Friends, two novellas that I've written take place in and around Santa Cruz, CA of the early 1980's:
Merman, an unlikely romance between Lydia, the scholar, and Mel, a surfer dude, takes place on the beach, at the harbor, and yes, in the redwoods of a university campus.  Funny thing, Lydia never sees Mel completely dry...
Crippled, the relationship between two desperate people:  Sheryl, ex-proprietor of a downtown coffee house, run to ruin by her irresponsible boyfriend; and Bobby, crippled in a motorcycle accident with a dangerous leg infection and gobs of money from a big settlement. He wants to come to the rescue, but will she let him?