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The Santa Cruz Mountains have been
recognized as a premium wine-producing region since
the late 1800's when local winegrowers first began to
win acclaim for their wines in national and international
competitions. The Santa Cruz Mountains
wine appellation begins in San Francisco and stretches
south for 60 Miles. Much more rugged and isolated than
Napa, this wine region specializes in small, ruggedly
individual wineries and wine makers.
The Santa Cruz Mountains have become recognized as
a unique grape-growing region in recent years. The individual
micro-climates, marine influence, mountain terrain,
distinctive soils and low crop levels, all contribute
to the production of intensely-concentrated fruit. For
this reason, the number of wineries and the acreage
planted in the Santa Cruz Mountains has increased dramatically.
There are now over forty, small, family-owned wineries
in the region. The small size of these operations allows
the winemakers the opportunity to hand-craft their wines
and to maximize the potential of the grapes.
Santa Cruz Mountains Wine Growers Association sponsors
a Passport Program on the third Saturday of January,
April, July and November from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm at
participating wineries. This program provides a special
opportunity for the public to visit wineries of the
Santa Cruz Mountains. Many of the wineries are not open
to the public at other times. During the passport hours
one can learn more about why the wineries from this
appellation are so special, tour the facilities, sample
wines, and even meet the winemakers.
The Santa Cruz Mountains offers more than vineyards
and premium wines. One of the many beautiful runs sponsored
by Pacific Coast Trial Runs is in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
The trails wind through 300 foot tall, 1500 year-old
Coastal Redwoods, lush stream canyons, open meadows,
pine and oak forests, and high dry chaparral-covered
ridges. The views of Monterey Bay are spectacular! Santa
Cruz Mountains Challenge is an annual event sponsored
by the Santa Cruz County Cycling Club. It provides one
of the most scenic centuries on the California coast.
The Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Association conducts
hikes and builds and maintains trails in the Santa Cruz
Mountains.
The Trail Association founded in 1969 and formed under
the guidance of the California State Parks and Sempervirens
Fund (a non-profit land conservancy) to build and maintain
trails in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The Skyline-to-the-Sea
Trail inaugurated Trail Days in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Since then the activities have broadened to include
weekly hikes. Trail building activities have become
integral to the survival of the Santa Cruz Mountains
as a recreational resource.
The Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Association activities
include California Trail Days. This state-wide event
started in 1986 and takes place on the last weekend
in April each year as part of Earth Day. Local volunteers
meet at various points in the Santa Cruz Mountains to
both build and repair trails. The Trail Association
participates in this event with the cooperation of the
California State Parks Foundation and Sempervirens Fund
in conjunction with other recreational and conservation
groups. Working together in this concerted effort since
1969, 10,000 volunteers have completed many miles of
new trails through the Santa Cruz Mountains, as well
as repaired existing trails.
The Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Association also offers
weekly hikes scheduled every Sunday of the year The
hikes range from 8 to 12 miles with a few that may be
a little longer and more strenuous. The hikes range
from Mt. Tamalpais in the North , to Mt. Diablo in the
East, to Pinnacles in the South and to the ocean in
the West. The Santa Cruz Mountains
are excellent for hiking at any time of year.
Also hidden in the Santa Cruz Mountains
is a wonderful diversity of toadshades. Many toadshades
don’t produce odor. The toadsheads in the Santa
Cruz Mountains produce rose-like fragrances.
Toadshades are disappearing from the Santa Cruz Mountains
for a variety of reasons ranging from the development
of homes, to being eaten by deer.
Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center, established in 1987
as a committee of the Cultural Council of Santa Cruz
County, became a non-profit corporation registered with
Federal and State governments in 1997. The mission of
the Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center is to support and
encourage art through education, exhibition and cultural
activities. The eleven member Board of Directors are
elected by the members of the organization maintain
the unique art experience of the mountain communities
through hands-on learning, artwork displays, and cultural
events that enrich the lives of residents of the community
who live far from the city center.
From the Santa Cruz Mountains, to
the oceans white with foam, Santa Cruz, California is
a place thousands call home. |
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