Aptos Hills Larkin Valley, CA

Aptos Hills-Larkin Valley is the rural, inland side of mid-county Santa Cruz, a stretch of ridgelines, orchards and farm lanes between Aptos and Watsonville. Freedom Boulevard threads through it, and the little crossroads of Corralitos sits right alongside. Houseberry splits the area into two neighborhoods with different feels, and the Aptos Hills-Larkin Valley name covers both. Aptos Hills is the ridge country above Aptos, where Bamboo Giant Nursery and Gardens and a corner market anchor the stretch of Freedom Boulevard. Larkin Valley is flatter and more agricultural, a farm valley near Watsonville that holds the Castro Adobe. Neither has a downtown, and both depend on neighboring towns for most services. Homes throughout are on acreage or large parcels, ranch-style houses and hillside properties with room for gardens, orchards and animals. Roads are country lanes, so the daily rhythm is set by driving, and the neighbors' fields fill in for a view. The outdoors comes in two kinds. Close to home are bamboo groves, orchard rows and historic grounds, and the open house days at the adobe draw visitors from around the county. For bigger outings, the redwood trails above Aptos and the beaches along the bay are a drive away. Eating and shopping cluster at the Corralitos crossroads. Corralitos Market & Sausage Company is a country butcher counter with a deli, Corralitos Brewing Company has a tasting room with seating inside and out, and Lito's Community Cafe & Market sells coffee, bagels and local goods. Cactus Corner does breakfast burritos and sandwiches for the early crowd. Full grocery trips mean Watsonville or Aptos, and commuting goes through Highway 1. Distance is the main cost here, and nearly every errand needs a little planning, from the weekly grocery run to a forgotten ingredient. Evenings out here are dark and quiet, with orchards and ridgelines doing what the town lights do elsewhere.