Now that we're California locals, we've been anxious to start checking out the best beach spots not far from Silicon Valley.  Needing to do a little shopping, we decided to make a day trip to Santa Cruz, just 40 minutes or so away.  It was a beautiful day, full of warm sunshine and peeling waves.  We hit the shops, ate lunch on the edge of a cliff overlooking the surfers, and planned another trip with our surfboards in hand.