h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Since this is a Hitchhiker's Guide, why not somewhere to hitch to? (To which to hitch? To hitch with a witch? Ever hitch a ride on a broomstick?) The Santa Cruz Mountains rise gently and lovingly above Santa Cruz, California -- Surf City, USA. Everyone who plans a trip to California should come check it out. There's a little railroad where the employees where olde fashioned costumes (Big Trees Railroad at Roaring Camp, near Felton), and a bunch of huge redwood trees to break your neck gawking up at. I mean, our buddies are BIG! There have been, in the past, trees that were so large they were cut through for cars to drive right through the trunk. But it was discovered (big surprise!) that this eventually killed the tree, so we don't do that anymore.

We are very ecology minded around here, mostly because we have a very beautiful place to be proud of here. But we're also good-time, beer-drinking, rock stomping, hard-loving people who will have a party going somewhere whenever you arrive. There's a Boulder Creek Brewing Company which makes, I am told, very good beer. Also, since everyone loves puns, they brew very good coffee, too. There is the Brookdale Lodge, a funky and fabulous hotel/restaurant/event place that has a creek running through the main dining room! No kidding! Every time the (commuter) bus driver who fancies himself a tour guide gets to that stop, he refers to it as the "World Famous Brookdale Lodge." So tell me, World: is it famous, or is he dreaming?

There's all sorts of people around here. We have lots of Harley Davidson's up in them thar hills, and lots of Mercedez Benz purr down the mountainside to Silicon Valley every morning. We have the National Champion Girl's Running Team at San Lorenzo Valley High, and the girls are pretty, too! (Did I say they are fast girls? In some ways only . . . they can run away from you if you get too fresh, though) There's Mountain Theater, which does ameteur theater so good it seems almost professional, and a cycle of art fairs and shows all during the tourist season.

Of course, Santa Cruz is fun, too: the boardwalk is an old-fashioned amusement park, with rides and games and junk food and souvenir shops. The Coconut Grove, you may have heard of: it was host to lots of big bands in its day, but now has high school proms and wedding receptions. And shows: doll shows, toys and other collectibles, and industry shows like high-tech stuff I wouldn't know what to do with if I had the money . . .

So that's a tiny part of what is worth seeing when you come to visit.