07/06/09

Beach Boardwalk for tasting, riding, & sight-seeing

by mejennings

A summer Saturday @ the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk..you just canNOT go wrong here ;-) Went last year w/ familia & found myself here again last weekend.

DRIVE: Left Hayward area just after 9am & stepped foot on the SCBB like around 11am. Paid $10 for parking in lot directly across from SCBB Arcade area on Beach Street. Ideally I'd suggest leaving early AM as I if you're not local to Santa Cruz just to avoid the traffic that always comes in the summer, on wkends, & after 10:30am.

BOARDWALK: Suprisingly it was not scorching hot on this Sat (6/27/09); clear skies for the most part, but cool breeze from the waters was definitely blowing onto the Boardwalk. Rides I got on were the Pirate Ship & Double Shot, & that was enough for me. I screamed on Pirate Ship, but not as neeearly as loud as I screamed on Double Shot! I've been away from roller coaster rides a long time I realized..that damn Double Shot freaked me out & the 9yr-old kid next to me in line was getting on it again w/ his dad 'cuz he liked it the 1st time (WTF)..I'm such a wimp, but not wimpy enuf to stick to the kid's Freefall version. Oh well, not much into getting the adrenaline rush I suppose like when I was younger...just enjoyed walking around, looking @ people, & tasting here & there...oh & me snappin' away w/ photos here & there too *tee-hee*.

Overall I enjoyed the Boardwalk as I always have over the years...although I've yet to make it over here @ night to see it all lite up...gotta do that one day...rather do that one night ;-)

• Pros: Appealing for all ages
• Cons: Churros cost too much nowadays

This classic beachside boardwalk has been offering family fun for one hundred years.

by Contributor

In Short
This old-school boardwalk harkens back to an earlier era of lazy leisure and family-friendly amusement. The park features a carousel, dozens of rides, test-your-skill challenges, laser tag, an indoor video-game and pinball arcade, and the requisite cotton candy, hot dog and lemonade stands, along with plenty of goofy time-wasters like Skee Ball, Whack-a-Mole and indoor mini-golf. Any sunny day is perfect for the beach down below, though the water's usually quite chilly.

11/04/06

West Coast Gem

by wonderfuldude

I have many fond memories of going to the Boardwalk during my adolesence. It seems to have lost some of it's luster (maybe I'm getting old) but still remains a beautiful fun place to spend the day.

07/15/06

Pleasantly surprised to Santa Cruz on the "Best" list

by kittylin

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk has been a family favorite for many years. The park is right on the beach. You can have the best of both worlds with its location. They even have sand rinse off showers ( wonderfull when you have kids and don't want to take home half the beach with you). We have purchased season tickets for many years. It has an old fasion amusment park feel that is unmatched by any other park I have been to. They have many fun rides but none of your spectacular thrill rides. (Go to Great America for that). There is no addmision fee to the park and you can buy tickets just to ride 1 or 2 rides if thats all you want.

• Pros: Right on the beach, No addmission fee, pay for only what you want
• Cons: Tends to be really crowded on summer weekends

08/09/05

A Slice of Heaven

by calmomov3

Summer would not be summer without a trip or two to Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. I've been going every summer for the past 25 years and wouldn't miss it. My kids wouldn't miss it either. The beauty of the beach and ocean and the nostalgia of the boardwalk are such a wonderful combination. It is not uncommon to see seals or otters swimming out in the ocean. I feel like a kid when I'm there. The Giant Dipper is my absolute favorite rollercoaster.

I feel very lucky to have a place like Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk within driving distance of where I live. I am not sure if it's factual, but I was told it's the only beach boardwalk west of the Mississippi.

If you haven't been there before, you MUST GO!!

07/13/05

Fun Time

by meljr2004

This is a awesome beach amusement park. The Big Dipper is something you can't miss, it's one of the oldest wooden roller coasters. Even if the boardwalk is packed the lines don't take forever to get through. You have the ocean and sometimes you can see whales just on the south side of the santa cruz wharf. In the summer most day the fog hangs out until noon then burns off. It can get warm in the day and by night it's chilly. You have the mountain views from the ferris wheel.

06/19/05

The Best

by barrywkane

A classic, slightly funky beach town at its best, boardwalk is great, cool ocean air mixes with bright sun and blue skys, beautiful mountains ring the city and the beach is right down the wooden steps fromn the boardwalk. The giant dipper roller coaster is not to be missed and the people watching, sound of the rides, scent of the food, mixed with the ocean waves, is the perfect mix. The nearby pier/wharf are filled with restaurants and great views of the boarwalk, beach and surrounding redwood mountains. Downtown Santa Cruz has neat shops and restaurants lining its busy main street and the nearby mountains offer great camping in redwood forests.

05/13/05

Are You Kidding???

by juley

How could Santa Cruz Boardwalk be listed and there is no listing for Magic Mountain??? Something is just not right.

• Pros: small, relaxed, inexpensive
• Cons: limited rides, no real attraction, no pizzazz

07/13/04

Don't Miss The Giant Dipper!

by theoriginalclammie

My family had a cabin in the Santa Cruz mountains when I was a kid. My cousins & I spent most of our summers at the beach & at the Boardwalk!

For an old time treat don't miss Marini's salt water taffy available on the bw.

BUT, you must ride the classic old-school style wooden roller coaster, The Giant Dipper!

Go early, get an all-day unlimited ride wristband and go over and over and over on the Giant Dipper!

07/13/04

Almost like Time Travel...

by darkmlnd

I'ts the 21st century ? You will barely notice at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. The Giant Dipper,arcade , and Chocolate Dip cones are some of my favorites and don't forget the CORNDOGS ! Wanna hit the beach ? You can walk across the street to your car , get your beach gear and be on the sand in a couple minutes.If your coming down highway 17 and want to get to the Boardwalk in style, exit in Scotts' Valley ,drive up the road to Felton , and hop on the Roaring Camp Railroad.The train goes through the redwoods and pulls right along the boardwalk in front of the carousel.Step out of the open-air railcar and let the fun begin.Take the first train down and you can spend about 5 hours before it's time to leave. I dare you to find a more enjoyable way to spend the day .

• Pros: old time feel, fun rides,beach,food, train ride there