In search of the most quintessential Santa Cruz Day ever

On Friday evening, June 13, shortly after sundown, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk will present a free screening of “The Lost Boys,” the 1987 horror/comedy that, much like its vampire protagonists, has attained a kind of immortality. 

The movie will be projected onto a giant screen on Main Beach, right there in the sand, with the dazzling lights of the Boardwalk behind it. Of course, if you’ve seen the film, you also know that its opening shot is a seagull’s-eye view of a moonlit night swooping in on the very same Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, albeit one from almost 40 years ago. 

Seeing “The Lost Boys” on the beach in Santa Cruz — re-styled in the film as “Santa Carla” — is an experience that brings on a specific thrill of recognition and resonance, like seeing “The Wizard of Oz” from a lounge chair on the Yellow Brick Road, or watching the original “Star Wars” while relaxing on a fragrant summer evening under the twin moons of the planet Tatooine.

You might even call it a quintessential Santa Cruz experience.

Inspired by the upcoming “Lost Boys” screening at the Boardwalk (the first in several free movie screenings on the beach this summer), I decided to craft what might be the quintessential Santa Cruz day leading up to the capper of the movie on the beach. Of course, “Lost Boys” on the beach doesn’t happen every day. But I wanted the quintessential Santa Cruz day, at least leading up to that moment, to be something you could experience any day. 

But first we must reckon with that word “quintessential.” Obviously, it doesn’t mean “typical,” but it’s not quite “ideal,” either — after all, your “ideal” day might include winning the lottery, being given a superpower, and/or receiving elaborate apologies from all who ever have wronged you. “Ultimate” sounds too much like either an extreme-sports experience or a psychedelic trip, or that you’re attempting to cram two weeks of activities and experiences into one mad dash through 24 hours. “Transcendent”? Well, we’re not looking to gaze upon the face of God here, just have a memorable day.

“Quintessential” suggests that we’re focusing on the unique Santa Cruz-ness of our day, to feel, at the end of the day, as if whatever roots you have in Santa Cruz have grown just a bit deeper. Our goal is to find that resonance that an organism maintains with its environment, to surrender our individual personality and will just a tad to allow the personality and the will of Santa Cruz to make its mark on our souls.

For our purposes, we’re going to stick with the city of Santa Cruz, given that the quintessential Santa Cruz County day will have to involve lots of wasted time in transit from one place to another. And, we’ll try to make it adaptable, so that you can experience it solo, as a “Me Day,” or with a significant other, a small group of friends or family, or showing off for an out-of-town visitor. And we won’t necessarily avoid the tropes and icons that many long-term locals might consider cliché or obvious — no, we’re not skipping West Cliff Drive. On the other hand, we’re not using this occasion as a recommendation engine for this restaurant or cafe or business over that restaurant or cafe or business. You can adapt this day to your own inclinations when it comes to, say, dinner plans. And finally, this is just my own quintessential Santa Cruz experience. Your mileage may vary. 

YOUR QUINTESSENTIAL SANTA CRUZ DAY: What would be on the agenda? Let Lookout know here.

Morning

So, we know where we’ll end our quintessential Santa Cruz day, but how do we begin it? 

First off, planning for a quintessential Santa Cruz day without some kind of tuneage strategy is not very Santa Cruz. Perhaps you have your curated playlists all set. Perhaps your earbuds are going to play only a minor part in your QSC day. Again, there are no wrong answers here — OK, maybe a few wrong answers — but if you’re looking for ideas on sounds that just fit with the Santa Cruz environment, take a shot with local musicians. My go-tos here are the sweet West Coast-flavored reggae of The Expendables (2023’s “Pleasure Point” is pure pleasure), the cosmic dreaminess of STS9 (“When the Dust Settles”) and, my personal favorite, the psychedelicized surf sound of The Mermen (“The Magic Swirling Ship” is a good start). Another very Santa Cruz-style option is to make your own. The ukulele, that most iconically Santa Cruz instrument, is portable enough to accompany you on your QSC day.

