Katie and Nick

Don’t let the location fool you. Silver spur has amazing breakfasts, great sandwiches and burgers and the milkshakes are well worth the calories. We like to swing by after a trip to the dump!

Vinocruz is a sweet spot that features local wines and food cooked on a hot plate in the back.  The people that work here are friendly and knowledgeable.  We spend a lot of evenings here - get the meatballs.

Head over to the cute town of Aptos to visit The Hideout. Everything here is good. We love the patio and a secret menu item - order the BLTA and ask them to add fried chicken to it.

Take a trip back in time at Shadowbrook. This institution is built down the bank of the Soquel Creek. Sit amongst the ferns and twinkling lights and enjoy a menu straight out of 1970. The funicular back up the hill when you are full and tipsy is a plus!

Visit Zelda's for the location and the El Presidente Margaritas.  The ahi salad and calamari are always good.  We love sitting on the patio and watching the hordes of people on Capitola Beach.  

This is a newer restaurant opened by our friend and 3 Michelin Star chef, David Kinch. The salads and the drinks are amazing

Local favorite Marianne’s ice cream can be found in many of our smaller grocery stores and restaurants. We love to grab an ice cream and then walk along the beach at Seacliff State Park. Try the 1020 or Heaven flavors.

This cute little restaurant in downtown Santa Cruz also has a terrific wine store. They carry our wines! We love to share the yummy appetizers and talk to the friendly and knowledgeable staff.

Beer-Thirty is a great place to spend an afternoon and sample many different brews (including hard kombucha and cider).  We love the picnic atmosphere and the cool SWAG.

Tucked in the back of a strip mall across the road from Home Depot. Discretion makes the best beer in the Monterey Bay and has a nice little patio out back. The food is yummy too. Nick discovered this place. We are now regulars

Located on the west side of Santa Cruz, this spirits tasting room tucked into a warehouse in an industrial area is well worth a visit. Our friend Suna of Stripe stores fame designed the interiors.

Once upon a time a train brought people up to the top of our mountains. Wright’s Station is located at the old train stop. They have a lovely patio and good wines and this is a great place to spend an afternoon in the summer sun.

Good wine and beautiful views make a visit to Burrell school worth the trip up to the top of the mountain. We love to sit here in the evening as the sun begins to set over the Pacific.

A beautiful spot up in the hills of Aptos, this winery has a lovely outdoor patio and excellent wines that reflect the Santa Cruz mountains appellation. We love to sit on the patio and chat with the owners

This tasting room is tucked into the forest a couple of miles above our vineyard. They have a darling old wood cabin and a great outdoor patio. They often have live music and a fire. We love to spend a lazy afternoon sipping wine under the canopy of costal redwoods.

Stripe is actually two stores a couple of doors apart on Walnut in downtown Santa Cruz.  Carrie's friend, Suna, is the owner.  Visit for an eclectic collection of clothing, gifts, art and housewares.  

107 Walnut St
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

The best antique store in the Bay Area.  No old clothes or kitschy knickknacks.  Here you will find one of a kind furniture and other pieces the owner imports from Pennsylvania.

The Homeless Garden Project Store is where you can sometimes find Carrie volunteering (when she is not scrambling to put on a wedding).  Here you will find a collection of amazing-smelling personal care and food products made by HGP trainees from things grown on the Project's farm.  The store also carries an array of products from local artisans that donate 50% of the proceeds to the project.  The big store is in Santa Cruz.  You may also stumble on the small outlet near the beach in Capitola

Soquel Avenue in the vicinity of Center and Main streets has a handful of fun antique stores. We have found some good pieces amongst the knickknacks at Center Street Antiques. You can pop over to Vinocruz for a glass of wine when you’re done shopping

Soquel is home to an amazing retreat called Land of the Medicine Buddha.  There are two hikes, a 2.5 mile loop to a series of contemplation spots and a longer, 7 mile hike into the Forest of Nisene Marks State Park.  We love the reminders to slow down and be grateful and the towering redwoods that surround this special place.  Bring a bit of cash to leave a donation.