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Parks and Recreation

The Early Days of Aptos Post Office Jumps

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Ryan “R-Dog” Howard

Ryan Howard (aka “R-Dog” – find him on Instagram) is a professional mountain biker from our favorite coastal town: Aptos, California. He recently appeared in a video shot for Freehub Magazine and appearing on the website Pinkbike. It’s good to hear talk about how important the Aptos Post Office Jumps were not just to locals, but to the international mountain bike community. While the Post Office Jumps are gone, they’re certainly not forgotten – and probably never will be!

Ryan R-Dog Howard Video

Original article @ Pinkbike.com

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Santa Cruz First Day Hikes 2019

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January 1 is a Great Day for a Hike!

Looking for a great way to start the new year in Santa Cruz? How about going outside and enjoying the great outdoors?  Beaches, forests, and more!  You owe it to yourself to check out these amazing Santa Cruz First Day Hikes for 2019. There are a couple right here in Aptos!

History Under the Trees

Concrete Ship History Walk: First Day Hike

Bird Walk

First Day Hike in Fall Creek

Wilder Ridge Loop: First Day Hike

Buzzard’s Roost Hike

Burleigh H. Murray Ranch Park Property: First Day Hike

Sempervirens Falls Hike

Sequoia Audubon Trail First Day Hike

Sandhills to Observation Deck First Day Hike

Skyline to the Sea Bypass Trail

Old Cove Landing Trail

First Day Hike to Cable Car Beach

King Tide is Coming to Monterey Bay

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Do you like those nature shows on TV?  Well, you’re in luck because we’re about to have an incredible show right here, live in Aptos!  California King tides are coming back to Santa Cruz and Monterey before the end of this year. Get ready to hit the beach and watch this exceptional natural phenomena, and  it’s something you won’t want to miss.

The so-called Kind Tides happens naturally now and again. They are the highest tides that occur when the Earth, moon and sun are aligned at their closest points. The result is the largest tidal range seen over the course of the year. The flip side is a very low tide as sea levels rise.  Tidal events such as the King tides push seawater further inland.

King Tide are predicted to happen in Monterey Bay on December 22nd/23rd and on January 21st/22nd 2019. Make sure to put it on your calendar so you don’t miss it!

King Tide Activities

#1: Walk the Coastline

At the beginning of this year, my wife and I decided to take the kids to explore the tide pools exposed by the super low tide.  I made a blog entry about it, you can read it here: walk at King Tide on New Year’s Day.

You can walk  almost all the coast line from New Brighton Beach to Capitola Beach, even to Rio del Mar.  It was a great way to start 2018!

The King Tide hike was part of   America’s State Parks’ movement known as “First Day Hikes,” with more than 80 hikes and other outings planned throughout all 50 states for New Year’s Day. On New Year’s Day, two wildlife interpreters from Seacliff State Beach led a public walk from New Brighton State Beach to Capitola Beach.

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#2: Check the Tide Pools

When the strip of beach between New Brighton and Capitola is accessible walkers get a unique experience in nature viewing. A number of different tide pools are revealed along the sandy, rocky route —  people get a rare chance to view and document various inhabitants and species.

It is so unique. You can check out countless sea anemones and hermit crabs, or starfish. Many people were able to find them very easily. However, on our last visit we couldn’t find any starfish, alas. Some folks even saw an octopus darting between the rocks!

#3: Find the Fossils

In addition, remnants of the natural history of Santa Cruz County’s coastline were exposed during the low tides, including many fossils — some millions of years old. One impressive sight only seen during a negative or king tide is the 5-million-year-old fossil of a whale backbone, embedded permanently in the shoreline.

This phenomenal natural show gives people a glimpse of what daily tides may look like in the future due to sea level rise, if we think about climate change.

The best places to view the king tides are in Watsonville: at Palm Beach State Park and the last mile of Watsonville Slough, as well as Elkhorn Slough.

So, make sure to check it out and feel free to post it in our instagram or Facebook page Aptos Community News!

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History Sharing Day at Castro-Adobe

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Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks (Friends) today announced it will host a history-sharing event Castro Adobe State Historic Park on Saturday, Nov. 17 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“Thanks for the Memories” is a chance for history buffs, locals and Castro family descendants to visit the new state historic park in the Pajaro Valley and share historic photos of the property and surrounding area. Staff will be on-hand to scan the images and add them to the park’s archive and for potential use in the site interpretation. Friends staff is also interested in hearing personal stories and anecdotes about the Castro Adobe and families that have resided there.

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“Part of restoring and opening the Castro Adobe as a State Historic Park is learning all of the history of the property and interpreting it for the public,” said Bonny Hawley, executive director of Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks. “But we need help. Please check your attics, photo albums and even family bibles for information related to the Castro family or the property. We’re crowd-sourcing in the 21st century to get a look at life in the 19th century.”