In an informal survey of locals on the question of how to start your quintessential Santa Cruz day, three elements came to the fore again and again: coffee, cannabis, and a great breakfast burrito. As for weed, I generally manage to get through my day, quintessential or otherwise, without it, so I’m not a credible source here. Though, in the realm of consenting adults, having one or two (or 10) gummies within arm’s reach on a relaxing Me Day is a quintessentially Santa Cruz thing.

Coffee, in this junkie’s opinion, is the elixir of life. And Santa Cruz is absurdly overstocked with excellent coffee options. The big names — Verve, Cat & Cloud, 11th Hour — they’re all superb, but don’t overlook the city’s coffee OGs, Lulu Carpenter’s and Santa Cruz Coffee Roasting, or maybe try an underdog/outlier like Alta, if you’re on the Westside. Either way, I would suggest ordering your cuppa at a coffeeshop instead of making your own, just this one day. Visiting a shop, catching the vibe of the place, gazing at the art while you’re waiting, that’s a great start to your QSC morning.

As for the breakfast burrito, you gotta earn it first. For my morning recommendations, I’m going to cheat a little and bifurcate my day into a Westside morning and an Eastside morning. If you’re starting on the Westside and you’re properly caffeinated, yep, you start with West Cliff Drive, the most elegant street in town. It’s easy to think of West Cliff as the same-old-same-old, but its beauty remains largely unchained, even if you’ve been walking it, as I have, for 35 years. West Cliff is where the ocean shows its moods. If you’re like me, you’ve wrestled with big decisions or chewed over some problems while walking West Cliff. Perhaps there are spots that remind you of moments in your life. Honor that. Maybe it’s a place where you used to walk alongside someone who is no longer around. Remember them, and meditate on the many memorial benches along the way. Stop and ponder the names at the makeshift memorials on the steps by Steamer Lane. Learn to appreciate West Cliff anew.

Now for that breakfast. West Cliff is mostly non-commercial, but an exception is Steamer Lane Supply, which sounds like a surf shop but is actually a great little eatery near Lighthouse Field. Outdoor tables give the place a nice informal vibe. A breakfast burrito isn’t on the menu, though a “breakfast taco” is — same dif, right? Still, you might want to look at their take on the quesadilla, with their ’Dilla menu. My go-to is the chipotle chicken-dilla. It’s quintessential, you might say.

Once refreshed, I suggest another hike, this one off the beaten path. Your QSC day should have a locals-only secret element to it, right? The Westside is rife with wonderful little discovery hikes, but one of my favorites is called Arroyo Seco Canyon, a gorgeous walk that follows the canyon bottom just to the east of Western Drive. You can access it close to Mission Street, near where Escalona Drive meets Grandview Street, or from the north near the public park on Meder Street, and the beautiful little Jewish cemetery there.

If you’re starting on the Eastside of Santa Cruz, sure, we’re going to end up on East Cliff Drive at Pleasure Point, perhaps not as awe-inducing as West Cliff but homier and every bit as steeped in surf culture as Steamer Lane. I’m going to park somewhere near Portola Drive and walk a bit down 30th Avenue until I find the trail that cuts through the eucalyptus along Moran Lake, which will deliver you right to the beach. Here’s the moment you get some sand in between your toes, and perhaps ponder the ocean. The Mermen (who record very close by) can help put you in the proper frame of mind. 

From there, it’s on to East Cliff, where you’ll find Santa Cruz’s most famous breakfast burrito at The Point Market, or rather an extensive menu of any kind of breakfast burrito you might imagine. My fave is the Nopales Burrito (with cactus), and The Point Market is the only place in town I know outside of Watsonville where I can find one. The walk up East Cliff goes past Jack O’Neill’s house, past The Cove where the sunbathers hang on sunny days, all the way to The Hook, where surfing is totally a spectator sport. On the way back to the car, go up 41st Avenue at least to the Santa Cruz Boardroom, one of the most famous skateboard shops on the entire West Coast, and be sure to touch the plaque in the sidewalk out front.

