The Santa Cruz coast is spring-loaded with outdoor adventures, especially when exploring parts less traveled. Get set for a little Cruz control.
Shark Tooth in the Rough
Beautiful beaches line California's Highway 1 like jewels on a necklace, but it’s a shark tooth that stands out as major gem in Davenport. Shark Tooth Beach earned its name from the massive rock formation almost identical to a shark's tooth (or shark fin) jutting from the ocean. To reach this beach, park at a pullout about a half-mile south of downtown Davenport, just north of the turnoff to Bonny Doon. On foot, cross over a few old rail tracks and then walk the coastal bluffs south about 0.1 mile to find yourself face-to-face with the tremendous shark's tooth. Standing over the cove, look for a little footpath jutting from the ridge down a craggy, steep trail leading to the sand, where you’ll also find a cave. Be sure to heed the tides—it can bite!
BEER BONUS: Stop by nearby Whale City Bakery (490 Coast Road, Davenport) for a draft beer and a view of the waves from their outdoor patio.
Free parking is available at a pullout on Hwy. 1 just north of the intersection with Bonny Doon Rd. Both Shark Tooth Beach and Whale City Bakery are dog-friendly!
Activity: Relax
Region: Points Beyond
Spring in Fall Creek
The Fall Creek Unit may be little-known, but big adventure looms in this section of Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. An 8-mile (round-trip) hike here gives a glimpse into Santa Cruz of old, where oxen, wagons, and miners traveled these hills. Among the highlights is Big Ben Tree, a beautiful redwood with a cavernous trunk—which you’ll reach at 1,900 feet, after making a 1,400-foot elevation gain. Start on Bennett Creek Trail, passing briefly through a forest of second-growth redwood, Douglas fir, and tan oak before ambling alongside flowing Fall Creek on its namesake trail. Keep left along Kiln Trail until reaching the ghostly stone kiln relics. During a fifty-year stretch that began in the early 1870s, limestone was quarried in these parts and then burned in the kilns to produce lime. Cross back past the powder magazine (a former gunpowder storage cave) and ascend the Cape Horn Trail until the signed junction for Lost Empire Trail. Keep left and at the next (unsigned) junction keep right and continue climbing for about 2 miles to Big Ben Tree. Take a breather inside the redwood's huge, hollowed trunk. The switchback descent on Big Ben Trail showcases blue forget-me-nots blooming across the green forest. When you reconnect with Fall Creek Trail, head right. The trail spurs a few times back and forth across the trickling water, passing an old barrel mill, and eventually connecting to Bennett Creek Trail, where you’ll finish your hike.
Here's a basic map of the Fall Creek Unit, but we highly recommend visiting the Henry Cowell State Park entrance kiosk at 101 N. Big Trees Park Rd. in Felton to purchase a more detailed "Fall Creek Unit" map ($1) as the trail can get a little confusing. Free parking is available at the Fall Creek Unit parking lot, located at 1101 Felton Empire Rd. in Felton. No dogs.
Activity: Hike
Region: Points Beyond
Get Some Outer Space
Hulking redwoods that seem as if they can rocket to the moon, bizarre sandstone formations that make you feel like you’re on the moon … enjoy an out-of-this-world respite at Redwood Croft—a bed and breakfast nestled in a high-soaring redwood grove. It’s also conveniently located close to Bonny Doon Ecological Reserve, where the landscape resembles the surface of the moon (Santa Cruz's more well-known "moon rocks"—giant moonlike structures carved with aliens and graffiti—are located just across the road in the eastern part of the reserve, but have been officially closed to the public to preserve the ecology). But the western part of the preserve is open, and there you can spy unscathed sandstone formations emerging from the earth in bizarre shapes alongside a pine and manzanita forest. Get front-porch access to the reserve at Redwood Croft. The cozy inn, designed and operated by Sitah Cummings and her husband, Dale, has three rustic rooms on site, and an additional cottage. Rooms have unique features like a giant stone tub and hearth in the East Room, or the Garden Room’s loft and outdoor jacuzzi on a deck under the redwoods. Enjoy a fresh, hot breakfast in the morning, served in the main house beside a crackling wood fireplace.
Redwood Croft is located at 275 Northwest Dr. in Bonny Doon (831-458-1939). Rooms range from $160 to $275 year-round. The ecological reserve is easily walkable from the inn (ask the hosts). Both the ecological reserve and Redwood Croft are dog-friendly!
Activity: Overnights ,Dog-friendly
Region: Points Beyond
Your Sierra Cabin Awaits
Summer's come early to the Sierra! Lucky for us, Sorensen's is a resort for all seasons—and for all types of ways to combine outdoor adventures with relaxation. (Even luckier, they're offering Weekend Sherpa readers a sweet Bonus, below!) Tucked 20 miles south of Lake Tahoe in Hope Valley (aka the California Alps), Sorensen's doubles as a Swiss Alps retreat: 36 cabins—including nine lovely log cabins—along with bed-and-breakfast rooms, most with wood-burning fireplaces and mini-kitchens. There are dog-friendly cabins too! Hiking trails leave from right out your door, and the friendly staff at Sorensen’s has the beta on the best bets to suit your preferences. Trek to views of surrounding peaks, venture to a vantage point and catch a sunset, or head to nearby Grover Hot Springs State Park, followed by soaking your bones later in the actual hot springs! Sorensen's is also set smack amongst lesser-known mountain biking trails (some of the best singletrack in California is found here). At night, kick back next to the corner fireplace at the resort’s intimate, farm-to-table restaurant. The wine list is excellent and the food is fresh (save room for the homemade berry cobbler!).
WEEKEND SHERPA SPECIAL: Mention Weekend Sherpa when booking a multi-night stay and receive a complimentary gourmet breakfast for two, or even an extra night on the house (4 nights for the price of 3!). Holidays included!
Sorensen's Resort, 14255 Hwy. 88, Hope Valley; (800) 423-9949. *Bonus depends on value and length of stay. Inquire when booking. This offer is good until June 12, 2014, and includes holidays. Offer cannot be combined with other Sorensen’s promotions. Mention this ad when making your reservation. Some cabins are dog-friendly!