Fourth of July in Santa Cruz

Your mom and I took a day trip to Santa Cruz for Independence Day this year. Your mom has been considering the University of California as an option for transferring, and she wanted to check out the campus in Santa Cruz, and we'd never been to the Boardwalk there, so we jumped in the car and headed to the coast.

On the way to the coast, we like to check out the tiny fruit stands along the roadside.

This one featured a pony and her foal. We could hardly believe how small and cute these two were!

Once in Santa Cruz we checked out the lighthouse at Lighthouse Point. Today there's actually a surfing history museum inside.

Just up Cliff Drive from the lighthouse is the pretty Natural Bridges State Park.

Your mom is in love with the coast. It has a magical effect on her.

We made it to the Boardwalk that evening and rode the gondolas over the crowd. The place was packed for the holiday!

On the Boardwalk there was a really fun game we both tried. You had to make your way from one end of this small room to the other without tripping any of the laser light beams. It was a race against the clock, and every time you hit a laser it would add time to your total. One of the kids stopped me after my attempt to tell me I was "really close" to getting a high score!

After a nice dinner on the wharf, we watched the fireworks over the Boardwalk. It was a wonderful way to spend the holiday with your mom.