Wakey wakey, Santa Cruz County – it’s Monday, July 7, and how much the marine layer dissipates will depend on where you are, but we’ll see some sun and temperatures topping out around 80 in the mountains, and warming as the week goes on.
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Carly Heltzel starts us off with a deep dive into a Santa Cruz icon: that bright-yellow Mystery Spot bumper sticker. It’s got a long history, and it’s been spotted on cars from here to Ecuador, the United Kingdom and India.
Lily Belli has the latest in our library of Lookout guides, highlighting the best spots to pick your own fruit, vegetables, blooms and herbs around Santa Cruz County. There are berries, of course, but also dahlias, lavender and more.
Max Chun is back with another edition of Carmageddon, this week scoping out summer roadwork that’s moving from Mid-County to a number of key thoroughfares in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
The Monday headlines also include news from Hillary Ojeda on how the latest Trump administration funding freeze will affect our schools, Wallace Baine’s preview of an upcoming surfing exhibition at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History and Kevin Painchaud’s view of Fourth of July festivities. Let’s go.
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How the Mystery Spot’s iconic yellow bumper sticker became a global phenomenon
From Santa Cruz to Spain, the Mystery Spot’s bright yellow bumper sticker has become an international cultural touchstone, appearing on cars in Germany, Ecuador and India, among other countries. Carly Heltzel digs in.
From strawberries to dahlias, a guide to Santa Cruz County’s u-pick farms and the joy of harvesting your own
Santa Cruz County is home to a vibrant network of u-pick farms where visitors can harvest their own strawberries, tomatoes, apples, flowers and more, from spring through fall. Beyond the fresh produce and scenic fields, these farms offer a chance to slow down, connect with the land and create lasting memories with family and friends. Lily Belli has our guide.
DAILY DIGEST
Plenty to sort through as we ease back from the long holiday weekend. Lookout’s radar is always on, so be sure you’re keeping current with our award-winning Santa Cruz County coverage. Sign up here for breaking news alerts via email, and for all of our other newsletters; follow Lookout on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Threads and Bluesky if you’re out there on social media; and download the Lookout Santa Cruz app in both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
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Here’s to a smooth Monday all around – thank you for reading.
Will McCahill