The Corralitos Market & Sausage has been the premiere regional butcher shop since the late 1880’s Their quality is unsurpassed and they have an impressive number of offerings. The #1 most favorite is the Cheezy Bavarian. The drive takes about 15 minutes through the rolling hills. Vineyards dot the ridgeline.
659 Corralitos Road, Watsonville, CA (831) 722-2633 Mon - Saturday 8- 6. Sunday 9-5.
More than a fantastic bakery, Gayle’s is a complete deli, coffee bar with all kinds of yummy prepared foods. The perfect place to create your picnic meal.
The Cement Ship was a fixture of my youth. In the early 60’s I would make the walk from the Rio Del Mar beach to the boat, buy a quarter pound of shrimp from the bait shop and fish for surfperch and flounders.
The 434-foot ship was commissioned as the Steamship Palo Alto in 1919. WW I was at its height and steel was in short supply so the experimental hull was made of concrete. However, the war ended just before the ship was commissioned and the it was never was deployed. Ultimately it was sold to the Seacliff Amusement Corporation and towed to Seacliff State Beach in Aptos, CA. A 500-foot pier was built to connect the ship to beach tourists. For the next couple of years it hosted some of the biggest dance bands in the world. Like Tommy Dorsey and Benny Goodman. But the depression was settling in and the boat was shuttered after just two years. Ultimately the the State of California took over ownership of the ship and it has since been enjoyed by generations of beach visitors. The ship broke in half and 1932. Then the winter storm of 2017 flipped the shore-side half of the ship and changed the character of the ship forever. Mother Nature remains undefeated.
The Cement Ship remains a daily destination for most visitors of The Cabin. It is a leisurely 10-minute walk from the brick wall at the Rio Del Mar beach prominade. Enjoy.
The Cement Ship 1930
Visiting Aptos is ideal for my family. Why? Because my husband loves the ocean and I love hiking in the woods. While staying at the Transeth Cabin we are a 5-minute walk from the beach and only an 8-minute drive from being completely encapsulated by the redwoods.
The entrance to The Forrest of Nisene Marks State Park lies North of Aptos Village on Aptos Creek Road. The ranger who greeted us was very helpful with his guidance and recommendations for particularly family-friendly trails. He encouraged us to explore the Advocate Tree; a 1,000-year old tree that fell just this early 2017 winter. The Loma Prieta epicenter is also located in this park.
Our family jumped rocks through Aptos Creek, swung from a swing tied to an old tree and spied 14 bright yellow banana slugs while hiking. The entire hike was magic. https://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/666/files/
(Reported by Gina Woods)
Amazing Giant Redwoods
Hunting banana slugs.
Pleasure Pizza and East Side Eatery is a surfer's dive joint. I love it because of the boards on the ceiling and the vintage photos on the wall. I usually get two slices and a Coke. Yes. The floor is sticky. Yep. That is Spicoli serving slices. If you want neat and kid friendly try Dominoes or Pizza Hut. This is the real deal located on 41st Avenue past O'Neal's when you are on your way to The Hook and Pleasure Point. I recommend getting your slices to go and continuing down 41st Avenue another couple of blocks until it empties in to the Pacific Ocean at The Hook. This is my surf spot. Park and walk to the overlook and check out the surfing. My ashes will be spread ½ mile down to the left at Shark's Cove. Sacred ground.
800 41st Avenue, Santa Cruz. (831) 431-6058 Breakfast--Lunch-Dinner.
The one and only Crow's Nest. Can you say sunset cocktails?
The Crow's Nest is the money sunset cocktail + dinner location in the area. Located right on the Santa Cruz Yacht Harbor it offers the complete beach vibe. Good cocktails and good dinners - but the place is all about location and view. You know you are at the beach when you are at the Crow's Nest - a Santa Cruz institution for almost 50 years. Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner daily.
2218 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA (831) 476-4560
Parking
We have spaces for two full size cars directly in front of the cabin. If you are having guests and there are more than two cars the overflow parking is at the bottom of the hill on the street. Guests will have to walk up Treasure Island Drive. Do not park in front of other houses on the hill - particularly the big house to the left (as you face The Cabin). My parents built and retired in that house and we made the mistake of selling it to people who are just pain bad neighbors.
Garbage
Two garbage cans are on the side deck of the cabin: one for garbage and one for recycling. Please leave your garbage there when you go. We will take care of it.
