If you take the hair raising ride over Hwy 17 (4 lane with concrete center)
you will come into Scotts Valley and then the coastal town of Santa Cruz.
Drive North on Hwy 1 and there are beaches (state park and open) with
surfers
abounding in the area.

Shops:

There are people working in the Monterey Aquarium - a place to go (south
on hwy 1
from Santa Cruz).   Lots of shops there - Monterey and Carmel are
shopping magnets!

Others in the area I hope will respond - but if not, you have some good
areas.

You can drive south on 101 and then cut West around the south end of the
mountain range - then
from there to Monterey (there are signs) (take a map).

Hwy 17 can be a hazard in the rain or bad weather.  It can be worse
during rush.
Some curves are odd - turn left but bank right.  e.g. on a curve one expects
the outside to be higher on the right side when curving left.  They are not!

The road was made by mule and hand tools.  It has been worked on time
and time again,
but there are some bad curves.   Don't speed and watch speed signs -
they help.  Most
ignore them and speed.  Some wreck and some just wear out tires in a
year due to wall
fatigue.  But I survived 17 years of rush hour both ways.

Weekend rush a.m. is towards the coast.  Back from the beach at dark.
Weekday - rush is to the coast in the pm and to Santa Clara valley in
the A.M.
Take money.
Take more money.
Enjoy.

Martin [ now in Texas but lived in the Redwoods of Santa Cruz county
for near 20 years ]


Doug Stemke wrote:
> Hello.
>
>   My family will be in Santa Clara (CA) for a while around Christmas.  Any
> shops nearby worth checking out?  Also I realize it isn't close, but are
> there any good locations for decent beach collecting on the outer coast?
>
> Thanks and Happy Holidays!
>
> Doug
>
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--
Martin H. Eastburn
@ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net
"Our Republic and the Press will Rise or Fall Together": Joseph Pulitzer
TSRA: Endowed; NRA LOH & Patron Member, Golden Eagle, Patriot's Medal.
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Charter Founder
IHMSA and NRA Metallic Silhouette maker & member. http://lufkinced.com/

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