twisted metal sculpture
on the corner recalls the
destruction of the double-
decker concrete freeway,
and a lavishly landscaped- and nonelevated –
parkway opened here in
- Look for the wall
bearing the inscription ‘15
seconds.’
The Drive » Continue south
on I-880 to San Jose and join
up with Hwy 17, which narrows
down to a curvy four-lane nail
biter. In Santa Cruz, pick up Hwy
1 South for 6 miles, exiting at
State Park Dr. Cut north over the
highway and go right on Soquel
Dr. After half a mile, turn left
on Aptos Creek Rd and drive 4
miles to the park.5 Aptos
Adjacent to the posh
little village of Aptos, the
Forest of Nisene Marks
State Park (www.parks.
ca.gov; Aptos Creek Rd; parking
$8; c#) boasts trails
that stretch through
old logging camps and
redwood groves all the
way to the summit of
the coastal mountains
and the peak that gave
the 1989 earthquake its
name: Loma Prieta. On
the Aptos Creek Trail,
a sign marks the actual
epicenter of the Loma
Prieta quake, and on
the Big Slide Trail a
number of fissures canbe spotted. Pause in the
quiet, surrounded by the
impossibly green trees,
and ponder when the San
Andreas will next let rip.The Drive » Backtrack to
Hwy 1 North and follow it west to
Santa Cruz.6 Santa Cruz
The old brick buildings
of the downtown area,
which were built on
dubious river sand,
were no match for the
1989 quake, and much
of the Pacific Garden
Mall was destroyed or
had to be demolished
later. Yet Santa Cruz
hung on, and thrivingOakland Heinhold’s First & Last Chance SaloonSTEPHEN SAKS / GETTY IMAGES ©