and though they’re well kept and have comfy furnishings, they feel generic—and none has a good lake view. A better bet are the newer, more expansive rooms in the three-story Spa Terrace wing, but avoid those that face the pool unless you like being awakened by screaming kids. The top-of-the-line Lakeside Cottages are actually four-unit buildings with 900-square-foot suites, lavishly decked out with Alpine-lodge furnishings (think river-rock fireplaces and woolen fabrics). The best face the lake, and are high on the fabulosity scale. If you can’t quite swing the price, the next best are the bedroom-only Lakeside Doubles. There’s a private beach, boat dock, and a good list of activities for kids. In winter, there’s less to do, other than play in the snow, empty your pockets in the casino, or drift away in the spa.

Vacation Rentals

Whether you’re a budget traveler who can’t afford the double-whammy cost of hotels and restaurants, or a luxury traveler who wants seclusion and over-the-top grandeur, you’ll get more space and privacy for your money by booking a rental property. And you’ll have a kitchen too.

Harbor Vista Half Moon Bay: This 4BR/3BA home in the hills of El Granada has panoramic views of Half Moon Bay and Pillar Point Harbor, and is 1 mile from the beach. Enjoy 2 master suites, 2 decks, a remodeled kitchen, a play structure and a new 6-person spa on the back patio. It’s a secluded retreat that is centrally located on the San Mateo Coast.

More Lake Tahoe trips, hotels, hiking and restaurants.

Introduction

Where better to hit the sand than Santa Cruz? Its beaches are legendary, and they’re way warmer than others around the Bay Area. The reason? They face south on crescent-shaped Monterey Bay and get drenched with sun all day, and though the water is cold—a chilly 55º on average—you can often laze on the sand in mid-winter with your shirt off.

But the people, not the beaches, are what make Santa Cruz so notoriously—and deliciously—weird. There’s a rich stew of odd and alternative characters here, from lesbian moms and tie-dye-clad potheads, to Silicon Valley millionaires and internationally famous academics. And they all seem to hug each other: you can’t walk half a block downtown without seeing two friends embracing on the sidewalk, while a nearby bag man rants on the corner about the Bush Administration (there’s active political discourse even among the homeless here).

Which begs the question, why are Santa Cruzians so aggressively political? Here’s my theory: Santa Cruz is the southernmost edge of the Bay Area Bubble. South of here, Los Angeles’s sphere of influence predominates. Santa Cruzians stand guard at the gate, and when you’re the sentinel, you have to be militant.

As spring season wears on, I’ll add more to see and do, but for now it’s all about celebrating the return of the sun. Check back in coming weeks for more.

See & Do

The sugary-sweet smell of cotton candy mixes with the salty air at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, the oldest beach-boardwalk amusement park on the West Coast. If you’ve never ridden a vintage wooden rollercoaster, make a beeline for the 1924 Giant Dipper, which clackety-clacks high above the beach before the bottom drops out; sit in the last car for the whip-crack effect. Ride a painted pony aboard the fabulously retro 1911 Loof Carousel, with a real brass ring to grab. Afterward, lose a filling on a caramel apple or salt-water taffy at Marini’s, an old-fashioned confectionery shop on the boardwalk since 1915.

Unlike modern amusement parks, you’re not held hostage here: because the boardwalk sits smack dab on the beach, you can amble back and forth between your beach-towel basecamp and the boardwalk’s honky-tonk fun. Cheapskates: park free if you arrive shortly before closing; the attendant leaves before the boardwalk’s rides shut down for the night. Rides operate on weekends only till April. On Friday evenings in summer, look for free concerts by performers one step up from the county-fair circuit (think Bay City Rollers).

But for my money, the best beaches lie further south, flanking the Santa Cruz Harbor. North of the harbor, Seabright Beach is one of SC’s widest beaches and has fluffy-light sand, perfect for building castles. South of the harbor, Twin Lakes Beach (named for the two horrid little ponds across the street from the sand), has a cute little lighthouse at the end of a rock jetty—the perfect Santa Cruz photo op. There’s also a branch of El Palomar here, Santa Cruz’s top Mexican restaurant. The food is good, but the service is abysmally slow (don’t say I didn’t warn you). Still, it’s nice not to have to leave the beach to eat lunch.

