We went to the Natural Bridges State Beach near Santa Cruz a few weeks ago. It was one of the first “really sunny” days of this summer. A few of our friends joined us with their kids and we all had a great time there.

One of the things I liked about this beach is that there is a pool of backwater right next to it. The water in that pool was nice and lukewarm, compared to the ice-cold ocean water just a few feet away. It was just about perfect for the kids and they had a blast playing in it.

Here are a couple of pictures from the visit.

This place also has a Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary, and the best time to see the migrating butterflies is from late October through February. We should probably check them out this winter!