I'm a wedding planner and I work with Sequoia retreat a lot. The staff there are beyond top notch…read more The dedication and care they show to their couples and vendors is so rare and meaningful. Whenever we have the privilege to work at this property I already know it will be a dream experience. If you want to find a venue that truly cares about you and creating a meaningful experience for you and your guests this is the spot. It's tucked away amongst noble giants offerings stunning views from their deck. The owners really go above and beyond. When faced with any type of situation they meet it head on and provide an atmosphere for vendors to collaborate and create magic together.

We got married here at the end of September and had such a positive experience! The Sequoia is such…read morea special place and photos don't do it justice. Diane (the owner) was also a joy to work with and was beyond helpful and communicative throughout the experience. 1000/10.

It is a beautiful space that is very well maintained, clean and lovely caretakers. Currently still…read morea lot of construction and tree management happening post fires. Looking forward to all of that being completed and full camp experience being restored. So well maintained by the caretakers.

I love me some Bosch Baha'i School! I have been coming here since I was 13 years old. At every…read morestage of my life, this place has held a special place in my heart. I went to college at UC Santa Cruz and would come up on the weekends to do volunteer service frequently over several years. I have been out of college for several years and no longer live in Santa Cruz, but still come up from time to time. It's just one of those places that keeps drawing you back. They have great weekend sessions that you can sign up for on a variety of topics. Additionally, this is a great space that you can rent out for weddings, reunions, retreats, etc. They have a variety of conference rooms, cabin style sleeping accommodations, play areas and a basketball court as well as a pool and wading pool for the warmer months of the year. You can tell that the people that work and volunteer at Bosch know how special it is and put their love into taking the best care of the campus.

The Felton Guild is such a charming and peaceful forest venue tucked away in the Redwoods, and I…read morerecently had the honor of photographing a wedding here; I absolutely fell in love with the setting! It feels secluded and intimate, with a cozy, woodsy atmosphere that's perfect for couples looking for something a little different. From a photographer's perspective, the lighting in the grove is soft and dreamy, especially during the ceremony. The surrounding trees create a natural canopy that adds to the sense of privacy and connection, while the reception space is large enough to host a decently sized guest count. The staff were incredibly helpful as well! If you're dreaming of a redwood wedding that's relaxed, heartfelt, and full of character, this is a venue worth checking out!

We had our wedding at the Felton Guild this past Saturday 8/5 and it was absolutely fantastic. We…read moregot so many comments about how beautiful the venue is. The ceremony space is intimate and surrounded by magical redwood trees. The reception is on the lawn and contains plenty of space for dinner, dancing (we rented a dance floor), and mingling. We had about 67 guests. Kathy was wonderful to work with and all her vendor recommendations were also wonderful (and more affordable than most wedding vendors!). We went with Cowboy Bar and Grill for the catering and it was perfect. The music has to be shut off by 8 pm but we had an after party at a bar in Santa Cruz and it worked out so well. I highly recommend Felton Guild if you are planning a wedding in Felton!

My husband and I spent a long time looking at wedding venues in the Santa Cruz/Los Gatos area. We…read moreprobably looked at more than 10 places! A lot of places weren't quite the right fit, had too many weird restrictions, or were overpriced (if your've looked at venues you know what I mean!) The Castle House and Gardens was the last place we looked at and we knew it would be the most perfect, picturesque and enchanted woodland setting for our outdoor wedding. It has lush, wild gardens that remind me of the Secret Garden. There's a beautiful redwood grove where we had our ceremony and a poolside courtyard with two outdoor fireplaces, perfect for dining and dancing, where we had the reception. It was great to have the ceremony and reception at the same place. The Castle House is a historic estate located in the Santa Cruz Mountain Community of Bonny Doon. It's bordered by beautiful redwood forests and just 10 minutes from the ocean. The family that lives there were the most gracious hosts for our event and went to extra care to make sure the grounds looked stunning on our wedding day. They own the Bonny Doon Garden Company and grow all of the flowers for their floral design business organically in their home gardens. It was really cool because my bouquets and centerpieces all came from the garden where I got married! We got so many compliments about the venue from our guests and everyone kept asking me, "How did you find this place?" I definitely recommend this place to other brides if you are looking for a unique, non-cookie cutter type venue full of natural beauty and rustic charm.

We were fortunate enough to have our wedding here on June 22nd, 2013 and let me tell you, the venue…read moreand it's owner, Teresa, ensured the most magical, welcoming, and organized experience ever. From the initial meeting, through hiccups with our caterer, and until the day-of coordination, Teresa was amazing: Helpful, friendly, knowledgeable, and assertive when she needed to be. She also did our flowers which were out of this world. The venue itself is enchanting with it's floral gardens, towering redwoods, and cozy courtyard. Our guests could not stop talking about how ours was the best wedding they have ever attended. We had a wedding of 100 people, and it was the perfect size. Count yourself very fortunate if you have the opportunity to have your event at Castle House and Gardens.