Dogs are (sort of) allowed on Its Beach, just north of the surfing statue and the lighthouse on West Cliff. This is the only dog beach in town, and though it’s technically illegal to bring your pooch on the sand, between 10am and 4pm, nobody obeys the rules (welcome to Santa Cruz).

If you’re too antsy to spend the day lying on a towel, take a mile-long walk from the boardwalk down West Cliff Drive to Lighthouse Point, and poke your head in to the itty-bitty Surfing Museum in the base of the lighthouse. The collection is limited—there ain’t much space—but there are some cool old redwood surfboards, and chatty, grey-at-the-temples docents tell stories about surfing back in the day.

Bicycling is huge in Santa Cruz. Cruisers are all the rage—nobody rides a mountain bike here. Ride along East Cliff Drive toward postcard-pretty Capitola, or head west along West Cliff Drive to the lighthouse.

Surfing is huge in Santa Cruz; winter is prime season, when storms kick up the biggest waves. Ogle the surfers plying the waves at famous Steamers Lane, just south of Lighthouse Point. Tempting though it may be, do not climb the nearby statue of the surfer, or expect to get your ass kicked by a dude in wetsuit. Seriously.

Spring is an ideal time for learning to surf because the waves are dying back, but not overly intimidating (usually). Contact Santa Cruz Surf School for lessons; unless you’re a total spaz, you’ll be standing on your board by the end of the day.

Skip the Wharf, unless you’re shopping for kitschy items to sell in your next garage sale (or on eBay in 20 years, if you’re lucky). But if you do find yourself here, walk to the end and listen for the barking and braying sea lions that live under the pier. Kids love ‘em.

Watch the sunset at Natural Bridges State Beach. Though the natural rock bridge fell years ago, the giant rock formations jutting up from the water still look very cool. The angle of the sand and the easy drive-to access make this the perfect spot to ooh and ah as the sun dips below the horizon.

Shopping is surprisingly good in Santa Cruz—if you know where to look. Most shops are clustered along Pacific Avenue. Check out the gorgeous hand-blown-glass dishware at Annieglass. Some of Annieglass’s pieces are in the White House (purchased of course by the Clintons, not the Bushes who I’m sure prefer Llardo—blech). Record collectors and bibliophiles: Logos carries a vast selection of used and rare books and records. If you’re into surf culture, drop by the main branch (on Cooper St) of the famous O’Neill Surf Shop, which began here (Jack O’Neill is a local; keep your eyes open around town for an unassuming guy wearing an eye patch). Galla Cabana sells hip and stylin’ women’s wear what you see in Hayes Valley in SF; bring your credit card—you’ll need it.

To find out what’s really happening in Santa Cruz, head to Bookshop Santa Cruz. Owner Neil Coonerty is the guy responsible for the ubiquitous “Keep Santa Cruz Weird” bumper stickers, but became a local hero when he set up a tent the day after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, when every other business remained closed, and established the unofficial meeting point for dazed locals. He knows e-v-e-r-y-b-o-d-y. If you’re an avid reader, you’ll love the store too.

Possibly the most beautiful university campus in all California, UC Santa Cruz is famous for its important architecture, most of which is hidden in groves of redwoods or built into the rolling hills. The undergraduate university is structured on the British college system, with separate schools, each with its own academic emphasis and architectural style; every single one is a world of its own. Pick up a map at the gate. UCSC also has the best views in town: from the school’s hilltop location, you can see clear across the bay to Monterey.

For a wacky side trip, take a drive to the Mystery Spot, one America’s last great roadside attractions from the days before Disney brainwashed us into believing that shiny is better than weird. Some call the Mystery Spot an energy vortex because normally straight-as-an-arrow redwoods grow in S curves and electronics fail (skeptics: just try placing a cell-phone call from here). Make reservations! If you don’t, you’ll wait and wait to get in, and there ain’t nothin’ to do up here in the woods—and that includes killing time on your (non-functioning) Crackberry.

Santa Cruz Restaurants: Cheap Eats

A line forms early at Zachary’s ($), a hole-in-the-wall breakfast-only joint in the busy shopping district along Pacific Avenue. Portions are gynormous. If you’re feeling gluttonous, order ‘Mike’s Mess,’ the kitchen-sink scramble.

For real New York-style bagels (read: boiled, then baked), head to the Bagelry ($). The schmears and spreads are delish, especially the egg salad and the humus. For insight into the local culture, the bulletin board here is the best in town.

