It was an unusual reunion with my co-workers. I was in the States for a wedding, an old coworker was visiting a relative in the area for the first time, and another one, a resident, and was our driver that day.
We wanted to go for a short drive away from San Francisco. And as always, it is mandatory for me to take home scenic shots every time I am in somewhere new. I told them I wanted to take pictures of the Pacific Ocean, so we had decided to go to Santa Cruz, which is a short an hour an a half drive, which also lies in the scenic California Route 1. Hmm.. lucky lucky me.
Santa Cruz, as my friend told me, is a white community, which is a bit unusual with the nearby cities like San Francisco, which are predominantly occupied by non-white people. I liked the ambiance of the old vintage city. I saw houses as such around, and the neighborhood was, although a bit laid back, it still has this upscale feeling.
Note with the photographs: You will probably notice the strong saturation of these photographs. I used the Art Filters of the Olympus OMD EM-5 when taking these shots. I don’t usually like using presets but this day was an exception.
Some vintage houses in the area
There is a nearby station but I had never seen the train come
Some stores near the wharf
I always take these kinds of shots, but actually, I like how the sky was so blue. The lamp was there to only put meaning on the perspective
Fly by colors
Seems the birds were enjoying the cool weather too
So I wonder, does the sign apply to the other two directions too?
Someone’s taking a rest on the plank
It was early summer and the temperature is still on the near 20s. A bit cold for swimming but not for these people I guess
We also took a short drive to see the Natural Bridge. This is one of the view of the cliff around the area
There was a nearby carnival but we didn’t have enough time to go around as we only had 4 hours (so much for a short reunion). I love the breeze and the ambiance of the area. I would love to drive the entire Route 1 next time I visit.. well, I need to find a willing driver first.
When you can, travel 