Colorful and Beautiful Capitola by the Sea
November 25, 2021
By Sing H. Lin
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Colorful, beautiful and charming Mediterranean-style Capitola Venetian Hotel and villas at Capitola Beach in Capitola, California as viewed from Capitola Beach. Capitola is on Soquel Cove as part of Monterey Bay along California coast and about 5 miles east of Santa Cruz.
Capitola is known as the oldest beach resort on the West Coast. In February-March time frame, people celebrate Mardi Gras in Capitola to feast on cuisine, see extravagant parades, admire colorful costumes, and dance to traditional music as described on this website. The Capitola Beach Festival takes place in late September as described here, here, here, here and here. Capitola is a popular tourist town because of its trendy shops and restaurants on the shore directly connecting to a fishing wharf and its large, sandy beach.
The beautiful Stockton bridge over Soquel Creek and the lagoon at Capitola Beach. In the winter raining season, Soquel Creek empties into the ocean through the middle of the beach, but in the summer the creek becomes an inland lagoon, its diminished flow seeping into the sand rather than crossing it. (The lower left corner of the lagoon seems to have a opening with a filter cover for water from the lagoon to go into a pipe to flow under the beach sand to go out into the ocean.)
We came to tour Capitola on Tuesday, October 5, 2021. It is about one hour driving south from San Francisco Bay area.
Many birds were very active on the lagoon when we came for the second time on November 14, 2021.
Many birds on the lagoon.
Notice that the heavy rain in early November had opened a channel on Capitola Beach for Soquel Creek to empty into the ocean.
Many birds in action near the lagoon and the beach.
I took a movie clip of many birds in action in the air and on the lagoon as shown in the following YouTube movie:
Beautiful Capitola Wharf, Soquel Cove and Pacific Ocean as viewed from a vista point on street-side parking known as 4920 Cliff Dr Parking on top of the seacliff and is located at 4920 Cliff Drive. It is the most beautiful parking spot in town!
Zoom in for closer view of Capitola Wharf as viewed from 4920 Cliff Dr Parking. The building at the end of the Wharf is Wharf House Restaurant, a nice seafood restaurant with both indoor and outdoor sitting. It is a favorite stop for hungry visitors. The second building is Capitola Boat and Bait.
Zoom in on Capitola and Santa Cruz Boat Rental on Capitola Wharf where visitors can get fishing gears or rent a boat for fishing, or kayak, or Stand-up Paddle Board, etc.
A small portion of the long parking lots on both sides of Cliff Drive marked as 4920 Cliff Dr Parking on Google Map. This parking lot is only about 8-minute (0.3-mile) walking distance to Capitola Beach and village with many restaurants, shops and a nice public restroom.
Many seagulls on the water near the wharf
孤帆遠影 碧 空盡，令人難忘的碧藍和純淨 。
Gorgeous views of Monterey Bay and Pacific Ocean from 4920 Cliff Dr Parking. Many people come here to enjoy spectacular sunset views. I took two movie scans of the panoramic view from this parking spot as shown in the following YouTube videos:
The street-side parking known as 4920 Cliff Dr Parking can be seen at the end of the first movie scan above.
Zoom in for a closer view of the boat out in the bay and rests peacefully on its mooring .
One of many people enjoying stand-up paddle board as viewed from Capitola Beach
Another person enjoying stand-up paddle board
Two more people on stand-up paddle boards
More people on stand-up paddle boards
People enjoying kayaking, boating, surf boarding as viewed from Capitola Beach. Tame waves usually make Capitola a great place to play in the surf, to try your skill at stand-up paddle boarding, to skimboard, swim, and kayak.
People enjoying surfing and stand-up peddle boarding as viewed from Capitola Beach
This bandstand pavilion in Esplanade Park at east end of Capitola Beach is the location of Twilight Concerts on Wednesday Nights in Capitola Village as shown on the picture here.
