The Grasses that Feed the Cows In the late 1700s Spanish missionaries caused significant changes to the California landscape by introducing European plants and animals. G...
I think it is fair to say that when we see a historical memorial, we expect a fairly simple, direct statement about the past. The idea is that by putting something in sto...
Ever wonder why the New Leaf Market says “Bank of Italy” over the front door? The downtown New Leaf Market has found its home in an old bank at Soquel and Pacific for twe...
When it was a bustling port city of the mid-18th century, Santa Cruz exported many goods: agricultural products, lumber, leather, and lime. Initially, goods and people we...
The mouth of the Elkhorn Slough has long been known for its natural salt ponds. In the late 1800s these areas were developed to produce salt for local use. In 1916, the M...
Since early September of this year, the Monterey Bay has been experiencing greater and lesser degrees of a red tide. A red tide is essentially a large algal bloom that oc...
The S.S. Palo Alto is a curious oddity with a rich history. It has also become an inspiration to artists who use it to inspire environmental awareness and promote ocean s...
Their red building is easy to spot, not far from where Ocean Street leads onto Highway 17 in Santa Cruz, California. That’s only part of what has made Marianne’s Ic...
It’s usually a fair bet that where there is a lighthouse, there is a history of shipwrecks. The area around Point Año Nuevo along California’s Highway 1 between San Franc...
Until the 1930s, bridgemen were mostly a group of fearless daredevils and competitive thrill seekers, attempting daring stunts hundreds of feet up in the air without a sa...
