Santa Cruz, CA

Santa Cruz combines university town energy with classic California beach culture on the central coast. Highway 17 connects directly to Silicon Valley through the mountains, while scenic Highway 1 hugs the coastline north to San Francisco and south toward Big Sur. The city enjoys mild year-round weather, though summer fog often blankets the area. The historic Beach Boardwalk features a 1924 wooden roller coaster that's been operating for nearly a century.