Staycation: Friendly, Funky Felton
With its playfully eccentric vibe, the small town of Felton is nestled alongside the San Lorenzo River in the hills just north of Santa Cruz.
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park.
Photograph by Victoria Alexander
A trip to Felton is all about fun—this redwood-studded town never takes itself too seriously. Spend a day or two gazing in awe at the tallest trees on earth, ride the rails on a 100-year-old steam train, or puzzle over the mystery of Bigfoot.
Stay
It’s hard not to love a B&B that offers guests champagne and chocolate kisses upon arrival. Each room at the redwood-enveloped Felton Crest Inn has a private bath with a Jacuzzi for two. A cozy living room and large exterior deck invite lounging, and hiking trails start at the back door. , feltoncrest.com
Eat
Certified as a green restaurant by Santa Cruz County, Redwood Pizzeria makes all its pies with organic ingredients, including the dough and sauce. Try the Bigfoot pizza with spinach, red onions, and garlic, or the homemade veggie lasagna. Vegans can have a cheeseless pizza made their way. , redwoodpizza.com
Climb aboard
Journey back in time on an old steam locomotive. During the logging heyday in the early 1900s, more than a dozen trains pushed through Felton’s redwood forests every day. Today, the Roaring Camp and Big Trees Railroad runs a 100-year-old steam engine on a narrow-gauge tour through 1,000-year-old big trees (weekends only until March 31; daily after that). , roaringcamp.com
Hike
Less than a mile long, the Redwood Grove Nature Trail through the old-growth redwoods in San Lorenzo Canyon is the showpiece of Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. The aptly named Neckbreaker and Giant trees are standout redwood specimens. , santacruzstateparks.org
Shop
Stock up for a picnic at New Leaf Community Market, where locavores will be in their element. Looking for a dozen different varieties of raw kimchi? They’re here, along with pretty much anything else that’s grown or made from Monterey north to San Mateo County. , newleaf.com
Wonder
The Bigfoot Discovery Museum’s owner, Michael Rugg, takes all Sasquatch sightings seriously. Check out his extensive displays of scholarly journals, newspaper stories, and documented reports of the hairy biped. You may find yourself pondering whether Bigfoot is real, or if he belongs in the museum’s “Hoaxers Hall of Infamy.” , bigfootdiscoveryproject.com
