On a quiet weekday, a few weeks ago, I decided to do another “mellow” day along the coast with my bicycle and camera. It was not due to an injury like the last time, (https://alpharoaming.com/2013/09/24/santa-cruz-a-beautiful-place-to-nurse-an-injury-and-watch-whales/) but just to enjoy the time and place at hand!

New experimental format: 17 photos and 17 short captions. Here we go!

(1) Santa Cruz is entertainingly weird. This is a Mazda Miata!

(2) This is really “old school”, unlike my 22 year old Specialized bicycle.

(3) …and, of course, a well-decorated marijuana shop (“Granny Purps”)

(4) …next to Discretion Brewing’s own tasty plant product

(5) …in America’s original surf town where the wetsuit was invented (or perfected?)

(6) …well after the sport was introduced by some Hawaiian teens who came here for high school

(7) Eat your Brussels Sprouts…all of them!

(8) “Shoe horsie!” at Wilder Ranch

(9) Hitchcock’s “The Birds” looking for fishies

(10) More birdies, with a few pelicans splashing down

(11) Surf’s up, dude!

(12) …and what better spot to fix a flat than overlooking the Pleasure Point surf break?

(13) There’s a spouting humpback whale on the right side of the bright spot. (Use your imagination!)

(14) Santa Cruz is a great place to sit and chill

(15) …or watch the sunset

(16) …or photograph the seat cover dispenser

(17) …at Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing

More photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/59666465@N00/sets/72157637225943533/