Located next to the ocean and 30 miles south of San Jose is Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz is a fun place to visit for all ages. Beach or Boardwalk? Museum or mall? There’s a fun attraction for everyone.

Besides all the tourist attractions, Santa Cruz is a university town with many places to relax, eat and enjoy the ocean air. Santa Cruz has four main museums­—the Museum of Art and History Santa Cruz, the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum and the Santa Cruz Harley-Davidson Museum.

For prospective students, the University of Santa Cruz (UCSC), ranked 15th out of 60 in a survey conducted to find the percentage of students whose bachelor’s degree led to a doctorate, is a great place to visit.

The most famous attraction is the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. With mini golf, bowling, video games, thrill rides and much more, it is a great place for everyone to have fun. Boardwalk shops that sell souvenirs, jewelry and shells, are great places for people-watching and window-shopping.

Pacific Garden Mall, which is downtown, is surrounded by a variety of fun places including restaurants, bars, clubs and movie theaters.

Although your day might be long, there is no need to starve. The Walnut Avenue Cafe serves breakfast all day long. Another good spot is The Dolphin, a small restaurant on the pier. Its excellent location gives diners an amazing view of the ocean (watch out for diving seals) while waiting for high quality, freshly cooked treats like clam chowder and fish and chips.

For evening entertainment, a popular spot is the Boardwalk Bowl. Whether to celebrate a birthday, listen to music, sing karaoke or just bowl and enjoy refreshments at the bar, it is a good way to end a day in Santa

Cruz.