$14.50 for 2 matcha lattes. When ordering the staffer asked if regular milk was fine, and I asked…read morewhat their non-dairy options were. She said "oat that's it." Then asked what kind of sweetener. "Simple syrup or honey." Went with simple syrup but as I was deciding between the two I can feel the staffer being impatient as if there was a tremendously long line behind me on this very uneventful Tuesday. For context, everything else is closed on Tuesday in this part of town. There was hardly anyone in the store. She made our order rather quickly and iced. With all the questions she asked previously, I'm not sure why they came iced even though we didn't ask them to be iced and the menu didn't list the matcha as iced. She didn't even ask. We were hoping for warm/hot drinks since it was a gloomy day. Also the material of the cups didn't hold up beyond a couple of hours, which isn't great if traveling in the car for a distance. The drinks were good nonetheless, but the whole interaction and ice in the drinks made this a mildly irritating experience.

Downtown Local Coffee is an absolute must-stop for me anytime I'm traveling through Pescadero. The…read morecortado is consistently excellent, and I tried the hot mocha yesterday -- it was divine. They really know how to make a great mocha. They use Straus milk, which is a huge plus. It's rich, high-quality milk with natural cream on top, so don't be surprised if you see a few little chunks when pouring -- that's just the good stuff. It makes their coffee even better. The shop itself has a fun, electric feel with lots of vintage items for sale, giving it a cute, quirky vibe that fits the town perfectly. The bathroom is heavily used and not super clean, but this is a busy farm-town stop with lots of foot traffic, so it's about what you'd expect. Service can range from very kind to a little curt depending on who's working, but the coffee alone makes it worth the stop every time.

I have been to lille aeske many times now. The great thing is hard to say, it's either:…read more-The amazing people you'll bump into. Good people magnet. -The beautiful wine and other cool stuff you can get -The groups who perform- in your busy life you won't have a chance to find them. Anil finds them for you. Then you will listen for life. Wonderful. -The art. I was so inspired by the art here, some of it became part of my home. If I am able to go to a show here, I pretty much just go without trying to figure out too much about whether I will like it. I always do.

I had my wedding reception here at Lille Aeske last night, and it was the most beautiful night to…read moreremember. In the weeks leading up to the event, Anil was super helpful with everything in terms of planning down to the smallest details. I could tell he wanted to make sure that this was the most special of evenings for my partner and I, and in the end I can't have imagined hosting my wedding party anywhere else. Surrounded by gorgeous art on the walls and romantic fairy lights, we were served dinner and drinks while music played at the perfect volume in the background. I honestly felt like such a princess; every time I would try to adjust something to my liking it was quickly picked up for me and the hosts made sure to check in with me frequently that everything was going smoothly and on schedule. Even though I was very scattered and forgetful, Anil kept up really well and even walked across the street to buy us all champagne for the toasts that I had forgotten to bring beforehand. We had our first dance on the little stage by the door as per Anil's suggestion, and it was so intimate and lovely. It made for the greatest photos, too. Although I have yet to attend a music or art show at Lille Aeske, I feel like I truly got to experience the space at it's finest and feel blessed to have been hosted by Anil in his beautiful "little box" for my special day. Thank you so much for being a part of what turned out to be one of the best days of my life! I would highly recommend checking out Lille Aeske, for their own events or to host one of your own.

Love this place, been going there for years. Charming. And they have pies. But it isn't a…read morerestaurant, don't expect a lot of tables, and there is no service. Sometimes they even have a sweet dog hanging out in front.

It was Memorial Day weekend and we decided to bring my parents for a short road trip in the…read morePescadero area cruising along the coast towards Santa Cruz. I wanted to stop off at the popular Pie Ranch before heading more south. We arrived at the pie farm stand on a Sunday afternoon recently. Pie Ranch is located in a nice road side area along the coast on Hwy 1 close to Davenport. Parking is limited in the small dirt parking lot out front. The pie farm stand looks like a rustic wooden barn from the outside and a state park visitor center in the inside. There was an outdoor small library for kids by the entrance which I thought was a nice touch. It's a free take one leave one book stand. There was a farmer's market vibe inside with local vegetables, fruit, baked goods, and locally produced pantry items for sale. Pie Ranch branded gifts and merchandise were on display as well. We ordered 2 strawberry streusel cutie pies, 1 lemon buttermilk blueberry cutie pie, 1 chocolate chip cookie, 1 frozen strawberry streusel whole pie, and 1 lemon better milk blueberry whole pie. All of the cutie pies were delicious. The cutie pie size was about right since we were sharing everything. The chocolate chip cookie was moist and gooey with loads of chocolate. Overall we enjoyed our experience at Pie Ranch. The staff were nice and helpful. There was a back patio with a few picnic tables that looked inviting. We enjoyed our food out there. The environment was family friendly. The price point was more in the high end but I understand due to location and everything was fresh, locally produced. I was happy to finally visit but I'm not sure when I will be back again.

