We had a nice day trip to Santa Cruz via Big Basin & Highway 1. Keeping this here to have it handy for the next time visitors come to town.

Our route looked as follows (PNG):

Starting at around 11am is enough time to catch the sunset over the ocean (at least during summer). For more time to explore leave a little earlier. First stop (2) is big Basin after ~1h of driving. The Redwood Loop trail takes less than an hour and is easy enough for everyone. Currently, it is a great showcase for how Redwood Trees survive wild fires.

Next, after roughly another hour of driving, stop in downtown Santa Cruz (3). Park you car (e.g., River Front Garage) and walk down Pacific Ave to explore downtown. Grab snacks, go window shopping, enjoy the weather & people. Before leaving make sure to grab some more food and drinks for a little sunset picnic at the ocean later.

After going down Cliff Drive and passing the Surf Museum (4) head up Highway 1 to Sharkfin Cove (5). Its a great beach to take pictures and dip your feet in the water. If the descend to the beach is too steep (or blocked) drive further to Scott Creek Beach (6) for easy beach access.

At this time the sun should slowly start to set. Drive up Highway 1 and park your car wherever you want to have a picnic while watching the sunset. In case you’re early, a stop at Pigeon Point (7) might be fun. Sometimes you can see whales or dolphins in the distance.

Finally, go back via La Honda for a late night drive through the mountains. All in all this trip takes roughly 9+ hours with ~4h of driving.