Santa Cruz / Monterey

Thanks to Glen, I had managed to save enough cash so I could rent a car and take the scenic drive from San Francisco to LA. My first stop was in touristy Monterey where I visited its famous aquarium.

The fella above was one of my many new friends I met in Monterey which included sharks, giant jellyfish, a huge octopus and a few dolphins.

The aquarium was impressive but the rest of the town did not excite me very much. Instead of continuing south, I decided to make a detour up to the surfer hotspot Santa Cruz. On the way I drove through some stunningly beautiful countryside with small apple-farms, breathtaking redwood forests and rolling hills.

That night I stayed at a pretty youth hostel made up of wooden houses with large verandas. There I made friends with a Swedish guy called Adam who was also travelling around America.

That night me and Adam went for a few beers in town where we became friends with Krista and Rose - two girls who were in town for a snowboard catalogue photoshoot.

The next day I drove out of town and explored some nearby redwoods. These gigantic trees stand tall and majestic, reaching far into the sky. It was a meditative experience to walk around in these quiet forests.

I also had time in the evening to drive along the coast and see the magnificent coast North of Santa Cruz.

written by

niklasbergstrand on January 20, 2009 from Santa Cruz, United States

from the travel blog: Niklas in America

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