Santa Cruz is a relaxed college town, where a great deal of the counterculture that used to flourish in Berkeley has moved. It is also a beach resort town, and claims some of the best surf in California. It was there that the neoprene wetsuit was invented. On week-ends, it sometimes looks like the entire town is in the water. The rest can be seen strolling the oldest amusement park in the West, complete with a 1924 wooden rollercoaster, or enjoying the beaches. Natural Bridges State Beach is a prime resting spot for monarch butterflies migrating to Mexico. They are best seen in the morning, densely cluttered in Eucalyptus groves, before they takeoff for the day.
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