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Welcome to the website for Ayumi and Reid's Wedding: Major changes have occurred to our plans!! See Below (don't worry, we're still getting married:) As we continue to plan for our celebration, additional details will be posted here in the future. If you have questions regarding other activities or attractions in the Santa Cruz area, feel free to contact us (email/phone given below).
About Us: Ayumi came to Santa Cruz to study Early Childhood Education in 2003 at Cabrillo Comm. Coll. Reid followed in 2005 to study Planetary Science at Univ. CA, Santa Cruz. Ayumi and Reid met at a party thrown by mutual friends in June 2006 in Santa Cruz. It was a magical evening of riding roller coasters and playing air hockey at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. Ayumi had sprained her knee the previous day playing beach volleyball. She was using crutches when she met Reid - something that apparently caught his attention. They shared time together watching world cup soccer the following weeks. They had their first date on the 4th of July, and it's been nothing but fireworks since then.
Ayumi recently finished her masters degree in December from Pacific Oaks College. Her thesis relates to the development of immigrant's sense of self identity. In addition, she is a teacher for infants and toddlers. Reid is a PhD student studying features on Mars relating to recent climate change on the red planet. He has 1 year left in his program. Our different, yet complimentary backgrounds lead us to very rich discussions together as we expand our perspective and knowledge about culture, children, life, the environment, etc.
We hope you can come share in our celebration as we start a new stage of our lives together.
Date: Saturday June 20, 2009
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Where: Pajaro Dunes, Watsonville, Ca (see map under links). For pictures of our visit to Pajaro Dunes, click here. On the map below are the locations of our house and the wedding/reception site. The ceremony and reception will be held at Pajaro Dunes (a condo vacational rental community). There are many nice condo suites available (many have ocean views) for the 2 nights (or more) bordering our celebration (price varies based on suite and length of stay). Several 2 bedroom suites will be reserved for our guests and average $695 for 2 nights. There are also many cheaper hotels nearby in Watsonville. Santa Cruz (SC)/Monterey Bay area is a beautiful place to spend some time, so peruse some of the links and see if something appeals to you. If you plan on staying for a week or more there is the option of renting a vacation house (see ads in Craig's List). Also, Pajaro Dunes' rates are reasonable for longer stays.
This is an interactive map - click the markers to get more info:
View Larger Map
Traveling to SC/Watsonville: Flights into San Jose are closest (35 mins drive to SC), but San Francisco (SFO) isn't too bad either (1 hr drive to SC / 1hr 20min to Watsonville). Oakland is another possibility - whatever works for you. If you're on a tight budget and don't want to rent a car, you can take Cal Train from SFO to San Jose and the highway 17 bus from San Jose to SC. However, we'd recommend a car for getting around.
Directions to Pajaro Dunes, 101 Shell Dr, Watsonville, CA:Traveling South from San Jose Area take highway 17 south for 25 mi to Santa Cruz. Exit onto highway 1 S toward Watsonville/Monterey, and drive 16 mi. Take the Riverside Dr/CA-129 exit and turn right. Immediately, take a slight right onto Lee Rd and drive for a 1/4 mile to first traffic light. Turn left at light onto Beach Rd - drive for 2.8 mi - enjoy the view of the strawberry fields. Turn right on Shell Rd - there will be a sign for Pajaro Dunes Shorebird. The next road on the left will be the entrance to the Pajaro Dunes - you will need to provide your name upon entering the gate. After driving through the gate, take a right to get to the Lagoon House!
The Weather: Although CA has a reputation for sunny, warm weather, it is most applicable to southern CA, and doesn't accurately represent summertime in Santa Cruz. The ocean remains a frigid 55 degrees F, year round. Combined with ocean beezes, and occasional fog, it can be downright cold at times. Especially in the evening, prepare for the cold - I recommend dressing in layers when possible in order to adjust to the changes in temperature that occur throughout the day. It is very likely to be sunny, and mild (mid 70s) most of the time, however, so bring the sunscreen and shades. The fog can be unpredictable, but can be present in the mornings, and late afternoons. When foggy it will be humid and chilly! We'll hope for the best weather possible!
