Santa Cruz, well, it wasn´t that far.

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

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Highway 1, with it´s pretty coastal views, took us to Santa Cruz, where I had spent a summer a few years ago.  It´s still as crazy as ever, with weirdos on every street!  We got a hostel (I didn´t fancy asking Dennis and Lonna for a bed for the night!), and then drove around for a bit.  We went downtown, and then over to the beach boardwalk.  Santa Cruz beach boardwalk (if I remember correctly) is the only remaining one of its kind on the west coast, and is home to the eighth oldest rollercoaster in the world.  So we headed to the funfair.  After a rather confusing entrance deal with Pepsi, we got ourselves a really cheap daypass.  The boardwalk was only open for a few hours more though, so time was of the essence!  We went on as many of the best rides as we could.  I loved every one of them, Mike not so much - the photos were hilarious.  I would be sitting laughing my head off, Rick and Nikki would be smiling or laughing, and Mike looks like he´s in absolute agony, eyes closed so tight that his face might implode.  Nikki wasn´t so happy with the last one we went on, the poor girl ended up standing beside another poor unforturate, both of them leaning over the wall examining the beach.  It was like puke central.  Not nice.

Mikey's face was priceless...

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We headed back to the hostel, took a walk downtown so that the boys could have their first Taco Bell (they were very exited about it!), played a game of scrabble and went to bed.

The next morning we got up and made use of the indoor pool at the hostel.  Who would have thought that of all the things I would miss exercise would be one of them?!  We headed downtown, and stopped into Jamna Juice for a smoothie.  We went to the library to use the internet, and luckily I was still on the system from 4 or 5 years ago, so could use it for free.  Or so it seemed.  When that didn´t work, I was sent to another counter, where they discovered I have a bit of a fine with Santa Cruz Public Library.  So I just paid for the internet instead.

Back in the car, let´s get out of here before Wells Fargo hear I´m back in town as well...

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