August 9-11, 2014
Santa Cruz. First stop- The Mystery Spot- a gravitational anomaly tucked amongst the Redwood trees and just a short drive from Santa Cruz. Is it a hoax or a real mystery? All I know is that we were all able to balance ourselves at angles that would normally cause one to crash to the ground. The laws of physics and gravity do not apply here, as we experienced puzzling variations of gravity, perspective, and height. Definitely mind boggling but it was a lot of fun. Even got a thumbs up from the teenagers!
Next, we headed over to Roaring Camp for a train ride through the Redwoods. The steam engines they use date back to the 1890s, and are the oldest and most authentically preserved narrow gauge steam engines still providing regular passenger service in the United States. Roaring Camp is set up like an 1880's logging town, with buildings that have food, old time photography, a blacksmith, general store etc. The train ride was about an hour long and the scenery was beautiful with all of the trees, but alas the teenagers bored quite quickly of it. One day they will appreciate it!!
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. The sand, ocean waves, a roller coaster, and giant donuts all in one location; life is good. Lauren, Jace, Grandma, and Grandpa rode the historic Giant Dipper Roller Coaster. It is an iconic classic wooden roller coaster that has been making people scream since 1924. We all took in the sites as we rode across the length of the boardwalk, high above all the action on the Sky Gliders. I was really excited to ride these but I have to admit once I was gliding across the sky it was a little nerve racking! The view of the beach and ocean was amazing though, worth the little bit of nerves. Of course, we couldn't leave without trying a Texas sized glazed donut.....
Dinnertime. We spotted the Santa Cruz Diner, I did not think it looked very promising, but it was promptly pointed out to me (via a banner) that Guy Fiero from Diners, Drive-ins & Dives had eaten there and it was featured on the show. That sealed the deal, we had to try it. The menu was typical of a diner, with everything from pancakes to pot roast, but what made it unique was the Vietnamese selections. Of course Jason wanted to know what Guy had eaten and ordered the same- Pho. It's a type of Vietnamese soup that was actually quite delicious. After dinner we drove to Lighthouse Field State Beach and checked out the lighthouse, surfers, and the sunset.
The next morning we said good-bye to our hotel and Santa Cruz and headed north. Our next adventure would take place in San Jose at the Winchester Mystery House. Lauren was especially excited to see this as it was built by a crazy lady who believed the spirits of those killed by the Winchester gun, which her husband had invented, were haunting her and she had to keep adding on to her house to keep them confused. There were secret rooms, staircases that led straight to the ceiling, and a door to absolutely nowhere (really it's a door that leads straight to the hospital because it is on the second floor and if you open it you will step right outside, fall, and likely end up with a broken something). She had a seance room that had one entrance and several exits, the tricky part was that you could not exit from the door by which you entered- take that you pesky ghosts! Sadly, they wouldn't allow pictures to be taken on the inside of the mansion but I got a few of the outside.
After the Mystery House we had lunch at a little pizza joint then headed to our final destination.....
SAN FRANCISCO!!
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| Jason and the steam engine |
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| Just me, my dad, and two Texas glazed donuts! |
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| Heading across on the Sky Gliders.... you can see Lauren and Jace just behind us |
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| One of the locals... I hear he's always here |
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| Breakfast served all day! |
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| Jason and his Pho |
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| Some history of the house |
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| Gorgeous Victorian home- too bad it was haunted |
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| The famous door to nowhere |
