We recently took a weekend trip to the Santa Cruz area. Our dear friends who own a home there were are escorts and guides for the weekend. They took us too some pretty amazing places and showed us some great wildlife in the area.
Our first stop was Natural Bridges State Beach where every year in late Summer the Monarch Butterflies come to winter. This was the first time that any of us had ever been to see the butterflies and we didn’t really know what to expect. As soon as we entered the park we began looking and keeping count of all the butterflies we saw. At first it seemed pretty dismal, then we followed the monarch marked trail. This is where we began to see countless butterflies. The deeper into the trail we went the more we saw until it opened up into a small meadow where there were butterflies everywhere. It suddenly felt very magical and enchanting. Much like a fairytale. The secluded grove is surrounded by eucalyptus trees that provide shelter and food to the butterflies through out the winter. When the temperature drops below 51 degrees the butterflies are no longer able to fly. So they stay in this little grove that is surrounded by high walls to help keep them warm. This way they don't become prey for other critters. The kids took various dirt trails from the floor of the grove and enjoyed exploring the area. I tried to capture the moment on video but it doesn't really come close to the magical moment. One word of warning however they grove is also home to lots of poison oak. So be sure and stay on the trail. The Monarchs begin arriving in October and stay until late March.
Our next stop took us back south along West Cliff Drive where we passed some of the most amazing beachfront homes in Northern California. I have made a note to remember the Darling House Bed and Breakfast for a possible overnight getaway in the future.
On this route our friends noticed some crowds gathering on the beach and realized that there were dolphins just off shore. We parked and spent the next 30minutes watching the pod of dolphins swim back forth up and down the coast jumping and frolicking in the waves.
Our final stop was the Santa Cruz Warf. After a delicious dinner at Woodies we viewed the sea lions under the pier. We were all amazed at how such huge animals could balance themselves for hours on a thin beam. Many were piled on top of each other and had to maintain this position until the next tide came in to carry them out.
We also saw Seagulls and Pigeons, watched the Surfers and the paddle boarders and even got a great view of the boardwalk from the pier. Quite an array of wildlife that day.
Shared at The Tablescaper
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