SUMMER RESORTS

Santa Cruz Daily Surf, August 3, 1905

Many early tourist guides and newspaper articles recommended visitors combine a trip to Big Trees Grove with a leisurely carriage ride along Santa Cruz’s Cliff Road to view wave-sculpted sandstone cliffs and mudstone arches or go for a quick dip in the surf.

"Arriving at Santa Cruz we go to the Pacific Ocean Hotel and having removed the dust of travel engage a driver and team under whose guidance we are soon seeing the sights of the beautiful place. It is immediately upon the Pacific Ocean, and we take a drive along its beach and see the natural bridge, a result of the washing of the waves, no doubt. We are too late for a bath as it is too cold, the trade winds being up, and so we have to content ourselves with sight-seeing.  … We spent a quiet evening and had a good night’s rest [preparatory] to our visit to the Big Trees the next day. Next morning after a good breakfast we took our places behind four fine horses to climb the mountain ravines leading to the big trees."

Beauties of California, 1883

Into the early 20^th century the two essential stops for visitors to Santa Cruz remained its spectacular coastline and astounding big trees.

Many visitors, like these Iowans in 1905, recorded enthusiastic descriptions of "... the scenic Cliff Drive which extends four miles along the edge of rugged cliffs rising in places a sheer fifty feet above the thundering breakers of the Pacific, whose ceaseless energy has pierced and worn the sandstone into weird and grotesque shapes. Little sandy beaches at intervals make ideal picnic spots…"

Such groups also touted their trips up to Big Trees Grove. "A carriage ride to the grove of big trees was a great treat for the party the following morning. The grove is six miles from the city and reached by a drive of marvelous beauty up the narrow valley of the San Lorenzo river ... From a distance one is suddenly confronted with a boarded enclosure (for revenue purposes, of course, for the grove is private property) and a short distance within the mighty trunks of the giant redwoods are encountered. Over fifty are scattered about twenty acres and a number of the very largest are grouped within a radius covered by a ten minutes' walk with a guide who gives all necessary information as he reaches the different celebrities of the grove, for many of the trees bear names of men, great, too, in their sphere ... Following the inspection of the trees the party were bidden to a bountiful repast of baked salmon and other appetizing provender upon which the big appetites of the big tree gazers soon made big inroads.”  

 

Sources: “From Philadelphia to San Francisco,” Sunbury Weekly News [Sunbury, Pennsylvania], November 23, 1883; “A Thirty Days Circle – Review of the Trip Taken by the Waukon, Iowa, Democrat Editor and Wife with the National Editorial Association,” Santa Cruz Sentinel, September 8, 1905.

DELIGHTFUL DRIVE

From a City Stables advertisement - Author's Personal Collection

"Santa Cruz has become famous for its excursion parties. Many carriages have been built on purpose for this business, some carrying four persons, and some eight or ten. The drivers are experienced and careful men, and take parties along the sea side, or out into the mountains and back, with safety. At mid-day, on the beach, or under the trees in the mountains, they know how to make a cup of coffee and cook a beefsteak, and spread a lunch that the appetite, sharpened by the morning ride, finds to be delicious. The excursion up the San Lorenzo, climbing the mountain grade, following that stream, takes a party through scenery rarely picturesque and beautiful. It is a most delightful drive of six or seven miles, and brings a party to the ‘Big Trees’ in time for lunch." 

“Summer Recreation in the Open Air,” Santa Cruz Weekly Sentinel, January 15, 1876. 

REDWOOD REPAST

Visitors have enjoyed picnics beneath the monarchs of the Fremont Group since the beginning of Big Trees Grove. The edge of the Fremont Tree is seen to the right and in the background is the broken base of the Fallen Sister, one of the Three Sisters - Author's Personal Collection

“There are many rustic tables scattered about among the trees in the grove, for the accommodation of picnickers. One of the most secluded of these we selected whereon to spread our lunch, and before we had fairly unpacked our boxes the gay bluejays came flying from all directions to the trees in our immediate vicinity, where they kept a most lively calling and cawing seemingly full of impatience for us to leave the remains of our repast to them. They would make ludicrous dashes at any scrap we threw to the almost tumbling over each other … There were several ladies at the house, I hardly think I ought to have called it hotel, and there were other parties who came in for a look at the grove and took dinner there. But I shall always prefer to have my dinner in the open air among the bluejays.”

Note: We know better now. Please do not feed the birds or other wildlife in the park. Thank you.

Source: “The Santa Cruz Big Trees,” by Laura J. Dakin, Express and Standard, [Newport, Vermont], September 26, 1876.