By Jamie Blough and Sami Elizondo

Editor-in-Chief and Culture Editor, respectively

With the stresses of second semester settling in, many seniors spend their free time imagining themselves a year from now – at their new schools, with their new friends, taking complete advantage of their fresh start. While looking forward to the future is both exciting and inevitable, it can also be daunting. We have a limited amount of time left in our hometown before we leave for college, and it is important that we milk the beautiful, dynamic location we live in for all it is worth. With that in mind, we’ve constructed a list of must-see places to visit before you retire from LG in pursuit of bigger and better things.

Davenport Bluffs

Located along the Highway 1 California coast just north of Santa Cruz, the Davenport Bluffs sneak up on your left just past Marine View Avenue. Lining the edge of a cliff that overlooks the Davenport Pier, this small forest is undoubtedly our favorite place to bring a hammock and a good book. The view from the clifftop of the beach below is unparalleled and enhanced by the surrounding trees and foliage that double as great back rests while you sit back, watch the waves, and enjoy your favorite beach playlist. 

Skyline Boulevard/Castle Rock State Park

If you take Bear Creek Road off of Highway 17 South and follow it up to Route 35, you will find yourself driving right along the top of the Santa Cruz mountains. Looking out towards the ocean, you can witness legendary sunsets from viewpoints along Skyline Boulevard, such as Summit Rock. Additionally, along this road are myriad open space reserves where you can go on a hike, run, or even just bring a picnic blanket and some snacks. Route 35 also features various entrances to the different hikes in Castle Rock State Park, which you can follow up to rocky viewpoints that overlook endless vistas. The layered landscape of redwood trees, interconnected mountain ranges, and distant ocean looks like a scene from National Geographic, and witnessing this view never fails to be a grounding experience.

Montalvo Arts Center

When driving down Highway 9 with your friends, you might have come across a stone sign reading “Montalvo.” Admittedly, we have carelessly driven by this sign many times, and we just recently decided to turn onto the street and explore. We are so happy that we did. Whether you are looking to picnic with a group of your friends or go on a beautiful hike in the forest, Montalvo has everything that you could ever want. It is currently the perfect time of the year to hike up the gorgeous trail because the weather is not too hot. However, if you wait a couple months and bring a basket of ripe fruit, a tapestry, and a speaker, it is the perfect location to tan and hangout with friends. Either way, it is sure to impress you.