fh_trips | Backpacking trip: Santa Cruz, Monday

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graduate backpacking 2010

Backpacking trip: Santa Cruz, Monday

Santa Cruz, California, the last leg of the Fandom universe backpacking extravaganza.

But what would they do there? Would they work there? Would they play there? What would they do there in that beach town?

Well, Priestly might work a little. But he'd made sure Trucker knew that he still had one more week before he started grilling it up full time.

Naomi Priestly greeted the graduates at the airport -- thankfully refraining from her usual crowing of "BOAZ!" the moment she saw her son, instead going with "Congratulations, everyone! We've got vans all set up to take you to the hostel -- I'd offer to let you all to stay at our house, but, well, Mr. Priestly does like his privacy."

Priestly rolled his eyes, leaning over to Dinah to whisper "-- and we wouldn't all fit, anyway."

"Come along, come along!" shouted Naomi. "There's plenty to do and see, so I'm sure you'll all want to get settled in!"

[ooc: OCD is active and ready to go.]

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Santa Cruz Hostel. Comprised of five Victorian cottages, with single rooms and dormitories available. Only two blocks from the beach, the boardwalk, hiking trails, and prime surfing, and a ten minute walk to downtown! Or just relax in the rose and redwood gardens and chat with fellow hostelers in the dining room, kitchen, or the outdoor deck!

"Wow." Dinah had to admit it, she was impressed at how nice this place was. The hostel in Vancouver had been okay, miles better than the cube rooms, but this was more like a really sweet B&B. "We can move in here, right?"

Chill out on the sand, splash around in the surf, build a sandcastle.

Or you could go with the surfing lessons, kayaking, tidal pool exploration, picnicking, hang gliding, or wind surfing.

Swim time! And sandcastle time. Chilling out time, though, definitely.

Santa Cruz Boardwalk. Rides, games, and shops open daily until 10 PM! Plus arcades, laser tag, mini-golf and bowling! It's fun for everyone!

Santa Cruz Harbor. Hiking, history, nature, shops, boats, water taxis, and restaurants galore.

Edited 2010-06-21 08:02 (UTC)

Santa Cruz proper

You know how Priestly is a big sandwich guy? This place is the reason why. Come in for subs by the inch, stick around for the good company of Trucker, Jen, Mr. Julius, Lucille, and Bam-Bam.

And make Priestly make you a sandwich!

Dinah had to come in here. It was like being back at Lacey's. Except not.

"I want a Lancer!"

Jen grabbed an order sheet to jot that down, which Priestly promptly stole from her.

"This one's on me!" he declared. Jen spun.

"Priestly!"

Oh, and there came the hugging. "Jen, this is Dinah. I'm not sure you guys have actually met in person yet?"

"No, we haven't," Dinah said, beaming. "But there's been a lot of IMs when things get slow on papers for class. Hi Jen!"

"You see," muttered Mr. Julius in Lucille's general direction. "I told you she was real."

"It's kept me entertained in here when it gets slow, too." Jen smiled. "How long are you guys in town for?"

"'Til the end of the week at least. Maybe a little longer for me." Dinah peered over at the two customers and grinned. "They thought you made me up?"

"Of course not," Lucille said, shooting Mr. Julius a Look. "You just never know with online people."

Priestly waved a spatula at her. "You do if I know 'em in person."

"They just like to tease me," Jen said.

Dinah grinned, then reached over to poke Jen's arm. "Real. Real. Very real. Ha." She bounced and said, "Real enough to have my own sandwich that Priestly's making for me. Anything new and exciting here since your last IM?"

"Exciting? In Santa Cruz? Nothing ever happens here."

"Hallelujah!" Priestly pumped a fist in the air, then transferred the sandwich to a plate for Dinah. "One Lancer, fresh and ready."

"Awesome! Yaaay, Chef Priestly." Dinah grinned and bit into her sandwich, chewing contentedly for a little bit before telling Jen, "Yum yum yummmm... Our trip has been kind of messy. We got diverted to the wrong places twice."

