Santa Cruz by hilarystyle, Santa Cruz, California

The very laid back beach city of Santa Cruz is located about 75 miles from San Francisco and is definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area. It’s got great beaches, an amusement park, a vibrant downtown and friendly people!

Seabright Beach located just off of East Cliff Drive is part of the Twin Lakes State Beach and is your perfect beach stereotype! There are brightly colored beach umbrellas as far as the eye can see. Families can set up camp in the morning and stay all day picnicking, boogie boarding, swimming and more! I’ve been lucky enough to see dolphins, seals and even an otter from my beach chair!! The beach is open until 10 pm and bonfires are permitted. During summer days there are lifeguards and there are restrooms as well.

Parking is very limited and dogs are allowed on the beaches which I’m not crazy about. However it’s definitely less crowded than the beach on the other side of San Lorenzo point which is also the location of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).