If a day by the beach makes you crave chowder and fried fish with tartar sauce and hunks of lemon, head for the Dolphin ($), a coffee-shop-style joint at the very end of the Municipal Wharf—an easy walk from the boardwalk. There’s table service inside, but it’s more fun to order at the window, sit outside at picnic tables, and giggle at the barking sea lions.

For pizza and beer, Engfer Pizza Works ($) is the best around. The pies are fired in a wood-burning oven and made with homemade sauce and unusual combos of toppings, like the “no name” pizza, which is basically a giant salad baked onto a pizza. Play Ping-Pong while you wait. Perfect for kids.

The classic Italian deli, Zoccoli’s ($) has great salami sandwiches, picnic supplies, and take-away meatballs and sauce to heat up for dinner at home—a real timesaver if you’re here for the day, but don’t want to fuss with making dinner once you get home.

Santa Cruz Restaurants: The Best

At last Santa Cruz has a stylin’ restaurant that could make it in food-savvy San Francisco. Soif Wine Bar ($$$) serves a sophisticated, seasonally driven menu of up-to-the-minute Euro-Cal cooking, with 50 wines by the glass, including many unusual varietals, available in two-ounce pours so you can sample a bunch without breaking the bank. To pair with them, there’s a changing, sensibly priced small-plates menu, with dishes from $4 to $6. Depending on the time of year, standouts might include Manchego-stuffed paquillo peppers; octopus salad with arugula, olives and mint; watermelon with fresh goat cheese; or a candied stuffed tomato for desert. Entrées are equally inventive—duck breast with peaches, butter-poached salmon with braised endive. This is one of the few places in town where you can wear high heels and a sexy black dress (though most of the crowd sports denim). Dinner only.

West of downtown, mom-and-pop Ristorante Avanti ($$) makes earthy Italian cooking like your grandmother would have if she’d gone to culinary school. Chicken cacciatore is the specialty, but it’s hard to resist the homemade ravioli or lasagna with lamb, chicken, and fontina cheese. Before ordering, be sure to check out the nightly list of specials, which includes some knock-out seasonal dishes, such as roasted chicken with heirloom tomato salad and corn fritters. Portions are huge. The well-conceived wine list includes some terrific Italian varietals. The vibe is down to earth, folksy even, with the owner’s pottery collection adorning the walls. Wear jeans. Open for lunch Mon-Fri and dinner nightly. Reservations essential at peak times.

For a lingering lunch with your paramour, hippie-chic Gabriella Cafe is long on charm, particularly outside in the sun-dappled garden. Though the earthy Euro-Cal bistro cooking is flavorful and pretty on the plate, it’s the garden that makes Gabriella so special. (NB: tables inside are very close together; if you like lots of space, choose somewhere else.)

Santa Cruz Motels, Hotels, and B&Bs

Santa Cruz has scores of motels, but few of them stand out for anything beyond their outrageous weekend rates.

The best deal in town, the Sunset Inn ($–$$) has generic-looking motel rooms, but they’re super-clean and have lots of space. Sure, you’ll have to drive to the beach—and everywhere else in town for that matter—but at these prices, who cares?

Smack dab on the beach atop a cliff with grassy lawns, the Sea & Sand ($$$) is my favorite motel in Santa Cruz. Rooms are small and the bathrooms need updating, but how fabulous it is to fall asleep to the sound of barking sea lions and crashing waves, then awaken to the sun glittering on the roiling waves. Double-queen rooms have the most space.

A meandering stream cuts through the lush gardens at the Babbling Brook Inn ($$$–$$$$). Though it feels like you’re in the woods, you’re actually within walking distance of downtown. Rooms are decorated with a nod to French-provincial style, with some luxe details like goose-down pillows and featherbeds. And most have fireplaces (both gas and wood-burning), a nice touch on a foggy night.

Alas, the Compassion Flower Inn has closed—the world’s only medical-marijuana-inspired B&B is no more.

Overlooking the ocean and the Wharf, the Casa Blanca Inn ($$$–$$$$) was built around a former mansion. The place looks like it was decorated by somebody’s grandmother in the 1980s, with a quirky mix of white wicker and dark wood, but rooms are comfy and most have water views. If you’re a hipster, you may roll your eyes, but Betty White apparently enjoyed her stay here.

The generic Best Western All Suites Inn ($$–$$$$) could be anywhere, but every room is a suite that sleeps four and has a kitchenette, making it an ideal choice for families with kids.