Recommended Hotels near Pajaro Dunes:
Pajaro Dunes
105 Shell Drive, Pajaro Dunes, CA 95076
Location of Ceremony/Reception |
Best Western Rose Garden Inn
740 Freedom Blvd, Watsonville, CA‎ - (831) 724-3367‎
best rating in Watsonville (~$180) |
Red Roof Inn
Red Roof Inn 1620 West Beach Street
Watsonville, CA 95076 (831) 740-4520
Closest hotel to Pajaro (fully booked?) |
Best Value Inn
781 Freedom Blvd, Watsonville, CA 95076 (831) 724-2181‎
Cheap hotel ~$100 |
Recommended Hotels in Santa Cruz:
The Inn at Pasatiempo
1 Pasatiempo Dr., Santa Cruz, CA 95060 - (831) 423-5000
Rated 2.5 out of 5 56 reviews |
University Inn |
Bella Notte Inn Santa Cruz
21305 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA - (877) 342-3552
Rated 4.7 out of 5.0 18 reviews
Bit Noisy, bit pricey, (ranked #1), $ ?? |
Pelican Point Inn
21345 E Cliff Dr, Santa Cruz, CA - (831) 475-3381
Rated 4.4 out of 5.0 28 reviews (ranked #2) $140 - $160 |
Hilton Santa Cruz / Scotts Valley
6001 La Madrona Dr, Scotts Valley, CA - (831) 440-1000
Rated 3.8 out of 5.0 53 reviews $250 |
Sea and Sand Inn
201 West Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 - (831) 427-3400
Rated 4; 50 reviews (#6 in SC), ~$250
Right on the beach ... quite amazing view, but expensive. |
Best Western Capitola By-the-Sea Inn
1435 41st Avenue, Capitola, CA - (831) 477-0607
Rated 3.7; 32 reviews () $180 - 230 |
Hinds Victorian Guest House
529 Chestnut Street, Santa Cruz, CA - (831) 423-0423
Rated 4.0; 6 reviews
Extended Stay, not the best for kids. |
Ocean Pacific Lodge
Rated 3.2; 61 reviews $90 +
301 Pacific Ave, santa cruz, CA 95060 - (800) 995-0289 |
Hitching Post Motel
1717 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz, CA 95062 - (831) 429-2900
$96/n ~ $60/n for week stay
Not the nicest of places, but good for the price |
Fern River Motel
Rated 3.6; 45 reviews
Rustic cabins ... more like camping. Might be good for kids. |
Hotels to Avoid in Santa Cruz:
Torchlite Inn - 500 Riverside Avenue
Knights Inn - 510 Leibrandt Ave
Santa Cruz Beach Inn - 600 Riverside Ave
Travelodge - 619 Riverside Ave.
Guesthouse Inn - 330 Ocean St.,
Big 6 Motel - 335 Riverside Ave
Capri Motel - 337 Riverside Ave
Edgewater Beach Motel - 525 2nd St
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Comfort Inn - 110 Plymouth St.
Best Western Inn - 126 Plymouth St
Silver Sands Motel - 130 Plymouth St
Travelodge Santa Cruz Riviera
National 9 Motel
Super 8 - 338 Riverside Ave
Coastview Inn - 301 Beach Street
Budget Inn Motel - 110 San Lorenzo Blvd
Paradise Inn By the Beach - 311 2nd St
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Sea Breeze Inn - 204 2nd St
Capri Motel - Santa Cruz
Ocean Gate Inn - 111 Ocean st
Econo Lodge Boardwalk
Comfort Inn Santa Cruz
Comfort Inn Beach/Boardwalk - 314 Riverside Avenue
Best Value Inn - 505 Riverside Ave
Lanai Lodge - 550 2nd St
Santa Cruz Beach Inn - 600 Riverside Ave
Beach View Inn - 50 Front St
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Attractions: SC lures a weekend crowd with its gorgeous beaches, surf, and natural beauty. Shopping and restaurants are in abundance. Downtown SC and Capitola are highly recommended locations to check out.
Wine tasting in SC is fantastic! A little outside of SC tucked into the mountains is Bonny Doon - a 25 min drive. There are many wine bars in town as well: Pelican Ranch, Soif, and White Crane are some of our favorites. One of our pastimes is to watch wildlife and surfers along the coast - 41st ave (Pleasure Point, the Hook) and East Cliff Drive (Cowells and Steamer's Lane) are the most entertaining of these spots.
Hiking and biking in Pogonip (next to UCSC), De La Veaga (golf, frisbee golf(!), and biking/hiking trails), and Wilder Ranch are great.
Montery (30 mins south of Pajaro) offers a world famous aquarium. And it's a beautiful drive further to the south along highway 1. Moss Landing (5 mins south) offers whale watching cruises and seafood restaurants.
For those more into city attractions, San Jose offers some cool electronics and shopping malls. San Francisco, of course, has a lot to offer ... more than I can mention here.
Notice!!: We are having a celebration in Japan next summer (towards the end of July) in Tsukuba. We'll be celebrating at the Kagetsu restaurant. All are welcome to attend! Come meet Ayumi's wonderful family and enjoy a visit to Nihon (Japan) while you're at it.
| Contact Info |
| 1717 Foster Ct |
| Santa Cruz, CA 95062 |
| Reid: |
| reid.parsons_at_gmail.com |
| 970-629-0043 |
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| Ayumi / Emmie: |
| emmieayumi_at_gmail.com |
| 831-566-9454 |
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