Far side of seacliff and beach along Soquel Cove as viewed from Capitola Beach
Some people enjoying Capitola Beach
Many seagulls, pigeons and other birds on the Capitola Beach. The background is Capitola Wharf, the seacliff and scenic Cliff Drive on top of the seacliff.
Many pigeons, seagulls and other birds on Capitola Beach. The upper part of this picture is the outdoor dinning area of Zelda's on the Beach seafood restaurant at Capitola Beach.
The outdoor dinning area of Zelda's on the Beach seafood restaurant with nice views of the beach and the ocean.
We enjoyed seafood lunch at Zelda's on the Beach on our first trip on October 5, 2021. We ordered Clam Chowder in bread bowl of sourdough bread, Caesar Salad and Fried Calamari. They are delicious. The clam chowder in bread bowl is fantastic.
Another view of the outdoor dining area of Zelda's on the Beach
Many birds were in actions in the air when we were enjoying our lunch.
More seagulls on the water near the beach
Front side of Zelda's on the Beach seafood restaurant along Esplanade.
Metered parking area along Esplanade and Monterey Ave near the beach and the restaurants.
One of several parking meter machines for metered parking spaces at the beach and near the restaurants. Bring credit card or lots of quarters or $1 bills for the metered parking spaces.
There is a new way, ParkMobile, to use your smartphone to pay for metered parking. One possible advantage is that you can pay more to extend the parking time wirelessly through your smartphone without having to walk back to the metered parking machine physically.
More metered parking spaces are available 0.3-mile walking west to 4920 Cliff Dr Parking on both sides of Cliff Drive as shown on a picture above.
Another larger metered parking lot is known as Beach and Village Public Parking next to the Police Station and is about 0.25 mile walk north from the beach. It is located at 426 Capitola Ave, Capitola, CA 95010.
The village of Capitola with many restaurants and shops along Esplanade is adjacent to the beach, making it very convenient to stroll into town for anything you might need or want.
More restaurants along Riverview Ave. and elsewhere in town cater to beach visitors.
Many Benches near Capitola Beach for visitors to sit and to enjoy the beach or the take-out food, ice cream and drinks from the nearby restaurants.
Public restrooms in Esplanade Park near the east end of Capitola Beach
These tree barks look unusual in Esplanade Park near east end of beach.
Stockton Bridge and Capitola Railroad Bridge
Junction of Stockton Ave and Esplanade in Capitola village near the beach
Street and shops in Capitola village
The entrance of Shadowbrook Restaurant located at: 1750 Wharf Rd, Capitola, CA 95010. This is the high-end upscale restaurant with delicious food, fantastic views, romantic atmosphere and excellent services highly recommended by our friends. But on weekdays, this restaurant is not open until 4 PM and serves only dinner. So, we came again on Sunday November 14 to enjoy fancy early dinner at 2 PM in this special restaurant.
Beautiful flowers near the entrance of Shadowbrook Restaurant.
The restaurant buildings are situated on multiple levels, on a very steep hill with magnificent gardens at each level, the trolley, and the view from it, going up and down is spectacular!
The restaurant is next to the beautiful lake of Soquel Creek at the bottom of the steep slope. The entrance and the large parking lot are high on the top of the steep slope of the hill.
The restaurant has its own funicular (trolley, cable car) on a steep track on the hill to take customers gently up and down between the entrance at the top of the hill and the restaurant building below. The short and special trolley ride to the dining rooms was very scenic and exciting, it just gets your appetite up even more. I took a movie clip of the trolley moving gently up the steep track as shown in the following YouTube website:
The track of the trolley on the steep slope of the hill.
Similar to an elevator door, this is the door to get in and out of trolley at the top level near the entrance of the restaurant.
Another view of the romantic outdoor dining on riverside surrounded by beautiful flowers and garden.
Beside the trolley, there is a Zig-Zag walkway with many steps for customers to walk up and down through the beautiful gardens between the entrance on the top of the hill and the restaurant dining rooms below.
