Redwood Retreat

Imagine a peaceful, serene neck of the woods. Feel the restorative power of nature building resilience and buffering tomorrow’s stress. Welcome to  Redwood Retreat, in the mountains above the sweet town of Corralitos, approximately a half hour to either Santa Cruz or Monterey and 30 minutes to nearest beach. We have 3 individual sites. RV's must be self-contained (and should not exceed 7 meters) . Situated on 16 acres, this spot is perfect for family vacations, company retreats, small celebrations etc.

Enjoy watching movies on a screen (provided) in the grove of redwoods at night while gathered around a fire pit after a day of hiking, biking, beach, wine tasting, tourist attractions...request badminton, screen, or horseshoes. Multiple sitting areas and a designated parking area make it such that the space is wide open for play (but don't wander off the campground).

RECOMMENDATIONS

While at Redwood Retreat

 (a work in progress and feel free to add via Google docs)

Hiking in our area: Byrne Milliron Forest off of Brown’s Valley Road in Corralitos/Camp Loma just up from here on Eureka Canyon Road/Soquel Demonstration Forest on Highland Way in Corralitos on the way up to the summit from here/Mount Madonna County Park.

Moss Landing on the coast south of us 30 minutes is a wonderful spot to lunch (Sea Harvest Restaurant has lovely views right on the water, isn’t expensive and is quite good). Then explore nearby beaches or take a boat charter out for whale watching. Also fun is renting a kayak to go up the slough! Speaking of the slough, go to the park entrance of Elkhorn Slough to go on a lovely nature walk/hike in the estuary/bird sanctuary; really picturesque!

The Forest of Nisene Marks in Aptos is perfect for hiking. At the top is the epicenter of the 1989 earthquake. Many trails and can be a good workout depending on your choice of trail.The downtown of “Old” Aptos is nice to stroll around. Not far at all is Seacliff Beach and there are many eateries in town. Tell me what you’re looking for and I’ll make recommendations.

The town of Capitola is a favorite with out of town guests. The Esplanade along the beach is rich with shops and restaurants and just up the hill is the famed Shadowbrook Restaurant with its resplendent views over the river, elegant old interior, and of course the tram that takes you down the hill to the entrance and back up (but I recommend taking the stairs down to enjoy the beautifully landscaped terraced gardens. Gayle’s Rosticceria and Bakery in downtown Capitola is a destination for all things picnic & take-out!

In our own charming town of Corralitos you must NOT drive by the Corralitos Market without stopping at least once! Famous for its smoked meats and sausages it also carries local treats such as Marianne’s ice cream, Gizdich pies, and Glaum eggs. Just a bit away is a nice taqueria, Los Pericos, which has a nice patio in front. Great food made from scratch at prices you can’t beat. Stop at Storr’s Winery, Alfarro’s Winery, or Windy Oaks Winery, and make a rezy if it’s the weekend. There is a Farmer’s Market on Sundays from 11-3 at the Grange.

The nearest real grocery store is Safeway in the town of Freedom approx. 30 minutes away. Also there is a yummy “diner”, The Farm Table, and a great old bar, The Wooden Nickel, both of which have excellent, homemade food and generous portions.

Two great breweries right here are Beer Mule (large selection, many on tap, big patios-dog friendly- and awesome food) and Corralitos Brewery on Freedom Blvd. on your way back to camp if you’ve gone south. They have wonderful home brews and a pop up of some sort for food.

Kiddos always enjoy Gizdich Ranch where, depending on the season, they may have u-pick, but always have lots of fruit and their legendary pies.  Live Earth Farm doesn’t have set hours but open up for picking.A great place to have a picnic. Glaum Egg Ranch and Pinto Lake are fun too. Loch Lomond Recreation Area (Felton) is a bit of a trek from here but a fantastic place to fish (rent a boat!) and check out Mount Madonna County Park nearby (Watsonville) for all sorts of fun (sccgov.org)

The usual list of recommendations can be found on tripadvisor's website:  and I quite agree with The Seymour Center (cheap!) and Wilder Ranch (a real farmstead with animals and all from the olden days :). If you go up the coast I totally recommend the Davenport Roadhouse Cafe for lunch and stopping at a farmstand for some local fruit/veggies.

Love this list (and the web sites included)

The tiny beans website has a good list and I second the Roaring Camp Railroad and the Chardonnay Sailing Cruises, both of which I’ve done with 9 year old grand-daughter!

More to come…