I have a thing for old things. Especially old structures and buildings, when you are around them, you are connected to the past, and you can still feel the energy that went into building them and the life lived in and around them. We went for an extended weekend trip to Santa Cruz, a place we have visited a million times, so we were looking for some new sites to see. In my research for our trip, I came across the Felton Bridge and knew we had to visit. The bridge, built in 1892, spans 80 feet over the San Lorenzo River and sits in an idyllic park complete with picnic tables and a play structure for the littles. You can take walking paths that run across the bridge and along the river through trees and other foliage unique to the Santa Cruz mountains. It’s a perfect place to sit back and enjoy a slow afternoon with a picnic lunch.
We mainly came to see the bridge and let Stella and the dogs burn off a bit of hotel energy before we continued our day with a quick hike through Pogonip Nature Preserve. But, the town of Felton has other things to offer, like hiking trails and a steam train. We, of course, ate fantastic food while we stayed, and the hotel was dog-friendly. I will link some of our favorite places below and a link to the Felton Parks page to plan your trip.
- Felton Parks
- Felton Photo Tour
- Prior to our scenic drive, we stopped for breakfast at Walnut Ave. Cafe. The service was beyond friendly and the food was the perfect amount for a day of sightseeing and hiking. Walnut Ave. Cafe also offered a special menu just for our spoiled pooches! I was still eating vegetarian at this point and I had no issue finding something delectable on their menu.
- We love trying out funky and fun local coffee spots when we are adventuring, our friends had been telling us to check out Verve so that exactly what we did! Its bright and welcoming with the same laid-back feel as most of Santa Cruz. The coffees were definitely well-caffeinated, but if you are looking for something extra fancy or special they keep the menu minimal. Stella enjoyed their hot chocolate and she is pretty picky where that is concerned. We stopped in a few times while we stayed. Don’t forget to try out their pastries!
- When in Santa Cruz the trip is not complete without a stop at Pizza My Heart! We have been going there as a family for more years than I can remember. Due to Covid restrictions, we took our food to go and had a picnic with the pups in the back of the truck. It was unseasonably warm in February and made for a perfect evening.
- The hardest part of traveling with pets is finding just the right place to stay! We chose the Paradox hotel and we were not let down at all, it was clean and comfortable with just enough freedom for our pets to use the restroom when needed. You can not take pets near the pool area but everywhere else was fair game. It was a quick drive from anywhere we wanted to go, and there is a walking path that takes you right into downtown Santa Cruz if you should want to take that route. One thing is the park next door is a temporary shelter for the unhoused. I forgot to tell someone that and it was a bit of a shock. We would stay there again, though we are not looking at Air B&B options as well. Since we were traveling last minute (literally book Thursday leave Friday) we called the hotel direct and received the best price, even better than on travel sites.
- We wanted to do a little light hiking while we were there to exercise the dogs and us! We settled on the Pogonip Nature Preserve because it had hiking trails for all skill levels and lots of options for hikers with pets. We chose an easy route as it was our first time hiking with the boys and we were unsure what wildlife we would encounter while there. It was a mostly flat trail with a slight incline and sweeping views of Santa Cruz below. My favorite part was the creepy old golf clubhouse that has long since been boarded up. Make sure that once you finish hiking you check your pups and yourselves for ticks they are out there.