Very nice museum, primarily featuring the history of the logging industry in the area. There are…read moremany displays of tools,steam engines, etc. used historically by the loggers. There are also many other artifacts of interest. Their gift shop is well stocked. Laura was our docent, and she was very pleasant. The ground surrounding the area are very nice, and feature picnic tables and two horse shoe courts.

I came here to check out the building which is on the NRHP. I was greeted by a docent who invited…read moreme inside. The museum is small, and has a few exhibits, but the passion of the docent shone. She was so interesting and you could tell she loved what she did.

This is a tiny 1 room museum packed with surf history. For the general public it's a quick 5 min…read morestop. Outside the museum the views on W Cliff Dr are more readily appreciated. If you are lucky there will be surfers to watch. We spent about 45 minutes walking around, and another 20 minutes eating our picnic lunch. The weather was chilly when the fog rolled in midday in late June, so make sure you bring a jacket. Parking is a bit tricky. There are multiple public parking along that area that is within walking distance. Right before the museum opened was quite difficult to find spots but we found one at the 3rd lot. As we walked we saw spots available and filling constantly. I think it's a popular spot but most tourists don't stay long.

We enjoyed checking out the Santa Cruz Surf Museum. (why are so many surf museums small? They…read moredeserve a lot of space!) After finding a parking spot, whew, we enjoyed the museum and learned something along the way. The location is beautiful.

Such an enchanting find and so Santa Cruz…read more After browsing through records at Streetlight - I wandered into Felix Kulpa's inviting sculpture garden and gallery. From telephone booth art, to innovative guitar sculptures, to simple pieces composed by talented artists from the most basic of materials - this art haven captures the essence of local Californian artists with a superb eye.This gallery is also well lit, so you can still feel the sun beams radiating around you as you study the art. My only regret is not donating some cash to the gallery (there is a donation box as you leave) and not asking more questions about the artists and their pieces from the friendly guy sitting down in the gallery as I perused the work. Trust.

Beautiful gallery! Very welcoming and charming place to go on a nice day. The owner was very…read morefriendly and lovely to talk to. He had some amazing (working) electric guitars that he made from objects like toilet seats and skateboards, and he let me play them!! Wonderful gallery.

We wandered our way up to the gardens during late July 2025. We have been here before during the…read morespring and (as my pics show) the gardens are in full bloom at that time. Not so much in July. Still a nice walk, but the best time is definitely in the spring.

Beautiful arboretum on the edge of the University of California Santa Cruz campus. They have many…read moredifferent biomes to explore from around the world, all native to the climate, which is wonderful btw. On top of that, you can get a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean! Just lovely!

You need a whaling of a good time... This is the place to go…read more Pro tip: it's past past the butterflies Parking is free in weekends but there are plenty of park to pay machines around Things to touch, yes! Walking paths, yes! Gift shop, yes! Super friendly staff, yes! Support science! Highly recommend!

Keep it Reel Marine…read moreScience Center is run by the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) and is located right on campus. They focus on the education of ocean research and the conservation of our oceans. The Good: * Good place to bring young kids as it's not very large, and you can see the whole thing in way less than two hours. * One-mile loop trail along the UCSC campus if you want to add a little hike to your visit. * Guided tours available, as well as self-guided. * Hands-on experiences--they currently even have a shark in the touch tank! * Picnic areas outside with an ocean view. * The whale skeleton outside is pretty "bitchin'." * EV charging available. * Bike rack. * Buy tickets online or at the door. * Very affordable at $12/adult and $9/student. The Meh: * Hours and days change depending on the season. The Ugly: * Paid parking during the week, but free on weekends. Conclusion: Great little museum located right on the coast, but don't expect it to be an all-day affair.