San F to LA via Joshua Tree NP - part 2 Santa Cruz, Henry Cowell Redwoods - Solvang added

[red cuillen]

Lyft from Parc55 to SFO car rentals area was $41, we asked for a 6 seater to take all the luggage. Picked up a Toyota Camry, just fitted our 3 cases 60x45x25cm and one larger case, a cabin max bag plus a few shopping bags - good thing I am well practised at packing cars! Headed down the PCH to Santa Cruz via the Natural Bridges State Reserve, some lovely houses and beachfront.

Had a few rides in the amusement park on the boardwalk, quaint!

We then drove up through the Henry Cowell Redwoods reserve, paid $10 entry and ended up at the Roaring Forks Railroad. Didn't take a ride as it was Easter Sunday and pretty busy, just buying an ice cream took 1/2 hour as they only had one queue for all food! It was nice just looking around and listening to the steam engine.

Nice discovery walk through the redwoods, tallest tree was 277 feet tall and about 1,500 years old.

Then it was a drive down to Watsonville for our first Holiday Inn stay, we have fair few points to use, and prefer to stay at quieter locations. Watsonville was so quiet though the restaurants were closed so ended up at McD, oh well, had to happen once, (or twice!).

Next day was Monterey for the girls, and chilling out along the coast for me. They enjoyed the aquarium, it rates as one of the best, but it is pricey and the town was busy.

I enjoyed the Moss Landing State Beach off Jetty Road. Plovers and otters, all for free!

We were then faced with a 3 and a 1/2 hour trip to Solvang. Nice scenery but the road was in need of some TLC, quite a few roadworks and lots of ruts, was quite tiring.

Landscape reminded me of East Anglia, as it was a wide flat valley with fields full of fruit and veg and with peaty soil a lot lower than the road.

Solvang!
Arrived at 7pm. Another Holiday Inn Express but different to Watsonville. Although the fixtures and breakfast are pretty standard, you do get alot of variety in the style of buildings. We had a 3 bed suite here, with a mezzaine bedroom, funnily enough our 14 yo claimed that straight away!

Went to the Solvang Brewery for dinner, it was Easter monday and very busy, had a long wait but the food and beer very good (Jaegerschnitzel - what else could I have!).

Next day we had a late checkout and spent a few hours wandering around the town.
Very friendly tourist centre, man played the accordion to visitors inside,

and Mrs RedC really enjoyed the Mission Church, one of many along the coast to provide safe haven for pilgrims, (eg San Lusio Obispo and Santa Barbara).

We watched a hawk and turkey vulture have a fight, then had a wonderful view of the vulture as it flew off.

Went into the bakery for cakes, as one does, very busy and disorganised but cakes were good,

then back to the hotel and on to our next stop Santa Monica...

[Tweety1]

Great trip report looking forward to the next one

[summersun]

great report x

[phoenix_c]

The drive down the coast was amazing! Lots of places to stop off and take photos Santa Cruz was an experience! It was very hot that day and the redwoods were just what we needed, shade from the sun and quiet! Really enjoyed solvang too (disney_claire on Instagram if you want to see some more photos from the trip!)