March
"At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can." Frida Kahlo
March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. A rather common saying but do you ever wonder where the common idiom originated? According to the Farmers’ Almanac, the weather folklore stems from ancestral beliefs in balance, meaning if the weather at the start of March was bad (roaring, like a roaring lion), the month should end with good weather (gentle, like a lamb). After all the rain, we can only keep our fingers crossed. Thankfully, daylight savings time begins March 10 and we will have more light to get outside and commune with nature and recommit to our social connections, which is so important for our overall health and wellness.
Santa Cruz has a lot of no cost and low cost opportunities. From museums to hiking and tidepooling, you are sure to find something to enrich your mind, body and spirit.
ADMISSION-FREE MUSEUMS
Santa Cruz County actually has quite a hefty number of museums for a not-so-big area. Luckily for us, many of them require no admission fee. The freebies include the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum, the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center, San Lorenzo Valley Historical Museum, Capitola Museum, and the Aptos History Museum. Both the Seymour Marine Discovery Center and the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History do offer free admission a few days out of the year.
Tidepooling
The coastal waters of Santa Cruz are rich in marine life. Some of the top spots to tide pool in the area are Natural Bridges State Beach, Wilder Ranch, Pleasure Point, Santa Maria Beach, and Davenport Landing. Whichever spot you choose, please be sure to respect the habitats and not disturb the delicate ecosystem you are lucky enough to observe.
HIKE, HIKE, HIKE
There are so many choices when it comes to rad hiking spots in Santa Cruz. Our favorite spots are Henry Cowell State Park, Wilder Ranch, Nisene Marks State Park, Castle Rock State Park, and Land of the Medicine Buddha.
Some of parks charge an entrance fee but these helpful $$$ go to maintaining and preserving our beautiful parks, so its a great cause.
For more information on things to do with your kids, check out the Growing Up in Santa Cruz magazine. A free publication you can find alongside news stands around the area.