We love going to the beach whenever we have a free day. Our kids all have wetsuits and boogie boards and can spend the whole day in the surf. Since we had President’s Day off we did a spur of the moment overnight with cousins at the beach. We spent the day going on rides at the Boardwalk. The Santa Cruz Boardwalk is a great place to visit. Most of the time we park up the hill to save on the parking fees ($10). It can be a bit expensive between rides, parking and food, but in the summer there are great discounts, $1 rides and hot dogs plus bands, circus performers and movies that are free depending on the day. Check their website for deals and calendar info. You can also eat cheaper and better across the street so don’t hesitate to try something there or on the wharf.

We stayed at a really nice hotel that just opened up, Hotel Paradox. It’s kind of got a hipster vibe, lots of natural wood and cool nature photography. The kids spent all their free time in the pool and hot tub and we enjoyed Happy Hour appetizers. The next day we decided to go the The Mystery Spot. I think the last time I visited was 30 years ago. There used to be a similar attraction at Frontier Village in San Jose. It’s a lot of fun and I thought pretty reasonably priced. $5 admission per person and $5 for parking. It’s about a 45 minute tour and you can also go on hiking trails to explore the redwoods. It’s got a very kitschy vibe and it bills itself as a gravitational anomaly. Our kids ranging in age from 6-14 years old all thought it was amazing. Definitely a fun couple of days off! What about you, did you do anything special for President’s Day?