Find Santa Cruz hotel deals

You can’t miss the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk if you wanted to. But why would you? Built in 1907, the West Coast’s oldest beachfront amusement park sits on one of Northern California’s best beaches. The rumble—and related squeals—emanating from the ancient, wooden Giant Dipper roller coaster beckon kids of all ages. Admission is free, but the rides will cost you. In the summer, enjoy free mid-week movies and Friday night rock concerts, too.

The Santa Cruz Wharf yields great views and is home to several reasonably priced restaurants for a sunset cocktail or seafood meal. Enjoy the sea lions making a noisy ruckus at the end of the pier and check out what the local fishermen reel in. Be sure to stop in the Exploration Center at the mouth of the Wharf.

Visit the Mark Abbot Memorial Lighthouse and the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum in one stop. Opened in 1986, the museum is one of the oldest of its kind in the world, and housed in a lighthouse. Enjoy displays showing the progress from paddleboards to modern boards, club patches, surfer-movie posters and even the physics behind successful surfing.

Experience the aquarium, touch pools and marine mammal research overlook for the reasonable price of $8 or less, depending on the ages in your group. The venue offers a free day once a month in the winter and fall.

If you booked your great Santa Cruz hotel deal over the first weekend of the month, make tracks to the First Friday Art Crawl when dozens of galleries, boutiques and cafes highlight local artists. Admission to the Museum of Art and History is also free on first Fridays. In October, check out the free Open Studios event, sponsored by the Arts Council of Santa Cruz County.

No ordinary cup of Joe, Verve Coffee Roasters is a Santa Cruz original that’s poised for world domination. Claiming that coffee is its “craft, ritual and passion,” this ambitious roastery also has shops in Los Angeles and Tokyo.

Small-batch ice cream is a real treat at the Penny Ice Creamery. Everything’s made from scratch, in-house. Flavors change seasonally and feature locally sourced organic ingredients.

You know you want to visit the kitschy Mystery Spot. So, go ahead; it’ll only set you back $6 per person (plus $5 for parking). Here, water flows uphill and your family members appear to be walking on the walls, making this place simultaneously confusing and funny—and a key photo op.