Friends is trying to solve one mystery in particular — what did the family of Juan Jose Castro and his wife, Rita Josefa Pinto Castro look like? To date, no photos of this particular family have surfaced. Friends is also seeking historic photos that include:
• Castro family members and nearby rancho families, such as Rodriguez and Amesti
• the Castro property and historic buildings including outbuildings
• nearby properties and surrounding lands
• Old Adobe Road from various angles

Photos and documents will be returned immediately after they are scanned.

The Saturday event also will include tours of the Adobe and is free to attend. Castro Adobe State Historic Park is located at 184 Old Adobe Road, Watsonville. Parking is extremely limited and carpooling is encouraged. Learn more at www.thatsmypark.org.

For those who cannot attend the event, but still want contribute to the historical archive at Castro Adobe State Historic Park, please contact Friends at 831-429-1840.

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Santa Cruz Monterey KOA

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Santa Cruz / Monterey Bay KOA
Santa Cruz / Monterey Bay KOA 4.0 star rating 174 reviews

The Santa Cruz Monterey KOA is a special place. It’s one of the top-rated KOA’s in the nation, receiving an average of 4.5 stars on the KOA rating system from over 1,000 ratings. It was even featured on Episode 7 of Season 4 of the CBS reality series “Undercover Boss.”

There are a number of things that make this KOA a special place. To begin with, it’s located close enough to the beach that it’s easy to get to but doesn’t get too chilly from sea breezes. And it has a spacious swimming pool that is heated year-round, as there are many sunny and warm days throughout the year in Santa Cruz. There’s also a big hot tub next to the pool to keep you feeling warm and bubbly!

The campground offers a number of “Camping Cabins”, a few tent sites, and dozens of RV sites to choose from. There’s a large convenience store on site, selling all kinds of camping gear, food, beer and wine, and a lot of camping necessities you may have forgot to pack like marshmallow roasting sticks, firewood and the like. They offer free WiFi throughout the campground, and there’s a little train too that makes a circuit around the campground at no charge to vacationers.

The fun doesn’t stop there – they also have a mini golf course, gigantic jumping pillow for the kids to hop up and down on for hours, coconut palm climbing trees, outdoor cinema, vending machines, and a clubhouse with amusements for the children.

Whether you are coming in from out of town or a local looking for a great family “staycation”, the Santa Cruz / Monterey KOA is the place to go for fun and relaxation at an affordable price.

Santa Cruz Greenway Looking to Capitola

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Greenway Looks at Capitola

An indication of its popularity and momentum, Santa Cruz County Greenway is looking to Capitola, which is a key section of the Santa Cruz County Branch Line Rail Corridor.  Greenway Capitola, a local transportation advocacy organization, is sponsoring a 2018 City of Capitola ballot initiative which aims to preserve and utilize the rail corridor and trestle for active transportation and recreation in the City of Capitola. The group is currently gathering paper signatures from Capitola registered voters.

To help educate the public about the ballot initiative and the rail corridor, Greenway is inviting the public for a short talk and question-and-answer session on Wednesday, May 2, from 7:00 to 8:30 pm at the Jade St. Community Center (4400 Jade Street, Capitola, California 95010).  Attendees are encouraged to come early to meet near the tracks behind the Jade Street Park baseball field at 6 pm for a brief rail walk prior to the Q&A session at 7.

Greenway would like your help to spread the word – check out and share the event on Facebook.

Not able to make it to the meeting and trail walk on May 72?  Then please join Greenway for a second walk at 10 am on Saturday, May 5th, meeting again behind the Jade Street Park baseball field.

Also, community members who are concerned with the future use of the rail corridor are also encouraged to attend the next SCCRTC (Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission) meeting at 9 AM Thursday, May 3 at Capitola City Hall to share your thoughts in an oral comment at the start of the meeting.  It’s important that everyone on the RTC understand how vital the future use of the rail corridor is to the community.

Related Posts On AptosCommunityNews

Read a good book lately?

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Castro Adobe Open House January 27, 2018

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Castro Adobe in Watsonville (Larkin Valley)

Explore Castro Adobe State Historic Park during the first public open house of 2018, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, January 27th. The event will focus on the early period of the Adobe and the Castro family’s prominent role in local and California history.

Visitors can enjoy homemade nopales (aka prickly pear – a cactus salad) and fresh tortilla-making while getting the chance to share stories of their own family’s beginnings in California. Guided tours will be offered at 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. A short presentation on the Castro family’s participation in the historic De Anza Expedition will start at 2:15 p.m.

The event is free. The Castro Adobe is at 184 Old Adobe Road in Watsonville. Parking is limited; please carpool. Leashed dogs are allowed only in the parking area.

If you have never been to see the Castro Adobe, this is a great opportunity – it is an amazing structure in a beautiful setting, and loaded with early Santa Cruz history.  Bring your entire family, invite your friends – but please carpool, because parking is limited.