Going down the zig-zag walkway
A view of the garden and the walkway. Another view of the lush hillside and garden can be seen here.
Two of several fantastic views from the walkway
Another section of the walkway
Near the end of the walkway to go into the third level (floor) of indoor dining room and the outdoor dining patio on the third level. The door for the trolley for the dining room on the third level can be seen here.
The outdoor dining patio on the roof of the second floor dining room as viewed from inside the trolley arriving at the third floor dining area. We enjoyed our delicious early dinner at 2 PM on this dining patio.
Our outdoor dining table on the patio was under this tall tree on our second trip on November 14, 2021. We enjoyed very much the early dinner at 2 PM. The foods are delicious and fantastic. As friends told us that this is an high-end expensive restaurant. So, we were mentally prepared for the big dinner bill of $153 for two of us including tip. Many more pictures of delicious foods can be seen on Google Map website here.
The heater above all outdoor dining table on the patio. The outdoor temperature was 75 degree F when we were there on November 14 such that we did not need the heater. But the heater is there in case if the outdoor temperature is too low.
Nice view of the garden and mini water falls along the walkway.
Another section of the zig-zag walkway on the steep slope garden
Shadowbrook Restaurant has two or more classic taxi cabs with very nice drivers to provide free taxi services to chauffeur customers between their hotels/camp ground within 3-mile distance and Shadowbrook Restaurant.
More photos of Shadowbrook Restaurant and food can be seen on this website.
This up scale restaurant has dress code displayed at the entrance. More photos of Shadowbrook Restaurant, especially indoor dining rooms, can be seen here.
One view of the large parking lot of Shadowbrook Restaurant. It is on the top of steep slope.
Another view of the large parking lot.
Another view of the large parking lot.
The second taxi of Shadowbrook Restaurant
The redwood forests on the mountains a few miles from California coast often have some interesting places for people to visit, such as the Mystery Spot, Roaring Camp Railroads Through California Giant Redwoods near Santa Cruz, and some religious retreat centers, etc.
After we finished touring Capitola Beach in the afternoon of October 5, 2021, we drove north about 12 minutes to visit the Land of Medicine Buddha (藥師佛淨土 ) Retreat Center located at: 5800 Prescott Rd Soquel, CA 95073 in the redwood forest. It is a Center for Healing & Developing A Good Heart.
The Tibetan Mani Prayer Wheel (轉經輪 ).
The Tibetan Medicine Buddha (藥師琉璃光(王)如來 ) is described as a doctor who cures suffering using the medicine of his teachings.
The practice of Medicine Buddha (or Sangye Menla in Tibetan) is not only a very powerful method for healing and increasing healing powers both for oneself and others, but also for overcoming the inner sickness of attachment, hatred, and ignorance, thus to meditate on the Medicine Buddha can help decrease physical and mental illness and suffering. The Medicine Buddha mantra is held to be extremely powerful for healing of physical illnesses and purification of negative karma. More information is available at this Wikipedia website.
The lodging facility for people attending the retreat sanctuary program (藥師佛淨土辦有訓練營 & 課程 ) in Land of Medicine Buddha (活動包誇坐禪, 觀想, 閉關, 禪修… 等等 ).
It is a tranquil and lovely place, a space to reflect and to practice silence
Trailhead of a 6-mile loop hiking trail into the redwood forest.
The small parking area of Land of Medicine Buddha. The last mile to reach the Land of Medicine Buddha is a paved single lane narrow road shared by the 2-way traffic.
The administration office of Land of Medicine Buddha and the dining room on the left side.
The retreat program activity big room. Land of Medicine Buddha is a healing center that hosts retreats and spiritual workshops.
After the brief tour of the Land of Medicine Buddha in such redwood forest, we then drove for about one hour to go back to San Francisco Bay Area.
Lexington Reservoir along Highway 17 near Los Gatos, California on our way driving back to San Francisco Bay Area.
The Dam of the Lexington Reservoir as viewed from Highway 17.
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