I was lucky. I went to college in one of the most beautiful places on earth. I moved away from home and into a dorm room that overlooked a peaceful tree-encircled meadow (well, peaceful when there weren’t drum circles going on). I walked to my classes on winding trails through groves of stoic, ancient redwoods. I eventually lived in charming cottages on charming streets, mere blocks from the Pacific. I woke in the morning to the sounds of seals barking playfully, and fell asleep at night listening to frogs croaking their quiet, calming calls. Santa Cruz can overwhelm with its beauty, and when you’re twenty, it easy to take that for granted. I go back now and I think, my god, I was so lucky.

Sean and I drove down to Santa Cruz last weekend for a little business trip/romantic getaway. I kept having to remind myself that I live in California now, again. I can visit Santa Cruz often if I want to. It’s right there, a mere 80 miles south. I don’t need to do All The Things. Nevertheless, we managed to get an awful lot into our weekend stay.

We started with a late lunch at Seabright Brewery. It was bright and sunny, almost too bright on the white stuccoed patio, but we stuck it out because how could we possibly sit inside on such a beautiful afternoon? The turkey burger was perfection: So often, they can be dry and flavorless, but this was something other turkey burgers should aspire to.

After lunch we headed over to the Swift Street Courtyard, a newer retail area where wineries and art galleries have congregated. When I lived in Santa Cruz, there wasn’t a wine culture there to speak of (or, at least not one of which my college-aged self was aware). But the community that has sprung up is vibrant and friendly, which is just what I would expect of Santa Cruz. We stopped first at Le Cigare Volant, an offshoot of Russell Graham’s Bonny Doon Vineyards. This space was one of the coolest winery spaces I have ever seen.

It’s open and airy, and full of flowing, curving shapes that mimic wine barrels, or spaceships, or both. There is a restaurant and bar area, and a long, curving tasting bar. We were a little peeved to learn that they don’t discount the tasting when you buy a bottle, but the wine we chose was so delicious we went back to buy another before we left town.

After wine tasting, we took a walk along West Cliff Drive. Good god it’s beautiful out there.

I loved this little cliffside pool of water. I loved watching the waves wash up over rock formations, and roll up onto the shore. I loved sharing this familiar walk with Sean, and remembering my favorite beachfront houses, and how I used to dream of living in them. I loved laughing with Sean about the naked people playing paddleball, and the bros drinking beers on their balcony (seriously, bros, how are you living in a beach house?! You are, like, twenty!). I felt my whole being relax after what had been a stupid stressful week.

Then we went back to our charming, slightly rickety, cozy B&B and enjoyed wine hour on the patio. It was peaceful and charming and quieting. It was exactly what I needed.

I did have to have one night of college girl re-enactment: drinks at the Red Room. It is just the same. Except I didn’t really engage in college girl re-enactment, because that would be embarrassing, and I can neither stay up late nor drink that much beer anymore.

On Sunday, we had brunch at Zachary’s. I love Zachary’s, and not just because I used to work there. The food is always good. The people watching is sometimes even better. The Mike’s Mess is one of my all-time favorite breakfast dishes: a frittata-like concoction of eggs, Zachary’s potatoes, bacon, mushrooms, cheese, sour cream, and tomatoes. The bread is baked in-house, the salsas are made fresh, and the Zachary’s potatoes are legendary.

This is one of the only places in the world I am willing to wait a long time to eat in.

After breakfast, it was time for a hike. We drove out to Henry Cowell Redwood State Park, the only place I ever hiked in college (I wasn’t what you’d call outdoorsy). Despite my headache and desire for a nap, the hike was stunning.

Crazy tree formations and growth patterns everywhere.

Limestone kilns being overrun by the forest.

Everywhere there were fallen trees, and this one caused a big smash. It was even bigger than it looks here.

Most of the trail followed a creek through the forest, and the water was so clear and crisp, I wanted to dive in.

Seriously, could it be more lovely?

After the hike, we had to stop at Monty’s Log Cabin for post-hike beers. Back in the day, my friends and I stumbled upon this wacky little bar after our own forays into Henry Cowell, and we loved it. It really does capture some of what Santa Cruz is all about: unusual, a little seedy, utterly friendly, slightly down-at-heels, and completely lovable.

After our hike, the rest of our evening was nice and quiet: We had dinner at El Palomar, and I smashed into our hotel room bed just like those giant redwoods. Although less destructively.

Monday was a working day: Sean had a meeting, and I spent some time at Santa Cruz Roasting Company preparing meeting notes and doing some record QA. I had a conference call in the afternoon before we got back in our car and drove home. My conference call was here:

I wish they could all be there.

Santa Cruz will always hold a special place in my heart. I often think about moving back, and I don’t know whether it’s something I really want. It’s an amazing place, no doubt, but maybe it would be best if I let Santa Cruz be the place I went to college. I guess time will tell, but it is pretty awesome knowing that I can visit whenever I want.