How to Save Money in Santa Cruz

• 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.