Java was terrified of this little boy...
Santa Cruz is a cool town. A very cool hippy-surf-bum town.... There is great food here too, Café Gratitude, Penny Ice Creamery, Verve Coffee roasters and more that all cater to all types of food intolerances you could have. Bike shops and surf shops are everywhere. The beaches are right there. What's not to love about this place?
Last year, we were lucky to have an awesome tour of the Specialized bike factory by the Creative Director and one of the first employee of Specialized. It truly remained a highlight from last year trip. We knew that this tour of the Santa Cruz bike factory would not compare, but it was very interesting to see a smaller production where still so much is done by hand.
Santa Cruz has been making mountain bikes since 1994 and there are still some of these bikes on the trails. They still make parts for these old bikes since people tend to keep them for a while. Good bikes age well!
If you are in the area, you can rent one of their awesome bike (their cheapest bike is $3500, so needless to say, we are talking about high-end moutain bikes here!) for $20 for 4 hours (and they fully fit it for you, make sure to reserve a few weeks ahead of time) to go ride some of the great local trails. We are looking forward to check the IBIS bike factory too.
Of course, we were not allowed to take pictures, so these are pictures of the pump track located right behind their offices!
A date with the twins, a superb vegan meal from Café Gratitude, earl grey ice cream from Penny Ice Creamery, clothes shopping with my girls in Tibetan stores. Meeting colorful characters. Better than your average Monday.