Parks and Recreation

Write to the RTC on the Rail Corridor

April 27, 2020 by Seb Frey

The Coastal Rail Trail — Tell the RTC Your Thoughts on the Future of our Rail Corridor

The Regional Transportation Commission will soon decide if the Santa Cruz Rail Corridor will be used for passenger rail, or some kind of bus service. They are working on a Transit Corridor Alternatives Analysis – but they are only looking at two alternatives – fixed rail and bus.

This web site has frequently made the case that the best use of the corridor isn’t for passenger rail. Many (most!) Aptos residents are likely also opposed to any capital-intensive, low-use projects envisioned in the corridor. Please write to the RTC today at transitcorridoraa@sccrtc.org or info@sccrtc.org or via their Contact Us web page.

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Suggested Talking Points for a Message to the RTC

I’m writing to let you know that I OPPOSE the rail transit options and the bus option on the rail corridor. The rail options however are far worse than bus, because…

Rail transit will not move more people faster nor for less money than bus transit.
Rail transit is more NOT accessible, less comfortable, and louder for riders and neighbors. It also does not go where people need to go.
Rail transit will operate in a corridor creating additional traffic congestion in residential neighborhoods, so provides the least reliable service: NEVER on time any time.
Rail transit CANNOT be implemented sooner than bus transit, it will have NO IMPACT to be able to travel car-free, it WILL NOT lower our emissions, it WILL NOT fight global warming, and will have NO IMPACT to escape traffic congestion sooner.
Rail banking WORKS and absolutely protects 100% of the existing 32 mile rail corridor from easement threats. The Great Redwood Trail in Northern California is using rail banking for a distance 10 times longer than the Santa Cruz Corridor with not easement threats. The only threat here is from the extremists at the Friend of the Rail Trail.

Choosing rail transit means construction of the Coastal Rail Trail is ALREADY delayed and WILL NOT be completed within 10 years. Plans for the rail trail are shoddy and ridiculously expensive.

Bus Rapid Transit/Bus on Shoulder along Highway 1 offers South County riders the same access to improved public transportation as North County riders, RAIL transit does not. It would also clearly show single occupant vehicle drivers that there isa faster way to Santa Cruz.

Rail transit WILL NEVER double the use of public transportation county-wide. Please use SMART as an excellent example of Rail Transit Failure. You cannot get an entire county to accept the burden of financing public tranportation for 2% of the population.

Rail transit is THE MOST expensive to operate and maintain so, over time, rail transit will BANKRUPT SANTA CRUZ METRO.

Funding to implement passenger rail service is NOT REALISTICALLY identified in the State Rail Plan. With COVID-19, we will also be taking a massive hit to revenue in the county, making paying for such capital intensive projects even less feasible.

Tearing up the existing tracks to replace them with a road for buses or commuter rail would create environmental trauma such as TOXIC CLEANUP FROM DECADES OF PESTICIDES, GREASES and OTHER WASTER along with demolition waste, grading, miles of new pavement, and digging for storm drainage systems. This is minimized by replacing the tracks with an active transportation trail and keeping mass transit on the Highway 1 corridor where it belongs.

Rail provides the LEAST easiest access and minimal amount of bike storage per vehicle (rail 20 or more, most buses can only carry around 3). WE DON’T WANT A PLACE TO STORE OUR BIKES, WE WANT A PLACE TO SAFELY RIDE OUR BIKES!

It doesn’t matter if rail provides the access for wheelchairs if it is difficult to get to the locations to ride the train and to get to a final destination as the centuries old rail line does not pass through any current day employment area, government center or higher learning campus. Rail on a signle track cannot accommodate more people with personal mobility devices.

STOP WASTING OUR TIME WITH THESE STUDIES! STOP THE MADNESS OF RAIL AND THEIR SPECIAL INTERESTS AND BUILD A TRAIL ON THE CORRIDOR NOW!

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The Early Days of Aptos Post Office Jumps

January 12, 2019 by Seb Frey

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

December 28, 2018 by Seb Frey

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

December 14, 2018 by Seb Frey

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

November 13, 2018 by Seb Frey

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

September 29, 2018 by Seb Frey

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 Monterey KOA Photo Gallery

Santa Cruz Greenway Looking to Capitola

April 28, 2018 by Seb Frey

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.

Castro Adobe Open House January 27, 2018

January 25, 2018 by Seb Frey

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.

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Ton of Fun is Back for 2017

January 4, 2017 by Seb Frey

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!

January 2, 2017 by Seb Frey

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!

Parks and Recreation

Read a good book lately?

Suggested Talking Points for a Message to the RTC

What's YOUR Aptos House Value?

Ryan R-Dog Howard Video

Read a good book lately?

King Tide Activities

#1: Walk the Coastline

Read a good book lately?

#2: Check the Tide Pools

#3: Find the Fossils

What's YOUR Aptos House Value?

Read a good book lately?

Looking for a Home in Aptos?

Santa Cruz Monterey KOA Photo Gallery

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Read a good book lately?

Read a good book lately?