WE MADE IT, FINALLY! It took a 6 day drive from Tampa FL to Santa Cruz CA, 1 day longer than we planned since we got stuck in Texas for 1 day when we broke down on the highway on a Sunday and had to wait for a tow and a garage to open. The tow truck driver had a TX tattoo next to his eye. We walked 2 miles with Harmony to a hotel from the garage in the most run-down, weirdo town possible. We got the dish on how the town got that way... It used to be a huge natural gas hub, with tons of high-paying jobs in that industry and after the gas and jobs ran out, lots of people became poor and started bumming and spending whatever money they made on drugs, so now the homes are shacks or mobile homes and there is no business or money there, except for a tourist site with natural caves. We had to eat at Pizza Hut, which I haven't had in like 10 years and the waitress said "Once you get that car fixed, you're on your way to some place better...I mean else." Man, Texas, I did not like the largeness and nothingness of that leg of the trip. I had been dreading it beforehand because I remembered it from 2 years ago when I drove cross country with my cousins. I'm just glad we made it. We got to stop and see a friend in Phoenix,AZ and get the best ice cream sundaes/ root beer floats everrrr at Macalpine's which has been there since the 1920's. Cool soda fountain with a side store of antiques and vintage clothing.
Then we saw my mom's brother and family in Long Beach CA for our last night and breakfast before heading to our new home town in NOR-CAL!!! Once in Santa Cruz, we stayed in a nice hotel suite that the company got us for 6 days, then chose and moved into our new apartment (after viewing about 10) on Monday. It's now been almost a week and we just have about 5 boxes left to unpack, yay!!! I'm at a cafe on Tina-break right now, Me-time, T-time, daddy-devoe-duty-time. RELAXING.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT SANTA CRUZ...SO FAR:
1. bike lanes on every street & we can bike anywhere in town!!!!!
2. AWESOME local/handmade shops, products, food, boutiques... People highly value and take pride in buying local products here, supporting local small business and economy... there is no walmart or target in this town.
3. great restaurants, and some are open 'til 3am unlike anywhere else I've lived.
4. lots of vegetarian food options everywhere, and it's delicious, not boring.
5. Harmony loves it here b/c we can walk anywhere and people-watch.
6. Good Earth Tea Company's factory is around the corner from our home, I've bought their tea in the past and I love that now it's local for us!
7. lots of music venues for all genres
8. people will surf no matter the weather, they're die-hard and fun to watch
9. we live less than a 2 minute walk from the most beautiful ocean cliffs and natural rock bridge formations, as well as "Lighthouse Field State Beach Park" with a big green, flowery field to run through
10. Winnebagos, RV's, Volkswagon bus/vans everywhere, with many that people live in, right by the water and just surf all year... such a simple way of life, not needing much in order to be content
11. BEST GROCERY STORES EVER! so clean, so well managed, they take fresh, healthy, organic, locally grown and prepared food VERY SERIOUSLY here... and i LOVE grocery stores, so I've already been in 5 of them repeatedly in the past 11 days since we've been here.
12. Citizens of Santa Cruz SERIOUSLY represent the town... every day we see tons of people wearing Santa Cruz t-shirts, made by my husband's employers :)
13. Lots of good little tea shops/cafes.
14. fun people-watching b/c of the demographic diversity... there are so many old hippies here, lots of young moms w/ babies, tons of college kids (UCSC), surfers, skaters, bikers etc. -Crazy how much is always happening on the streets...and the people are so friendly, open, welcoming, talkative...everyone stops to say hi and smile and chat with Harmony and us.
15. I'm only 1.5 hours from San Francisco where I can see some very good friends :)
16. lots of activities, community centers, baby/mom groups, craft groups
17. never too cold (like new england), never too hot (like florida), JUST RIGHT. only need heat for 3 months, never need A/C--- good for bills!
18. VERY CLOSE TO LOTS OF FARMS & VINEYARDS, on our way here we drove through "the grapevine" a long strip of road with beautiful farms and wine country.
19. One town away is the "Artichoke capital of the world" and I love the fresh, yummy ARTICHOKES!! and local lettuce farms :) = best salads here.
20. My husband LOVES HIS JOB and co-workers! This makes us both very happy.
21. free clothes from his company, fun.
22. yoga centers on every block...excited to find a good yoga class here.
23. eating, cooking and feeling healthier already.
24. I believe that I've finally found a place I am excited to call home for a very long time!!!
25. "Derby" =oldest skateboard park in the U.S. is about a mile from our home, and there are plenty of others too & when devo can sk8, we're ALL MUCH HAPPIER.
I will post pics soon, our computer's not loading right, so we're getting a new one. Now time to find fabric to make our curtains!
~Much peace & love from the west.
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