Laid Back in Santa Cruz

After our game in San Francisco, we had three days off from games to spend with my good friend Jacob Sullivan, his wife Kelly, and their two boys Caleb and Hudson. We found a great KOA campground 15 miles south of Santa Cruz, near Capitola, California and setup the motor home for a couple of days. It was a perfect time to break up the driving from park to park and to see good friends.

On the first morning, I rode my bike from the campsite to Jacob and Kelly's house in Santa Cruz. Unfortunately, riding a bike is frowned upon on Highway 1, and I was pulled over about 10 miles into my ride. The cop was great, and we started talking about his baseball tour he took a few years back similar to ours. He let me off the hook and I eventually was on my way.

Jacob and I were able to get some surfing in near his house at Waddell Beach, a beautiful, and rugged beach spot known for great surf and juvenile white sharks. The area is loaded with healthy elephant seals, which white sharks love to feed on. After a quick lesson from Jake, we suited up head to toe in wet suits as the water was an icy 55 degrees. It was a lot of fun to be out there, even if I'm not great at surfing. There is something about being in the ocean, virtually by yourself, that makes you think critically. After the surf, we went for a great 5 mile trail run just off the beach. It was a great first day in Santa Cruz.

The next day, my Dad's brother Mike, and his fiance Karen met us at the camp site. They were in town for a convention in Monterey, CA and the timing was perfect to see them. We grabbed dinner at a restaurant on the water in downtown Capitola and finished the night off with a few beers.

The next few days would be spent hanging with Jacob and Kelly, and the kids. It was a great weekend, and very cool to see how great of a Dad one of my best buddies is to his two kids. I certainly learned a few things. We really enjoyed our time in Santa Cruz, and were rested up to make Game 6 in Oakland, CA Monday evening.