Student Lookout: Manresa pastries, monarch butterflies and Santa Cruz donuts that aren’t Ferrell’s

Hey, hi, and hello to each and every one of you,

OK, so I’d describe myself as a bit of a night owl. Because of that, I was up late enough last weekend to watch the clock change from 1:59 a.m. back to 1:00 a.m. That “extra hour” truly makes it one of the best nights of the year, in my opinion.

I know some folks might grumble about early sunsets and long nights, but as I mentioned before, I love it. How about you? Do you enjoy the late-night added hour as much as I do, or are the short days a little too short for your liking? Text me and let me know.

If you are a student and haven’t signed up for your FREE Lookout membership yet, enter your phone number below to register. Not only will you get unlimited access to all of Lookout, but you’ll also receive Student Lookout text alerts every Friday with exclusive deals, local recommendations, puzzles and more. So what are you waiting for?

Let’s get going here …

Deals Download

Check out these three downtown student discounts:

• Mission BBQ: 10% off.
• burger.: 10% off.
• Mission Hill Creamery: 10% off.

Don’t forget to have your student ID to get the discount!

DEAL OF THE MONTH: Student ticket price for Santa Cruz Warriors with promo code STUDNT

Buy your tickets online in advance to get this deal and use code “STUDNT” to unlock $10 off your ticket price. To purchase your ticket, visit the Santa Cruz Warriors’ ticket site, choose your game and then enter your promo code in the unlock section (seen in the image below).

➤ Want to share these deals with your friends? Have them sign up for Student Lookout texts with this link.

Eats on a budget

Ferrell’s Donuts might have the largest spot in Santa Cruz lore

when it comes to donut shops, but Allbright’s Donuts on Water Street shouldn’t be overlooked. Even if you aren’t looking to pick up a dozen donuts for your friends or housemates, you can grab some bagels with a variety of toppings, cream cheeses and sandwich options. If you live in Midtown and need breakfast on the go, give it a shot.

If you love eating, cooking and reading about food, be sure to check out the work from our local food expert, Lily Belli. This week, she let Santa Cruz foodies know that Manresa Bread officially opened its Westside Santa Cruz location on Monday. You can find Manresa pastries at Verve coffee shops, but now you can go straight to the source.

Inside Santa Cruz: Monarchs and more around Natural Bridges State Beach

Recommended by Blaire Hobbs.

This week’s recommendations center on one of the westernmost state parks within Santa Cruz city limits. That’s right. It’s Natural Bridges State Beach. I picked this round of recommendations exclusively to highlight the migration of the monarch butterfly as the time has come to visit them at their most glorious. But Natural Bridges offers more than monarch butterflies! Here are four things to do in and around the park, to make the most of your trip, starting of course with …

1. Monarch butterflies: Natural Bridges is the only State Monarch Preserve in California and one of the biggest on the West Coast. Visiting the monarchs is a unique, and mind-bending, opportunity — imagine millions of wings shifting above your head, fluctuating colors, and indefinable shapes that make it hard for your brain to pinpoint. Simply put, it’s quite trippy. Keep walking through the preserve and go for a quick hike through the whole of the state park, meandering through the eucalyptus grove, across the prairie, around the lagoon, and out to the beach. Natural Bridges is open from 8 a.m. to sunset and is free if you’re on foot or bicycle. There’s a $10 day-use fee to park inside the park (if you don’t have a parks pass), but there are usually spots outside along Delaware Avenue and Swanton Boulevard.
2. Natural Bridges State Beach: While this time of year the sand is cold and the evenings dark, sunny days still offer enough warmth to make a beach trip worth it. Natural Bridges is a little quieter than other Santa Cruz beaches, mostly because it’s tucked away at the end of West Cliff Drive. Nonetheless, it’s the perfect amount of crowded — enough people to do some people-watching, but not too many that it‘s hard to find a comfy spot. You might be like me, though, and need an activity while beachgoing. Besides participating in the usual spike ball, frisbee or beach read, check out Natural Bridge’s naturally occurring colorful tide pools! Walk to the far side of the beach and investigate the creatures in residence there.
3. West Cliff Drive: This might seem an obvious recommendation, but it’s hands down my favorite part of Santa Cruz. It’s wonderful to have a pedestrian-centric walkway along such a desirable part of town, and I love strolling, running or biking the 3 miles in either direction. And I particularly like the Natural Bridges end, because it’s less crowded. Pro tip: West Cliff is a great spot to take visitors! Not only do you get some exercise, but you can listen to the waves crashing, watch the local wildlife (people included — there are always fun people on West Cliff), glare at all the expensive empty houses on the other side of the road, and soak in the fresh salty air. I also recommend watching the surfers at the lighthouse, especially this time of year as the waves get bigger. It’s thoroughly entertaining.
4. Seymour Marine Discovery Center: Ever seen the big whale skeletons? On the western side of Natural Bridges State Beach, the Seymour Center boasts a beautiful surrounding landscape and fun informative exhibits. Like West Cliff Drive, it’s another excellent spot to venture around the coastal outdoors, with opportunities to see tons of wildlife, as well as sea life sculptures and whale skeletons! The center has one of the largest blue whale skeletons on display in the world. Inside, learn from seasonal exhibits, including “Water’s Extreme Journey” (open through December), and experience some of the smaller wildlife up close with aquariums and interactive tide pools. Hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free for UCSC undergrads, $9 for other students with ID.

Puzzle Center

Hint: For once, the best part is not the center.

Around Town - Events

Did you know that we have an events calendar? BOLO, which stands for Be On the Lookout, is our hub for the best events in the county. See all the listings here.

Here are upcoming events we think students need to know about:

Friday (10 a.m. - 4 p.m.) and Saturday (9 a.m. - 4 p.m.)
Goat Hill Fair
You can find one of the area’s most complete vintage fair at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds in Watsonville. The Goat Hill Fair brings together more than 100 small businesses in the vintage and antique world, and each of them display goods that they have carefully sourced and curated. Food is offered by several vendors on site, so the event’s got about everything you need for a successful day.

Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Greater Purpose Comedy Night
You might have already gone to one or a few of these, but it can’t hurt to put it back out there again. Greater Purpose Brewing puts on a comedy night every Friday and Saturday and invites top comedians featured on Comedy Central, Netflix and more. You don’t have to worry about cringing through this show, because all the performers will definitely know what they’re doing!

Saturday, 10 a.m. - 11 a.m.
Exploring the Santa Cruz sandhills
If you haven’t had the chance to explore beautiful Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, this might be the thing for you. This Saturday, join Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks for a 1.5-mile hike through the Santa Cruz sandhills, in the more mountainous region of Henry Cowell. It’ll probably be chilly, so layer up!

➤ Want more? If you’re still looking for great things to do, check out Wallace Baine’s Weekender here.

➤ More local jobs: Browse more open positions on the Lookout Job Board.

One last thing …

Did you know … that Santa Cruz is where surfing was introduced to the mainland United States? In July 1885, three teenage Hawaiian princes surfed the San Lorenzo River on boards that they carved out of local redwoods. Surfing was a deeply ingrained and important part of Hawaiian culture, but this was the first time it was introduced to the mainland.

I hope everyone had a good week, even if you are a “fall back” opponent. You’ll get used to it, I promise! Besides, this could be the last year we end up doing this. If that remains true, I’m glad I was able to watch it happen for a final time.

Take care until next week.

— Max

PS: Y’all better have voted!

If you have recommendations on places we should feature next week, pass them along and we’ll send you a free Lookout T-shirt. Email your ideas to student@lookoutlocal.com.