Groceries
The best grocery store for just about everything you need including beer-wine-liquor (24/7, 7 days a week for you out of staters) is the Safeway in Aptos at
16 Rancho Del Mar, Aptos, CA 95003
The Safeway is right at the State Park Drive exit off Highway 17. According to Mapquest it is .9 miles from The Cabin and should take you three minutes to get there. Parking can be a bit crowded at time but it is Northern California - parking is frequently an issue (hello SF).
The address is
332 Treasure Island Drive, Aptos, CA 95003
The best way to get there is to use Waze or Google Maps on your phone - just type in the address and follow the directions.
If you are not using your phone for directions and are going old school you are probably approaching from the Bay Area. If so, Take Highway 17 to Santa Cruz, as you enter Santa Cruz take Highway 1 South toward Monterey/Carmel. Approximately 8 miles take the Rio Del Mar exit, turn right and head to the beach. Then pick up the attached maps.
If you are coming from the South, work your way to Highway 1 toward Santa Cruz. About 8 miles before Santa Cruz exit Highway 1 at the Rio Del Mar exit. Then pick up the attached maps and you will be at The Cabin before you know it.
If you want to experience what a beachfront amusement park was like back in the day, visit the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Opening in 1907, The Boardwalk has been a part of the Santa Cruz beach vacation fabric ever since. When I was in high school we used to go to the Cocoanut Ballroom to hear the hot local bands (Syndicate of Sound, Chocolate Watchband, Count 5). When I was younger I used to love to go to the arcade and get sepia tone baseball cards from the machines. And The Big Dipper was and is ever present - one of the great wooden roller coasters in the world. Interesting to note that in the 1930's and 40's bands such as Stan Kenton, Bennie Goodman, Lionel Hampton and Tommy Dorsey played at the Cocoanut Grove. Good family fun. It will take you 16 minutes to drive the 8.7 miles from The Cabin.
400-500 Beach Street, Santa Cruz, CA Hours: Monday-Friday 12:00PM-7:00PM. Saturday-Sunday: 11:00AM-7:00PM. beachboardwalk.com
If you want to escape to an excellent French Bistro while you are in the Carmel/Monterey area, stop by Fifi's. My parents' best friends, Helen and Fred Pinkham introduced us to Fifi's almost 10 years ago. We make it a point to get to Fifi's on every trip. Lunch - great. Sunday brunch - a treat. Dinner - yummy. And they have a great wine list which is all for sale by the bottle or case at very attractive prices. Talbot. Rombauer. Merry Edwards Pinot. Mount Veeder Cab. Great wines. Great prices. And Fifi herself will be there to serve you. You will hear her French accent as she bustles about the customers. You will look closely at her glitter makeup and marvel how she pulls it off. And she will make you feel welcome and special. As they say, "You had me at the French bread and butter." French Onion Soup. Eggs benedict. Sand Dabs. Steak Frites. Mussels & Prawns in Saffron Broth. Yes please! Best French Restaurant in Monterey County - 2015. Best Dinner for Two in Monterey Under $100 - New York Times.
1188 Forrest Avenue, Pacific Grove, CA 93950. (831) 372-5325. Lunch only Monday and Friday 11:30AM - 2:20PM. Dinner Sunday through Thursday 5PM-8:30, Friday and Saturday 5:00PM-9:00PM. Sunday Brunch: 11:00AM-2:00PM.
Castroville is the self proclaimed Artichoke Capital of the World. And no one disputes it. It is about halfway to Carmel/Monterey so it is a natural spot to stop either on the way to Carmel or on the way back. The big attraction, in my opinion, is the fried artichoke hearts. The place we usually stop, The Giant Artichoke, is easily identified by the giant green artichoke marking the entrance. It is a tourist trap but the fried 'chokes are tasty. You can order them 10 - 20 or 30 in a bag. I prefer to eat them with mayo but they have a couple of other sauce options. You get all the good stuff without having to work hard. I could go for a bag of 10 right now. It will take you 25 minutes to cover the 20.2 miles from The Cabin.
11261 Merritt Street, Castroville, CA 95012 (831) 633- 3501 Hours: 7:00AM-9:00PM daily
Wonderland.
