Santa Cruz is a small coastal city (population about 55,000) in Santa Cruz County, on the north end of Monterey Bay in California, about forty miles south of San Jose. While it gained some tech jobs during the boom, it is still best known for fun weekend tourist attractions like the Beach Boardwalk and the Mystery Spot, and its University of California campus. Highway 17 south from San Jose is the most direct route when driving from the more populated parts of the Bay Area. It is a winding road over the mountains, shared during the week with heavy gravel trucks, so heed the speed limits; accidents are common, but the road is much safer since the addition of concrete barriers some years ago. Beware of possible fog, as well as hurried drivers. To merge from Highway 17 to Highway 1, in Santa Cruz, to continue south you must merge three times on the dreaded fish hook. This causes the beginning of the dreaded commute from over the hill to the coast for many. Traffic usually lasts from 1500 until 1800, Monday thru Friday, from just south of 41st Ave. on Highway 1, spilling back onto Highway 17 going south. Traffic has been getting worse going north during the morning commute with the increasing population in Watsonville. Currently, there is construction in both the north and south bound lanes on Highway 1, in the vicinity of the fish hook, to alleviate these problems. A much more beautiful, but slower, approach to Santa Cruz is on Highway 1, either from the north, San Francisco and Pacifica (about 65 miles), or from the south, Monterey and Big Sur (about 35 miles). During stormy seasons, check for rare, but often long-term road closures, especially at Devil’s Slide. To take public transportation there is a commuter shuttle, the Highway 17 Express (Santa Cruz route 17; VTA route 970), that runs from the Caltrain station in San Jose 7 days a week, which is scheduled to transfer with certain Amtrak trains. There are also multiple lines that go south to Watsonville 7 days...