Afternoon

For the afternoon, whether you’ve taken the Westside option or the Eastside option, I’m converging them both in downtown Santa Cruz. Downtown has taken a considerable amount of criticism over the decades, and especially since the pandemic. But it’s still where Santa Cruz shows its true personality — however much a lot of folks in the exurbs don’t care much for that personality.

This is the day when you walk into the shops and stores that you normally walk past because you don’t have the time, those places doing their best to keep Santa Cruz weird. The Roxa Hammock Cafe, for example, has a vaguely medieval feel to it and, as its name suggests, you can soak up that vibe while suspended in your own hammock, kinda peak Santa Cruz. If hammocks aren’t your jam, and you’re still in need of a midafternoon pick-me-up, Hidden Peak Teahouse is a wonderful step out of your comfort zone in a world where grab-and-go isn’t how things are done, and electronics are verboten. Oh, and find a slot to work a Pacific Cookie Company treat into your afternoon; Almond Joe is what you want, trust me on this one.

Second-hand clothing is everywhere on Pacific Avenue, and vintage clothing shopping is a supremely Santa Cruz pastime. Visit them all if you can, but again pay proper respect to the ones who’ve been making a go of it for many years, who’ve outfitted vast numbers of Santa Cruz scenesters, such as the wonderfully curated Cognito or the always surprising Moon Zooom.

Atlantis Fantasyworld on Cedar Street is that odd realm where real Santa Cruz and imaginary Santa Cruz meet in the middle, and nobody tells local stories like proprietor Joe Ferrara (who will be on screen in “The Lost Boys” later in the evening). Bad Animal, just across the street, has the best humble-brag downtown (it calls itself a “minor regional bookshop” in its outdoor signage). But it’s a fascinating homage to the intellectual ferment that took hold in Santa Cruz in the years following the University of California coming to town. With a charming insistence that esoterica is cool, Bad Animal is a great spot to kill time on your QSC day, or if your shopping needs for the day call for a musty edition of Dante’s “Divine Comedy” and a Playboy magazine from the 1970s. 

If, while downtown, you feel that all roads lead eventually to Abbott Square, go with that feeling. In the past decade, Abbott Square has become the central community meeting spot, whether that meeting demands a dark roast or a pinot noir. Especially on big, bright summer days, the square is alive with tiny parties and pockets of locals enjoying each other. The programming, whether it’s live music or live trivia, is always a draw, too. If you’re with good company, Abbott Square is one of those places where it’s difficult to leave. 

Finally, if there’s an hour or two left in your afternoon, I would recommend to do something that scares you a little bit — and no, I don’t mean trying to find parking at the Trader Joe’s lot. Maybe this is the moment you head down to Natural Bridges State Beach with that wetsuit you haven’t put on since 2007 and jump into the Pacific Ocean, even if it’s just for a bit. Maybe you hunt for ghosts up at the mystical and enchanting Pogonip Rock Garden. Maybe you finally get that “Santa Carla” tattoo you’ve always wanted. 

Evening

After a dinner of your choice — I would hope you would choose a place that exists only in Santa Cruz — it’s time for the movie. Get there early to claim a patch of beach, bundle up, maybe bring a carafe of coffee/cocoa, and feel the contact high. I would never claim that “The Lost Boys” is high art, but from the early “People Are Strange” montage in the film to all the scenes at the Boardwalk, it manages to capture an essence of Santa Cruz’s personality. Be open to the moment and it’ll hit you at some point: 

This is quintessential.

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Locals have their say

Lookout’s Kevin Painchaud took to the streets to ask what a quintessential Santa Cruz day would look like; here’s what he heard:

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