The fastest way to my heart is through my stomach

Emily’s day is the second in our series A Perfect Day in Santa Cruz.

Like Cara, my perfect Santa Cruz day starts on a Saturday morning in the summer. There is something indescribable and perfect about this morning in Santa Cruz; it’s a combination of the warm mid-morning glow of sunlight tempered by a cool ocean breeze, the sense of freedom that accompanies the prospect of free time, and the contagious feeling of being on vacation that can come from living in a destination like Santa Cruz.

As usual, my waking thoughts this morning are “what’s for breakfast?” For me, one of the biggest perks about living in Santa Cruz is the wealth of affordable, quality, and organic foods. Because I love food. I love to think about food, shop for food, cook food, and eat food. It doesn’t have to be gourmet; it just has to be yummy. Consequently, my perfect day involves many local edibles…

I crawl out of bed and put together a breakfast of oranges, whole-wheat toast, and Glaum Egg Ranch Cage Free, Certified Organic, & Certified Humane Eggs. As a vegetarian, I feel particularly lucky to be able to purchase these local, humane, organic eggs from one of my favorite nearby grocery stores, New Leaf Market. After I have my fill of breakfast, my boyfriend and I head over to the East Side of Santa Cruz for a walk along our favorite stretch of coast: East Cliff Dr. We pick up a coffee at Verve Coffee Roasters and mosey from the Hook to Rockview and back, stopping to watch the waves and surfers.

After our walk and a lunch at Betty Burgers (their veggie burger with grilled onions for me… mmm…), we head home and spend the afternoon relaxing outside on our patio with our most recent purchases from Bookshop Santa Cruz; an Andrew Jackson biography for him, a David Sedaris book for me.

The fog drifts in from the ocean and the temperature begins to drop as the sun sinks lower in the sky. We pack up our books, change clothes, and head to Downtown Santa Cruz for dinner and margaritas at The Acapulco. We devour tacos, quesadillas, and a splash of tequila, and then stroll down Pacific Ave window shopping and popping into the stores that are still open. On our way home we swing by Shopper’s Corner to pick up a bottle of wine for the rest of the evening. Snuggled in blankets on the couch, some home-made popcorn and a movie round out a most relaxing and delicious day in Santa Cruz.

Is it the weekend yet?