It will take you about 43 minutes (35.8 miles) to get to one of the great aquariums in the world. All ages will love the displays from the trippy jelly fish tanks to the tanks where you can reach in and actually touch the rays as they swim by. It is located right on the Monterey bay and much of the displays are dedicated to the native habitat of the bay. Daily highlights include the sea otter feeding, penguin feeding, open sea feeding, the albatross encounter. Sharks! Not cheap to get in - but really a great all day excursion..
Daily Hours: 9:30-6:00PM. 866 Cannery Row, Monterey, CA 93940 montereybayacquarium.com
According to Waze, Henry Cowell State Park is 11.3 miles from the cabin. It is an 18 minute drive. So in less than 20 minutes you can be in an alternate reality. Where trees grow to over 300' feet tall and more than 25 feet in circumference. It is a place where lush ferns cover the forrest floor and sunlight has a difficlut time filtering through the towering redwoods. It is also home for the famous bright yellow Santa Cruz banana slugs that sometimes grow to almost 10 inches in length. It smells moist in the forrest. Kids will get a kick out of the Big Trees Narrow Guage Railroad. Explore 20 miles of hiking trails. It is a special place.
Graham Hill Road - near Felton, CA. Hours: sunrise to sunset daily. For more information call (831) 335-4598
For the perfect walk-down-to-dinner-at-the-beach restaurant Cafe Rio is the answer. Located at about three blocks from the cabin on the Rio Del Mar Beach promenade, Cafe Rio offers a casual seafood menu that attracts visitors and locals alike. I always have the Sand dabs - a local dish indigenous to Northern California. Tender flat fish fillets are cooked in white wine sauce with capers and fresh veggies. It is a light and tasty California classic. A Carmel Valley Chardonnay pairs well. All things equal I would stay away from their drink special - The Shark Bite.
131 Esplanade, Aptos, CA 95003 (831) 708-1555 Open daily 3:00PM-9:00PM.
The view from Hollis House.
One of the great golf courses in American is quietly located in the hills above Santa Cruz looking out over the entire Montery Bay. Bobby Jones attended the Grand Opening of Pasatiempo in 1929 and immediately invited course architect Alister MacKenzie to design his new course, Augusta National. MacKenzie claimed that Pasatiempo was his best layout - better than Cypress Point or Augusta National. He lived just off the sixth fairway. It is spectacular. Reality check: It is expensive. It is hard. But, it is worth it. Good club sets are available to rent. The view from Hollins House is one of the best in Santa Cruz.
Pasatiempo Golf Club. 18 Clubhouse Road, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 (831) 459-9155
In the 1950's Northern California surfer Jack O'Neill invented the wetsuit. His first shop was in San Francisco and later that same decade they moved to 41st Avenue in Capitola (Santa Cruz). Every surfer who has ever entered in to the chilly waters of Santa Cruz owes Jack a debt of gratitude. They created one of my favorite advertising headlines of all time introducing their wetsuits: "It's always summer inside."
The shop remains one of the most complete in the area with a great selection of men's and women's swimsuits and beachwear, surfboards, leashes, wax, sandals - awesome t-shirts - and of course wetsuits. Lots of wetsuits.
O'Neill Surf Shop - 1149 41st Avenue, Capitola, CA (831) 475-4151 Monday-Friday 9:00AM-8:00PM, Saturday and Sunday 8:00AM-8:00PM
As a kid my parents used to stop at Marianne's on Ocean Avenue in Santa Cruz so that we could get ice cream cones to eat on the way home to San Jose. A special treat. The cones were great until I discovered the Hot Fudge Sundae. OMG. Mom and Dad usually ordered Maple Nut. I could never understand that choice.
Now Marianne's has opened a (relatively) new location across the street from Manuel's. So you can be in ice cream heaven in just 2 minutes after walking out the front door of The Cabin.
218 State Park Drive, Aptos CA 95003 (831) 713-4746 Sunday to Thursday: 6:30AM - 11:00PM Friday and Saturday: 7:30AM - 12:00AM
Manuel's is probably just a little over a mile from The Cabin. I grew up eating Mexican food at Manuels. It was a special treat because Dad was usually grilling on the back deck. If I have been away from the area for a while I usually order two meals: one to have on the spot and one to have for breakfast the next day. In the big picture it is a really good, family-run Mexican restaurant. But because of my history with this place I sometimes dream of mixing the rice and refried beans together and scooping them up with fresh totilla chips. Check it out. You will not be disappointed.
11:30AM - 12:00AM - 7 days a week. 261 Center Avenue, Aptos, CA 95003 (831) 688-4848