Read a good book lately?

The Sold Book
Get My Book Today!

If you have some room on your reading list, I invite you to read my book Get It Sold! It's an easy read (just 110 pages!) and it tells you everything you need to know about selling your home quickly, easily, and at absolute peak pricing. I'll send it to you for free - no shipping charge either!

OK Send me a Copy!

Ton of Fun is Back for 2017

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Fleet Feet’s Annual Tons of Fun Training Program

Get fit, have fun, lose weight! Ton of Fun is Back for 2017, and you can’t miss with Fleet Feet Sport’s 4th annual Weight Loss & Wellness Challenge. This year, it’s starting January 9th and runs through February 27th.

Who is this for? Anyone who needs or wants to lose weight, improve their health and do it with other members of your Aptos community. The Ton of Fun program has increased the health and wellness of over 100 people each year who have collectively lost over 2,000 pounds since Ton of Fun began. That’s over ONE TON!!

The program is about much more than exercise, though – it really is all about health and wellness. The program includes weekly coaching clinics led by their team of coaches:

Nutrition & Lifestyle Coach Teresa Barsanti
Fitness Coach Doug Barsanti
Wellness Coaching with Dr. Gold Jacques-Maynes
Running & Tri coach Melani Amaris

The program also includes:

  • Weekly online coaching sessions through our private Facebook group
  • Weekly walks to keep you moving and connected
  • Private weigh-ins at Fleet Feet Sports Aptos using our exclusive Running Affair App and our medical grade scales up to 400 lbs.
  • 2 free months of ReInvention Notebook — the online resource for fitness, nutrition, and lifestyle advice

This year, they are holding two sessions each day – section 1 starts is from 6:00 to 6:45, and Section 2 is from 6:45 PM to 7:30 PM (with weigh-ins starting 30 minutes prior to the beginning of the session). Due to high demand for this program and limited space, each Section is strictly limited to 60 people. – so register now!

Click Here to Register for Ton of Fun Section 1 (6:00-6:45 PM)

Click Here to register for Ton of Fun Section 2 (6:45-7:30 PM)

Start the New Year Right with Curves Aptos!

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With the dawn of a new year, millions of people around the world will make a vow to take better care of themselves – to finally get into shape, and to stay that way. For many, that will mean signing up for a new gym membership. Many are called; but few are chosen – by the middle of March, many gyms are as quiet as they were in late December. But if you are ready for something different, start the new year right with Curves Aptos!

Curves is not a gym – it’s a fitness center and healthy lifestyle community all in one. And for the new year, they’re running a special – a $1 enrollment fee for the first 30 women in 2017 who join Curves. That’s a savings of nearly $100!

If you want to know what makes Curves Aptos different, read our business spotlight here.

Curves Aptos isn’t just looking for new members – they’re also looking for new trainers. Yes, they’re hiring! If you’re a trainer or know anyone who is, please contact Janna Malizia at 831-688-2348!

Curves Aptos

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Curves Aptos is more than just a fitness center – it’s a community of women united in the goal to live a happy, healthy and active lifestyle. A Curves membership is much different than just joining a gym. At Curves Aptos, members receive the help and support they need to reach their health and weight loss goals – and to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Curves Aptos is run by Janna Malizia, who is completely dedicated to the business of helping women in the Aptos community achieve levels of fitness they might not have thought possible.  This is true no matter your age; the Curves of today serves women of all ages, from young women in their late teens to mature adult ladies and seniors.

The Curves program focuses on building lean muscle during their high intensity 30 minute workouts. Members are free to come to as many Curves sessions as they like. It’s circuit training, with a special Curves twist. Every member has a coach, who will teach proper form and challenge members to take it up a notch – when they’re ready.

The weight machines are all double-resistance hydraulic machines, and your workout on each machine is recorded with the proprietary Curves Smart system. The results are constantly analyzed and your machine makes adjustments automatically to help you meet your goals.

And don’t think that Curves is just about resistance training with machines. Members are encouraged to participate in as many classes as they want. They offer cardio boxing, boxing combo, cardio jam, body blast, body basic, arms +, balance, yoga chisel and PowerFlex. These classes are what creates options for all levels of fitness, all ages and cross-trainings. With all that Curves has to offer, you’ll never plateau in your training.

And while you can come as much as you want, if your resolve weakens and your participation drops, you’ll get the support you need. You see, at Curves Aptos, they care about their members, and members who don’t show up can expect an encouraging phone call to get them back into the center, and back on track for their lifestyle goals.

Curves Aptos is all about getting lean, healthy, and staying that way. But it’s also about having fun with women just like you who share the same goals as you.

Related Posts On AptosCommunityNews

See also: Curves Facebook Page

Curves Aptos Video – Meet Janna and Shila

Curves Aptos Photo Gallery

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