UC Santa Cruz Arboretum & Botanic Garden

It's in the name: ARE-bore-dumbs ARE boring and dumb. In fact it's more fun to read reviews about areboredumbs than to visit. And that's not saying much, hahaha.

But UC Santa Cruz arboretum is somewhat less boring than certain others! There are ocean views and hummingbirds and even an homage to smell-ovision in their Aroma Garden.

The first Tuesday of the month are free too. That's a significant discount, son!

This makes it a good option for a brisk walk before lunch. Bring food, a book or, if you're an undergrad, a Nintendo game boy, and just relax on one of the park benches there.

As some have pointed out on Yelp, the best time to visit is in the spring. I would submit that it's worth a visit in the fall too because Monarch butterflys are abundant during this season. There's an eucalyptus grove where they try to hide people who want to stomp them.

The longest walk in this garden is only a little over one mile. The paths at Santa Cruz Arboretum are well labelled making this spiraling labyrinth of botanicals navigable. Follow the "world tour" signs and you'll get to see shrubs from such far away biochores as New Zealand, Watsonville and Pacoima!

Tip: do pick up the paper map as an additional guide while you're moving through the grounds. It indicates where the various lookouts points are located with a binocular icon. Oh, you may want to bring your boring binoculars too.