Event space for weddings and also There are cabins to stay in overnight…read more Just beautiful to be in the forest in nature and soak it all in

The rooms are stuffy and the provide a minimal fan. Thank goodness I brought my own…read more The shower was broken and alternated between freezing cold and scalding hot. There are no people on site to help and when we reached out they stated that they did not experience the water issue. No apology. No acknowledgment of our discomfort. It was a very sad way to end a wedding weekend

Cute and cosy vinery tucked away in the Santa Cruz mountains. Went here on a rainy day and enjoyed…read morethe conversation with the wine-tender lady the most. Very good customer service, the staff was very warm and friendly. Wine tasting starts at $25 per flight + tips, and ends with the most magical Moscato. A good spot for a 1-2 stopover when visiting Santa Cruz. There are cave tours on Saturdays, and an option to become a member/ get a wine subscription. The vineyard sits on 8 acres of land, but the whole property is ~100 acres, with a lookout to the ocean, and multiple hikes starting from the property. A private dining experience inside the wine cave is also offered altho I am not sure of the price or value for money.

Really disappointing wine tasting experience…read more.. Ambiance: looks super cute pulling up... however only members are allowed in the patio terrace. So then non-members like myself are stuck sitting on dirty metal chairs located in the parking lot. Wine: quality was very disappointing. Some of the comments from our group was "this wine tastes like it's been left out for days", "this tastes like Vinegar and a wine I would pour down the sink"... look at my pic of the wine with the sediment!!! Gross..... Service: again, disappointing. We served our own water, sat ourselves, no service at all. If this is your thing, then by all means... you enter the tasting room and are barely greeted. Once checked in, you get your glass and have to keep returned to get your pours. No one comes to bring you the next pour, so you can't settle down and enjoy a space out on the property, because you have to keep walking back to the tasting room. Additionally, the wine pourer guy did not explain anything. He says what the wine is, pours and sends us out on our way. Lastly, there were kids everywhere. On this unfortunate day, a group of adults decided to bring 6 children here. Between the scream and shrieking, cartwheels in the grass, red solo cups.... It was a hot mess. This is NOT the wine tasting experience you expect nor imagine. All in all, absolutely not worth $25 for a 4-pour tasting. NOT MINDFUL, NOT DEMURE.

This is a great way to experience redwoods. - There is a $10…read moreparking fee for Roaring Camp. but it's good all day; so after the train ride, you can hike Henry Cowell redwoods right next door, and not have to pay the Henry Cowell $10 day-use fee per car. - I took the beach train. Riding in the open-top car is great; you can see the towering redwoods. There is very good narration throughout the entire trip, with interesting factoids about the redwoods and Santa Cruz. - The train passes the Garden of Eden clothing-optinoal Skinny-dipping swimming hole, plus a very long tunnel when approaching the beach. There is also an interesting bridge from 1909, and a tressle.

Really cool experience! How often do you get to ride a steam-powered train through a redwood…read moreforest? Our conductor Colin was humorous, informative, and gave us plenty to knowledge bits and time to enjoy the redwoods. The train has two types of train cars: covered and uncovered. I would definitely recommend opting for the uncovered parking to fully enjoy the majestic redwoods! We went during Easter weekend, so the tickets were slightly more than usual, and there were lots of kids on the train with their Easter baskets. We didn't realize the Easter egg hunt was only for kids, so we were disappointed in that we didn't get to participate; although, now that I think about it, I guess they can't have a bunch of people running through the woods looking for Easter eggs...a disaster waiting to happen (LOL). Definitely recommend booking tickets ahead of time. Parking is $10. We got to the campgrounds early so watched a blacksmith demonstrating his craft, played some games, and walked the Nature Walk Loop at Henry Cowell Regional Park, which was literally right across the railroad tracks. They also had some shops, kid activities, and a musician. Food nothing to write home about, but it's available if needed. If you're making a trip to Santa Cruz, it's worth stopping by!

Terrific place. Well supported, well equipped, super…read morefriendly and professional. Whenever the power goes out in our neighborhood, which is remarkably frequent, this becomes our office. Couldn't do without it.

The Satellite has a wide range of options - all I need is a table in the café space, but they offer…read morespacious cubicles and private offices as well. The staff are extremely friendly and supportive and strive to make the cowork centers an integrated part of the community they belong in. 24/7 access, free coffee, and friendly faces make this a no-brainer vs. working from home.