Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is an oceanfront amusement park in Santa Cruz California. It is a seaside charm in Santa Cruz where fun and relaxation are all in one. Its wide sand beach and roaring waves are truly amazing. The amusement’s park’s lights, rides, games and music are lively and inviting especially during holiday season like Christmas, where in during night time they turned on all the Christmas lights around the place.
From San Mateo going to Santa Cruz, it took us 2 and a half hours of travel including time where we’ve been stuck in traffic and when we had to stop in a restaurant for lunch. Mia loved traveling, she’s not fussy and she really behaved well during the entire travel. The movement of the car or the van easily rocked her to sleep all the time and when it stops she felt it and she wakes up.
THE BEACH
We went directly to the beach when we reached the boardwalk. It has a wide sand and we had to carry Mia in her stroller to the sea side. There were birds flying around and it was a little bit crowded but we still got our own space to sit and enjoy the beach. It was a very lovely afternoon for we got to see the sunset while relaxing and enjoying the ocean waves. Mia really loved the sound that it makes. I held her in my arms as we sat in the sand and she winked every time the natural light struck her eyes. She looked at the waves and wondered about the sound, how I love to see her cute face when she gets too focus on a specific thing. Later on after some time she fell asleep and she slept long until we went back to the van.
THE AMUSEMENT PARK
We took some time to visit the amusement park before we leave. It was an old school kind of amusement park not as modern and big as the new amusement park you know nowadays. There were old type of rides and arcades including treats, you can choose any of your preference which one will you go to have fun. We played few arcades and won some toys and picture frames. Prices were reasonable and the place was little crowded during our visit so we didn’t really stay long to play for more.
One of the rides in the amusement park.
One attraction here too is the roaring camp train, Santa Cruz beach train was full of decors and lights when we visited because it was during the season holidays. During this kind of season, a lot of people were visiting and wanted to enjoy riding this train so booking or getting your tickets online will be much more convenient.
TRAVEL TIPS:
- If you’re looking for fun and relaxation all in one place, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is a good choice to pick. But you may want to visit early so you can enjoy both the amusement park and the beach on the same day and the place gets crowded later on during the day.
- The beach was so refreshing especially when you come during sunset so if you prefer it more than in an amusement park then it can be the best time for a visit. Bring something that can be your mat in the sand so you can sit and relax the rest of the time of your visit.
- If you’re more a fan of games and arcade, always checked online about their hours base on time of your visit especially during holidays and some occasions.
We really recommend this place especially for family like us who really do enjoy being outside our home, to have fun and relax in one place at the same time. It is also best to come in the beach during the season where the temperature is getting warmer like spring and summer. If you’re in the area or even just a traveler then Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is worth a visit. You may not be a person who love arcades and amusement park but love the beach more, or the other way, I’m sure you can still have an amazing time here just like we did. It’s for all ages!
Have you been in a place like this before where you can enjoy a beach and have fun in an amusement park all at the same time? Share it in the comment please!
We also passed through mini falls while we were on our way and though we have to get through big rocks, getting closer to each was worth the photographs.
One of the waterfall we’ve seen while we were on our halfway of the trek going to the main trail of Hulugan falls.
Huge rocks to climb for an up close view of the mini falls and in order to see its deep narrow catch basin. One beautiful view of the water cascade can be found almost at the final end of the trail before you can see the long marvelous fountain of water from the majestic Hulugan falls. This was where we seated and relaxed for some time and took a lot of photos after the difficult descents that we’ve been through. We were all wet and muddy after crossing rivers, climbing rocks and getting through the steep slopes so it was the perfect spot to clean ourselves a little before proceeding to the hike.
We took our time to enjoy the moment of being there, we enjoyed our packed lunch and after getting full, we jumped off to the natural pool of Hulugan Falls’ catch basin. Indeed it was the most exciting moment for all of us. It was absolutely worth the trek and hike!
Out of all the 
FYI: The child’s place of birth should be the city and the state where she was born. As stated in the form all details of the parents should be based at the time of child’s birth. All the required documents are listed on the 
FYI: The cover letter is not necessary if the applicants if parents will go personally to the consulate or walk-in application; Don’t miss to read the “note” that was included on the pdf file found in the last paragraph of the page “how to file a report of birth” consulate’s website; Follow strictly what it says on the list depending on your case for example if it says 5 copies for each legal document then complete each.
Read full experience in the Report of Marriage post.
FYI: The cover letter is not necessary if the applicants, both husband and wife will go personally to the consulate or walk-in application; Don’t miss to read the “note” that was included on the pdf file found in the last paragraph of the page “how to file a report of marriage” consulate’s website; Follow strictly what it says on the list depending on your case for example if it says 5 copies for each legal document then complete each.
We arrived in the embassy at 9 a.m and we were asked to head to the 2nd floor going straight to the separate lane for applicants with baby or senior applicants. I took a blue ticket number from the stall in the front of the waiting room and we waited for almost 20-30 minutes before an officer called our turn. By then I informed her that we’ll be filing both report of marriage and report of birth so then she asked first about the requirements for the report of marriage. I handed down the folder of the requirements which I prepared separately from the other application. As per the rules of submission, only copies shall be given or surrendered to the consulate but all original document is a must to bring for validation of each document copies. 
and the lady monument in San Francisco which symbolizes one of the historic events of the Philippines. 
Our waiting time was indeed well spent.
