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Buried Treasure, 1963
My folks bought a summer home in Scott's Valley in 1958. Every summer we would pile as many kids into our station wagon as possible and head to the beach/boardwalk. With 50 cents in our pocket we could ride 2 rides. I always chose the "fun house" (I still miss the big slick wooden slide) because you could stay for hours for only a quarter and of course, the "big dipper". My dad and I would swim from the wharf to the mouth of the river and body surf in. One summer while we were digging our way to China I found a 50 cent piece. I was rich! I was able to buy 5 frosties and treat my whole family.
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Santa Cruz or Bust!, 1957
This is my mom Charlotte, my dad Dennis and their Bedlington Terrier Penny.
Janet Eeds |
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4th of July, 1950
I was born in Santa Cruz and all through my childhood I can remember going to the Boardwalk to watch the fireworks on the 4th of July. My Father, Mother, Grandmother and I would all go down early with a picnic basket, and then early in the evening jockey to get a bench seat for the best view. I especially remember the year that there was a terrible accident with the men who shot off the fireworks and they had to take someone out by ambulance. End of fireworks that year. But mostly the smell of sitting underneath the Boardwalk to get out of the sun, and the smell of the Casino and Boardwalk itself is a memory I will never forget. I can still smell it now at 63 years old. Thanks for letting me share.
Judy (Smith) Groszmann |
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 A Day at the Beach, 1954
My mother Connie Buchholtz (holding me) drove for Santa Cruz Metro. She passed away Jan. 17, 2007. The young girl next to her is my aunt, Merrie Groszmann, who worked many summers at the Boardwalk. The two boys are my uncle, Gil Groszmann and cousin, Willie Kingdom. Willie's mom, Betty Kingdom, worked the Ski Roll game for years, and his sister Helen Kingdom worked for Hodgie. I am the baby. My first real job was at the Boardwalk to pay for my first car.
Debbie Butler |
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Remembering the Boardwalk, 1962
My first trip to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk was in 1962. I was 2 years old and was allowed my first ride on the Giant Dipper. It seems you could ride it at any age if you felt you were ready. I was part of a long family tradition of visiting Santa Cruz. My Mom, Grandparents and Great Grandparents all loved Santa Cruz.
We would rent a small cottage acrossed the street from the Dipper and stay for up to three weeks at a time. Each night as our Mom would take us back to the "cabin", my sister and I would cry, "we never get to do anything!" Staying in those cabins was great fun. Going to the beach all day, listening to the screams as we swam and then returning to the cabin for a bath, outside, in the concrete sink. Years later we would stay at the Ebb Tide Motel. We loved the location and the pool with a slide. We would go into town to have breakfast at the Bubble Up Cafe then head to the beach to get some more sunburn.
As a small child my favorite ride was Bulgy the Whale but we always called them "the fishes". As I grew older the gas powered cars became my favorite. I loved standing on my assigned number in the circle waiting for my car to come to a screeching halt in front of me. I used to daydream about actually driving one of those cars out on the streets. I would love to see the cars come back to the Boardwalk. We used to call the sea monster "Cecil", from the Beanie & Cecil Show. I spent many afternoons with my sister at the Funhouse, an activity that we also did many times at Playland at the Beach in San Francisco. This is the reason I love seeing Laughing Sal at the Boardwalk now. I used to be so scared by her laugh and she seemed so much bigger. At the fun house my favorites were the wooden slide with the burlap sacks and the spinning disc. I was always able to get a couple of the bigger guys to befriend and help little me stay on till the end.
While we were at the fun house our grown ups would spend time playing Facination. Then our Grandpa would come and get us and let us throw the baseballs at the milk bottles while we waited for the ladies to finish playing Facination. As the night wore on our Grandpa would declare, "banks closed" in reply to our request for more money for games and rides. He would then buy us a chocolate dipped banana with nuts, and we would walk back to the motel to rest up for a repeat the next day.
Spending the 4th of July was always the best. Watching the fireworks light up the sky over the bay was great. As a teenager in the 70's it was sad to see the bandstand go dark and I am happy to see it back in great form.
I have raised both of my sons visiting the Boardwalk and now they have their memories to bore their children with. Today I cannot wait to get there to eat my first Hot Dog on a Stick below the Dipper and then ride the Dipper, hands raised high. I love that this place is still here. Even though it changes, it is frozen in time. Thank you for the memories.
John Sharp |
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Mama and Merrie, 1952
My grandmother Helen Groszmann and aunt Merrie Groszmann spending a day on the beach between the wharf and casino.
Debbie Butler |
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Three Generations of Fun at the "BW"
My mom and dad were in high school when they started dating in the 1960's. They would hitch-hike from Santa Clara to Santa Cruz and play at the Boardwalk all day.
When they had us kids, they would pile us all into the family car (a Pontiac Firebird!) and we'd make the trip over the hill to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.
I remember watching marionette shows in the Casino Arcade and eating salt water taffy until I was sick to my stomach! I loved the Round Up and the Tilt-A-Whirl! My dad would hoot and hollar like a lunatic when he'd ride the Dipper! Standing below, my mom and I could hear him causing a commotion on that thing!
I remember the pure exhaustion on the ride home. I remember feeling sort of numb from laughing all day, enjoying the sting of a slight sunburn, and coming down off the sugar high...
Now that I'm a mom, I've created lasting memories with my two little girls. We used to live in Santa Cruz, so we went almost every weekend (love the Season Passes!), but sadly we've relocated to Texas and we still remember the fun times at the "BW"! I'm currently planning our return!
Jessica Matson |
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A Poem
A sunny blue sky shines over the beach's shore
Amusement park screams are heard nearby as Giant Dipper riders take the plunge
Napping and tanning, tourists and locals relax along the sandy-soft beach
Surfers challenge the untamed waves
And boats glide slowly along the horizon.
Irene Steffen |
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College Finals & Corndogs
One of my best friends and I had one heck of a semester at San Jose State. Once all of our finals at San Jose State were done and the semester was FINALLY over, we jumped into my car and drove to the Boardwalk just for a corndog! The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk has the cure for the the "college finals blues" with amazing corndogs!!
Juanita Serrato
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Easter at the Boardwalk, 1980
The Saturday before Easter the Boardwalk would hold a huge Easter Egg Hunt in the sand by the bandstand. The tractors would bury thousands of plastic eggs in roped-off areas designated by age group. The youngest age groups would basically have their plastic eggs sticking up from the sand.
The older your age group, the deeper the eggs were buried. We would bring our own plastic shovels and beach buckets. When it was time, the horn would sound and it was a wonderful mass hysteria of children plopping themselves down in a spot and digging furiously. All of the eggs were stuffed with a certificate redeemable for something special at the Boardwalk. Sometimes it was a free corn dog, free soda, candy apple, etc. One year I found the golden egg in my age group. That was the ultimate thrill. Inside was an Unlimited Rides wristband. Wow, was that the best prize ever!!!
Every Easter, I relive my special childhood memories of the magical place where true family memories were made. My children love to hear my Boardwalk stories as they now make their own memories there.
Raina Giguiere |
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