Boats, Beaches, and Birds

This walk is filled with unexpected surprises. I thought the trip would be about boats. After all, the harbor is home to 1,000 boats in sizes from kayaks to luxury yachts. (I remembered my wife and I paddled a kayak out of the harbor to the Santa Cruz Pier and back. A smooth cruise encouraged us to kayak on river trips for many years.) Seeing so many beautiful yachts on this walk was interesting, but there was more to see than boats.

I found a free parking space on Lake Avenue next to the east side of the harbor. (It was easy on a cloudy winter day, but parking anywhere near the harbor on a sunny summer day is more difficult.) I walked out to Harbor Beach a few steps away from the Crow’s Nest restaurant. I

remembered many good dinners there, including a special musical event featuring Next door I found a perch on a second- floor balcony where I shot some telephotos of the Walton Lighthouse. I walked away from the beach along the east side of the harbor north for about half a mile to cross under the Glenn Coolidge Bridge and the The entire trail is paved and flat, but the northern section of the trail is more parklike.

As I walked north, I saw many birds, including egrets, sea birds, and crows. As I crossed a bridge at the mouth of the harbor, I discovered more birds and a white seal. Nearby, a sign announced the entrance to Arana Gulch. This park offers large open spaces, green grass, and some small hills with nice views to the north and west. While the harbor trails were paved, Arana has some well-groomed dirt trails made for hikers.

Completing the harbor loop took me back toward Monterey Bay. It wasn’t as interesting to me as the other side of the harbor, but I did see some stairs and a trail to the Frederick Street Park. After I crossed under the Glenn Coolidge Bridge, I discovered an interesting garden with many strange statues. I also saw signs for sailing cruises (Chardonnay II) and a UCSC group getting ready to set sail. In the distance, I could see the lighthouse and Monterey Bay. Rather than walk all the way down the west side, stairs took me up over the bridge to my My next stop was Round Table Pizza in Scotts Valley. Next time: Crow’s Nest.

The loop walk is less than two miles, but you can add more distance in adjoining parks or on Seabright and Twin Lakes beaches. Walkers, runners, seniors, children, and dogs You don’t need a boat to enjoy Santa Cruz Take Highway 17 south to Santa Cruz.