as far as hotel advice goes, i don't really know. . . but if you're looking for something nice, check out www.dreaminnsantacruz.com/ otherwise, there's tons of divey places around town.

for hardware and fuel you can just go to the hardware store downtown (ace hardware), and if they don't have fuel you can go to outdoor world for both that and any camping equiptment you need.

deli prepared foods. . . . safeway or new leaf downtown or wholefoods or staff of life or shoppers corner. . . you can find everything you need downtown, somewhere off pacific ave probably.

Ace Hardware is the best place to buy fuel in Santa Cruz and it is not downtown. It is on Mission and Almar. Outdoor world is on River St. and is a good place to get camping gear.

my cell number is 831.227.5396. Call me if you want help when you get here.
(I could give you Travis' number too :p)