Destination:
Santa Cruz County
Watsonville

Just before the Pajaro River broke through to join the Monterey Bay, it left behind an alluvial plain blessed with rich soil. Today that fertile land brings forth a bounty of fruits and vegetables destined for the American dinner table. Watsonville and its surrounding villages are home to the farmers and the workers who till the fields and coax life from the earth.

It's from these fields that a great quantity of strawberries, olallieberries, apples, lettuce, brussels sprouts, and colorful flowers are shipped around the world. Each year, the "best of the bunch" are showcased at the Santa Cruz County Fair in September, where locals compete in categories as diverse as wine making, pig breeding, pickling, and quilt making. Many go on to win statewide medals.

But Watsonville is more than farming. Its broad Main Street is a true community center, lined with lively dance clubs, family restaurants, intimate shops, and department stores, all catering to a multi-ethnic clientele. Visitors who like their accommodations to have a beach view often choose the private condominiums at Pajaro Dunes, a collection of comfortable homes with a clubhouse and restaurant.

William Weeks, the internationally-acclaimed architect, liked this city so much that he created outstanding Victorian homes for several of the residents. An easy walking tour will take you past his enduring work.

The Henry Mello Center for the Performing Arts is a benefit of the 1989 earthquake. This acoustically-fine auditorium was built to replace the one lost to the trembler. The Center is open for public performances, including the Santa Cruz County Symphony and the Watsonville Taiko Drummers.

Private aircraft are welcome in Watsonville, site of the County's only airport. This general aviation terminal comes alive each :Memorial Day weekend when dozens of vintage planes converge for the Antique Aircraft Fly-In. The barrel rolls and loop-the-loops executed in open-cockpit planes recall a day when flying required true nerve!

For additional visitor information contact:

Santa Cruz County Conference & Visitors Council
1211 Ocean Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
(831) 425-1234 - Toll Free: (800) 833-3494 - Fax: (831) 425-1260
Email: comments@santacruzca.org