Visiting Santa Cruz, California, is a childhood memory for many of us Californians. Our family took our first vacation there. It wasn’t far from home, and it was inexpensive. I think my mother found it tawdry. When times got better, we went to Carmel, a little further south and much more respectable.
We all returned once during my sister’s first year at UC Santa Cruz, staying at the “new” Dream Inn Tower. During my sister’s four years there, I visited often, especially enjoying her first two years at Kresge College, designed by M/L/T/W. We went to the Boardwalk often, and one of her first jobs was selling corn dogs there.
And now, over 40 years later, she and her wife have returned to the area for retirement. So when my pal David invited me down for a few days of school break with his kids, I said yes! We had done this once before, and the kids loved the pool and ocean. But the little one wasn’t tall enough to go on all the rides then. Now there was no stopping them.
The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Amusement Park seems cleaner and brighter than last time we visited. But it hasn’t lost its core funk. You can now get a Korean barbecue chicken bowl in addition to those famous corn dogs. The Haunted Castle ride got an update. It’s funnier than ever. The new thrill rides are smooth, according to my 11-year old pal. The Giant Dipper roller coaster is still rickety and slams you about.
I didn’t see any cotton candy this trip. The wonderful taffy machine wasn’t running when I passed it. But caramel apples are still readily available. Security is much more visible, and there are rules about gang-related clothing. Not sure what they do about tattoos?
Despite the seemingly high price for an all-day wristband (which does not include all those games with guns), the Boardwalk seems to attract a fairly wide demographic. Not a lot of Lacoste shirts and Allbirds shoes, but a broad cross-section of athletic wear. I loved the big roller coaster, as well as the little one, which replaced a similar ride but has more turns. The water in the log ride seemed low, but the big splash still soaks you. One of my favorite rides is the bumper car experience, which seems a little under the radar. I could only do it once, but my young pals went five times. No lines!
After a full day of rides, the kids went down to the ocean, figured out how to jump the waves, and had a few rides on their new boogie boards. The Dream Inn has gotten another facelift, and although I remember everybody decrying its tower many years ago, it’s now a good hotel for families right on the beach. It’s pretty pricey, but given that it’s less than two hours away from home, it’s great. What I love the most is what doesn’t change—the sound of the ocean and the kids laughing and laughing and laughing. And if you remember Laffing Sal from Ocean Beach, she lives at the Boardwalk now too.