We filed both report of marriage and report of birth that same day. The process for report of birth will be in a separate post. Have you ever filed a legal document to any consulate? Its one of the experiences that is worth to share for others who are on the same boat to gain knowledge and background of the process.
Entrance road and view of Pandin Lake.
Bamboo Rafts with huts for lunch picnics touring around the crater of Pandin lake. 
The gang in the bamboo raft.
The raft was pulled by 2 men using the rope that was attached to the other end or opposite end of the lake.
Swimming after reaching the opposite side of the lake. Tourists are only allowed to swim with life jackets. 
Jumping off the raft together with the group. 
A tire made swing in the shades of a tree located where the raft ducts at the opposite side of the lake.
Climbing up a steep hill going to the view of lake Yambo’s crater.
The view of Yambo lake from the hill top.
There’s an admission fee and accommodation for overnight stay is available. Room’s price differs depending on the type and the area. The resort allows guests to bring their own food and cooking wares. There’s also a grilling station already provided for guest to cook near the rooms. It is suitable for families and big groups who seek affordable place to spend quality time to bond and a place to relax,unwind and cool down during summer.
Small Cottages for rent. These are small rooms that have 1 bunk bed, convenient for a small group.
Large size cottages are available for big groups.
One of the pavilion of Bato Springs
One of the pool of Bato Springs for kids and adult.
A A pool inspired by natural spring; Man-made falls and cave in the jungle.
We loved it especially when we have our baby with us to experience everything even the rides, it was really amazing. It was really memorable and its worth going for sure, we had a lot of fun and we enjoyed the animals as much as what we expected and the rides gave us a new unique experience too.
Our baby is still very young to remember all the precious moments we had in this place but we will definitely come back when she’s a little bit bigger and when she can be able to recognize and enjoy the animals more.
We continued walking until we got tired and decided not to go further more. The trail seem to not have an end but the time we spent to walk was way worth it because it gave us a good time to talk and joke. Even though we did not get to the end of that trail we still had to praise ourselves because we made it long where we where that even felt like it was 3 miles and that for us was very long since we rarely do long walks. This was definitely a nice experience to unwind such lovely place and I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves to have outdoor adventures.
THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE TRAVELING TO THIS PLACE:
Mia was about a month old and some days when we took her to an outdoor adventure in a lake in Oakland. As a new mommy I kinda was worried about taking her out of the house because the outside world was all new to her and her skin was so delicate that it’ll be hard for her to combat the type of weather outside. But then I realized that we already had been inside the house for a month and she looked healthy and maybe it was time for the both of us to get some fresh air outside so that we could expose Mia to the natural light and have her experience a different pace too. To make that happen all I needed to do was to get everything ready and be mindful of necessary precautions so that baby would not get sick.
We did some walking until we found an available space for us. We really liked the one we found because the lake was just foots away. It was a spacious picnic table under a tree with a grill on the side and its near to a fishing dock. We had our food grilled for our lunch while having very happy moments of laughter and talks. Under the tree where we sat, I held Mia in my arms and gave her milk. Her eyes winked when the tree leaves moved and swayed because of the wind.
We didn’t have our fishing poles so we just watched and those men were friendly enough to talked to us about how they fish. We took baby Mia with us and she loved the cool wind blowing from the lake and her eyes wondered when she saw the fish in the net. But when we went back to our table she had fallen back to sleep in the shoulders of her Grandpa. 
Lake Temescal is a dog friendly park too. We saw a lot of people walking with their dogs and some stopped in front of us to introduce them to us. We loved dogs and we enjoyed talking with strangers, those dog owners who passed through us and let us play with their lovely pet for some time. 
There was also this student who had his drone and so friendly that he happily talked to us about how it works.
It was a perfect cool sunny day near noon time when we reached the tower, the cold breeze blew constantly from the tall trees and wild flowers bloomed silently in the corner of tall grasses. 
The water showed the reflection of the clear sky and sparkled with the sun’s heat, it was indeed very refreshing view. 
During our walk we saw beautiful sights of the city but it was not a full view of the entire city because there were some trees and houses blocking the view. And from where we were, we saw cars passing the roads on the other hill close by and we thought of going there too with hopes to see a better view of the entire city. We headed where those cars where going and we saw a lot of people who were walking along the road uphill and taking pictures while enjoying the very nice view, it was for sure the perfect location for the view that we were looking for the whole city.
The Twin Peaks of San Francisco is one of the must visit destination for tourists or locals within the city, best for family or friends outdoor adventure exploration that could be a perfect place for dating couples.
It was amazing to see how these flowers grew together so tall and bloom as big as they can in a very hot season. It was noon time, a perfect timing of summer which I believed was the sunflower’s fullest peak blossom. It stood high and swayed with the blowing wind. I had the urge and excitement to see the flowers up close but I was reluctant to do so because of the bees that were swarming around, here I realized that bees were very common to sunflower farms. Though I was hesitant I still took my steps towards the flowers and with my very supportive husband he guided me to get so close to a single flower.
It was my first time to have seen how big sunflowers can grow and measure how tall its stems could reach. It was simply a wonderful experience, we had fun taking some videos and photographs and enjoyed watching the bees that buzzed around each flower.
It was a hot day but indeed a very worth the risk experience.
Though being mindful that we had just taken the chance of breaking in into the private property, we allowed ourselves to enjoy together the lovely moment of being in a very beautiful place like this. My happiness to achieve one of my dream bucket list was fulfilled by my loving husband and it was a very memorable moment for the two of us together that will surely last a lifetime.