Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. And Los Gatos.

We decided that you can't spend a summer in the South Bay Area without taking a trip to Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.  We happened to pick one of the best weather days, which meant everyone else had the same idea as us.  The traffic there was quite horrendous and the beach was packed and the water was frigid, BUT we had a great time soaking up the sun, playing phase 10 on our towels (our new addiction), throwing the frisbee (I am so horrible, a couple people almost lost their heads), and walking around the boardwalk.  We even threw caution to the wind and bought a funnel cake!  I think it's only safe to do that once every ten years (especially when you opt for the whipped cream and strawberry toppings). 

After dusting off the sand, we drove over to the quaint Los Gatos area and meandered through the pretty homes there.  We found the best Italian place ever for dinner, too!  We probably stuck out in our beach clothes amongst all the swanky people drinking wine but we loved it.  They even brought us our check in an Italian-English book.  We added our little thank-you inside the book. 

The day was a success and a great break from what has become the typical work/eat/sleep schedule during the week.