Santa Cruz Trip: Day Three

For our third and final full day in Santa Cruz, Doris and Jenn chartered a yacht for a two-hour private sailing excursion in the Monterey Bay. It was on a Catalina 42 (which, for you landlubbers, means it was 42 feet long). It was the perfect size boat for the number of people on board (Doris & Jenn’s newlywed friends Dustin and Jennifer also joined us for the ride).


Tim and James sailing in the Monterey Bay. (05/30/05)

The weather was picture perfect, with not a cloud in the sky. I was anticipating an overcast morning, since that’s how it was the day prior. We got there around 11 and motored out shortly afterward. Once we cleared the shore and got out to open winds, the captain cut the engine and let out the sails. I was really surprised at the speed we had.

Doris and Jenn brought along the lunch they had made: sandwiches made with either prosciutto or salami on toasted baguettes, various gourmet chips, and of course, a couple of bottles of wine. The food was almost incredible as the fantastic views of Santa Cruz.


Doris and Jenn sare a laugh with the captain. (05/30/05)

One highlight was the wildlife we saw, including sea lions and a pod of bottlenose dolphins that we saw near the Capitola wharf. We were right in the direction the dolphins were heading, and we saw their back fins surface about 30 feet away from us. I tried to get a picture, but wasn’t fast enough (although I got a lovely picture of the water).

After sailing, we went to downtown Santa Cruz, which I hadn’t seen in probably 10-12 years (and Tim had never seen). It was very nice. Of course the last time I had seen it, there was still considerable damage from the 1989 earthquake.


Some of the kooky characters in downtown Santa Cruz. (05/30/05)

Afterwards, we went back to Doris & Jenn’s house and rested up before going to dinner. We chose a place called Palapas in Aptos, since it promised a great view of the sunset. It’s a Mexican restaurant known for its mango margaritas, which we ordered. After splitting an order of ceviche, we ordered our dinners. Mine was a seafood pozole which was delicious.


The mango margaritas at Palapas in Aptos. (05/30/05)

The rest of the night, we just hung out, swapped some music and played with Jenn’s original Star Wars figures from her childhood (the old ones that came out after the original film release). It was a nice way to end the weekend.


May the force be with you. (05/30/05)