"Did you end up in Cleveland or something?"

Priestly snorted. "Man, I wish. Then we coulda gone to the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame."

Not that he hadn't had an interesting time where they did end up.

"Wrong part of England, really wrong part of California, and this weird little out-of-the-way stop in the middle of nowhere in between," Dinah summarized it. Close enough! "The food was good there, though. Just not as good as this."

Priestly blushed faintly. "Flatterer."

"But it's true! My sandwich, all perfect." She grinned and slid a glance at Jen. "Momoko says hiiii, by the way. And you owe her a dance."

"Momoko?" Jen asked, smiling a little bit wickedly.

"Shut up," said Priestly.

"Now, now," Lucille admonished. "I think we'd all like to hear about this Momoko."

Even Bam-Bam yapped in agreement.

"She's a friend of mine from Tokyo, she's a year behind us, she's really cute and sweet and wears very short skirts," Dinah over-shared happily. "And she and Priestly have danced. At dances."

Jen smacked Priestly in the arm. "And why didn't I hear this from you?"

"Look, I promise to invite her out here, okay?" He already had, anyway. "Then you can meet her for yourself."

Dinah grinned and bit into her sandwich, gleeful that Jen was helping tease Priestly. "Oh! So. We're here all week, so you're going to with us places, right? Wherever it is we're going to go?"

"I told Trucker I wasn't going to work all week --"

"Slacker."

"-- So I should be able to. Not that he's around here that much either."

Jen shrugged. "It's been good surfing weather."

"Awesome." Dinah grinned and leaned forward. "Plus, I want to meet Zo. I've heard lots about both of them."

"You told her about Zo?"

"Dude. Of course I told her about Zo. Zo is to be told about."

Jen shook her head. "She, at least, is likely to actually be in her shop."

"Cool. This may be the most relaxing part of the trip so far." Dinah grinned at Priestly. "Especially since your mom didn't insist we stay at your house, guy."

"Dude. If I never have to stay there again. . . ."

Jen fixed him with a sympathetic gaze. Mr. Julius grumbled something about disaffected youth. Lucille smiled.

"Jen, honey, you've been looking for a roommate, haven't you?"

Jen went almost purple.

"Oh?" Dinah looked interested, then her eyes widened, and she pointed at Priestly. "Ohh! Ooo! Yes!" Then back at Lucille. "Genius! Total genius!"

Bam-Bam yapped something that might have been agreement. Priestly glanced over at Jen, who was still blushing furiously.

"I'd be the best roommate ever," he said.

Jen ducked her head.

"I roomed with a girl for the last, like, year and a half," he pointed out.

"My parents would kill me," Jen mumbled.

"What a coincidence! So would mine."

Jen sighed. "Okay. Fine. I mean, I'll think about it."

"Yes!" Dinah cheered very softly. And then broke off a bite of her sandwich for Bam-Bam.

Zo's Trucker's soulmate. She just doesn't know it yet.

Come in for some fine, hippie, possibly-actually-magical crystals, baubles, herbs, and supplies. If you're lucky, Zo might just share some of her lentil soup.

Rent a Cruz Car and tool around, or hoof it on foot. There's a bajillion things to do, including shops, restaurants, museums, galleries, shows, and street performers! And don't forget the Mission Santa Cruz, the place that started it all, an active church that also offers a museum and a shop of its own.

OMG I WANT TO LIVE IN SANTA CRUZ NOW.

For serious, yo.

Also, I'm turning off comment notifications so as not to drown, so if you need me for something, ping in here.

Me too. Seriously. WANT.

It's so PRETTY.

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Backpacking trip: Santa Cruz, Monday

The Hostel

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The beach

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The Boardwalk

The Harbor

Downtown

Downtown - Beach City Grill

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Downtown - Zo's crystal shop

Downtown - Moddable areas

OOC

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