Santa Cruz, CA

Ah, Santa Cruz. Yet another town that will forever hold a special place in my heart!
This is the small surfer town that we had been looking for. Although, Santa Cruz can't really be called small. They do have the vibe and characteristics of a small town. They are pretty anti industry so there are no big building, skyscrapers, box stores, or condos. All of the houses seemed to be pretty moderately sized and funky architecture. Santa Cruz had that stereotypical Californian vibe of surfers, skateboarders, hippies, and a chill attitude. They are very environmentally conscious with tons of natural/organic grocery and clothing stores, a biodiesel gas station, and alternative energy companies.
We stayed here longer then any other town we have been to on this trip. We stayed for a whole week! During this time we went to their first Friday art walk, a regional burning man event, visited lots of beaches and parks, and had the RV worked on. Thankfully it was nothing major, and the owners were really nice. They let us stay in their lot with access to electricity and water.
I just love visiting towns that show qualities of a place I would love to live. A place that shows importance of the arts, music, the environment, children, and local businesses.  Bravo to Santa Cruz for achieving this!!