Highway 9 offers change of scenery
For most Bay Area residents, the weekend trek to the Boardwalk or the surf means several hours of gridlock bookending your trip. But you don’t have to brave the trafficchoked swerves of Highway 17 to reach the beach. Consider a fresh approach: the scenic drive along Highway 9 through the Santa Cruz Mountains.
This sylvan route leads from one of Silicon Valley’s favorite spots for low-tech leisure through three former logging towns that, like Santa Cruz, hew to the offbeat. It takes a little more time, but it’s time spent enjoying the journey.
MORNING
A sign at the crossroads of Highway 9 and Skyline Boulevard marks the Santa Cruz County border with Santa Clara County and the eastern edge of Castle Rock State Park. Arrive early to find a spot in the main parking lot, 2.5 miles southeast off Skyline. Easy trails lead from here to 75-foot-high Castle Rock Falls and the sandstone formations popular with rock climbers. Or you can avoid the crowds by hiking along the thickly wooded ridges with breathtaking glimpses of Monterey Bay. Downloading the park brochure before you go will help you spot the turnouts along Highway 9 that connect to the Saratoga Toll Road, Skylineto-the-Sea and other moderate to challenging trails.
MIDDAY
After descending through miles of dense forest, Boulder Creek’s quaint downtown at the crossroads of Highway 9 and Big Basin Way (Highway 236) appears like a bright bohemian oasis. Among the handful of shops to browse, check out Boulder Creek Antiques and Art, in the cranny-filled woodframed building sporting “Mac’s 100-YearOld Place” on a large sign. Your earlier hike merits the calories of a burger and fries under the redwoods at the retro Fosters Freeze, whose owners are local heroes for their frequent kindness to cash-strapped customers. For something a tad more artisanal, continue onto Ben Lomond, where the Ben Lomond Baking Co. offers pizza by the slice, savory puff pastries and a temptingly large case of Italian cookies, doughnuts and other sweets.
AFTERNOON
Continue on to Felton, best known for Roaring Camp Railroads’ train rides through the redwoods or to Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Save those for another day, or night — evening holiday excursions are offered in December. On this itinerary, visit the rustic tasting room of Hallcrest Vineyards, which was originally planted in 1941 by an attorney from San Francisco and now offers a variety of varietals and hard cider. One of the first three wineries in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Hallcrest later became the first nationally certified organic winery in the country under winemaker John Schumacher, who purchased it in 1987. The Pinot Noirs are the only wines not organic, but they are delicious, as the many wine competition awards attest.
EVENING
Loop back to Ben Lomond for a scene out of Germany’s Black Forest. At the 47-yearold Tyrolean Inn, waitresses wear dirndls, the manager sports lederhosen and the decor leans toward cuckoo clocks and beer steins. For those who’ve worked up an appetite, the hearty Bavarian plates of meat, sausage and house-made cheese noodles outweigh any concerns about the kitsch. The chef for the last 30 years retired in October, but only after training his replacement for the last 18 months. Thanks to his faithful concoctions, happy hour discounts and weekly specials, the dining room still throngs with locals and Highway 9 travelers.