Memorial Day weekend around Santa Cruz could be less crowded th...

With high fuel prices I anticipate record-size crowds in Santa Cruz; people from the bay area megagopolis will forgo long trips due to high air fares. A trip to the beach is far more affordable. During the heatwave last weekend, I notice summer-size crowds on the beach. I believe the writer's assessment is short-sighted and clearly wrong based on trends of previous Memorial Day weekends.

Notice should have been spelled "noticed."

Scooter wrote:

With high fuel prices I anticipate record-size crowds in Santa Cruz; people from the bay area megagopolis will forgo long trips due to high air fares. A trip to the beach is far more affordable. During the heatwave last weekend, I notice summer-size crowds on the beach. I believe the writer's assessment is short-sighted and clearly wrong based on trends of previous Memorial Day weekends.

I agree, I'll also add that this is cheap gas for those European visitors. Their money is going further in the United States & I figure we will get our share of the tourist dollar.
Hopping on an airplane vacation in Hawaii isn't a fun or reasonably priced endeavor either. The airline companies are starting to charge for checked in bags too...

Thanks be to God! It's about time the tourists stay the crap away from Santa Cruz! Go elsewhere! Your trash isn't welcome!

Tyler wrote:

Thanks be to God! It's about time the tourists stay the crap away from Santa Cruz! Go elsewhere! Your trash isn't welcome!

uh what ever, i love tourists, especially tourists girls.......they are fun for a minute..........and they go away before it gets ugly!!!!. on a serious note, santa cruz depends on the tourist dollar to give us tax money!

Tyler wrote:

Thanks be to God! It's about time the tourists stay the crap away from Santa Cruz! Go elsewhere! Your trash isn't welcome!

What about all that nice tourist money that flows into our city and helps boost sales tax revenue? All that tax revenue helps our city streets, services, infrastructure, etc. Like it or not we live in a town that depends on that tax revenue to survive. Cut that off and we are SOL.

And those added cars and crowd that turns our streets into a parking lot is what worsens our streets, services and infrastructure that you speak of. It wouldn't be so bad if they stick w/ the boardwalk and Seacliff Beach but that isn't the case at all. Did you read and reread and further proofread your comment before you replied?

Ok. Did you think through your comments. The alternative to tourist tax revenue is to raise property taxes and sales tax. Hey, the money has to come from somewhere. We already have the highest sales tax in the state. And the extra property tax would further Santa Cruz in becoming a home to the wealthy, a la Carmel. Since we already don't have many companies located here that can pay wages to support those already living here, I guess more people could leave and find employment elsewhere.
This city depends on tourism. Half the businesses here, and pretty much all of the businesses in Capitola Village would close without that money. At a time when American's cannot afford to travel abroad it would be very wise of this area to pay a little more attention to what that money could bring us.

Fast Eddy's Billiards in Capitola does it's part to help witht the gas crunch. Bring in a gas receipt from the current day and receive 15% discount on your pool time. So basically it costs you nothing to drive there if that is all that is holding you back.

lets just hope these over the hill people dont pollute our beaches or cause any crime on us residents.

*sigh* I hope the 17-south isnt crowded when i come back to Santa Cruz on Sunday afternoon....

Dave: There are plenty of business in SC County (or anywhere else for that matter) that doesn't depend on tourism; they're called (i.e.) patients. The county would be far more habitable without "tourists" overcrowding our streets, beaches and restaurants. Do you think these tourists stay to help cleanup after the fact? Most (NOT ALL) of these tourists could care less about what they leave behind. I doubt half of 'em take their trash home with them. By getting rid of these little businesses, these tourists will simply flock Seacliff and the Boardwalk and won't overcrowd the rest of the freakin' county. Not because the city depends on tourism doesn't mean that that is all this city can do. This city can have myriads of clinics, doctor's offices, tax services, software businesses. It doesn't have to consist of some cheaply made "shell" earrings @$15 each. At least in HI, because they're cheaply made, they're cheaply sold.

I love the tourist's money, hate the traffic they cause

Would it be recommended to bike here during the summer? Ive only lived here since August, and Id like to bike by the lighthouse on the afternoons. Or is this a recipe for disaster?

Embrace the tourist trade or stay home.
Locals know where the worst traffic will be and avoid those routes anyways.(and we know which side streets to shortcut on!)
Bikes, Scooters, or walking are all reasonable options for most of us.
You don't see too many locals crying about the "Aptos tourists" clogging the freeway every AM and PM anymore either.
Twin Lakes and Sunny Cove are overlooked local spots with plenty of parking within a short walking distances (parking off of Portola near 14th). Go Live Oak!

whattodoinjuly wrote:

Would it be recommended to bike here during the summer? Ive only lived here since August, and Id like to bike by the lighthouse on the afternoons. Or is this a recipe for disaster?

If you are talking about biking West Cliff by the Lighthouse or Natural Bridges, Mornings are the best. In the afternoon there is a bit of foot traffic but if you are the social type then maybe you will meet a friend? Generally biking around Santa Cruz is better than sitting in your car stuck in traffic, which is often the case in the summer. The River Levy is a good bike ride too. If you are into the trails, UCSC & their fire roads to Grey Whale Ranch & Wilder is a great ride too. There is no recipe for disaster when riding your bike, if you can avoid the cars?
If you are biking from SLO on a tour you will be bucking a head wind

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