If you don’t happen to have time to tour the entire state of California, we found a place that almost seems like a microcosm of the state. You have your beaches, your surfers, you r Redwood forests and, just an hour away, one of the state’s largest and most cosmopolitan cities.

Give up? Try Santa Cruz. Built along some of the Golden State’s most scenic coastline, this city gives you many of the state’s famous attractions in one easy-to-drive area.

We were amazed, for example, when we topped off a morning of beach sightseeing with a little seven-mile drive up to the sleepy town of Felton. Almost instantly we were taken from a bustling beach town to a forest so thick you could hardly see through the trees. It’s no Scotts Valley Movers that the famed “Bigfoot” was spotted in the Redwoods not too far from here, and that today there is a Bigfoot Museum beckoning both the curious and the amused.

Fifteen minutes later we were back in Santa Cruz, enjoying the sweeping coastal views and watching as visitors and locals basked in the winter sun while enjoying lunch at one of the city’s many outdoor cafes. Most likely their menu choices included lots of fresh produce ‘ apples, berries, spinach, squash, tomatoes, etc. ‘ as these and other fruits and vegetables are all grown close to Santa Cruz. In fact, there does seem to be a lot of attention paid in Santa Cruz to diet and exercise. It’s hard to be unhealthy in a place where you can easily jog along spectacular ocean cliffs or hike the trails of a half-dozen area state parks.

If we were so inclined ‘ and we weren’t on this particular trip ‘ it would be a reasonable day trip from Santa Cruz into the San Francisco Bay area. And that’s why you’ll want to allow plenty of time for your visit: there is something new every direction you turn.