California’s Beach Party

Santa Cruz Boardwalk

A Fun Ride at The Boardwalk

Movies on the Beach

The Giant Dipper

We arrived at our next stop, Santa Cruz around 4:30pm, entering the narrow harbor entrance protected by two short jetties. The Santa Cruz Small Craft Harbor is located inside the nearly one mile long Woods Lagoon and is filled with slips on both sides of the water way. Negotiating the busy channel can be a little nerve racking with so many sailboats, power boats, stand-up paddle boards, rowing shells, and kayaks constantly coming and going. We found guest moorage at the end of a pier; and after securing the boat, went to the Harbormasters Office to register. Since we wanted to make use of the remainder of the day, we rode our bikes into town to see the famous “Boardwalk” - the only remaining major seaside amusement park on the West Coast. The Park includes the 1924 Giant Dipper (5^th oldest coaster in the U.S.) and the 1911 Looff Carousel. In addition to these historic rides, the park also includes new age rides, arcades, shops, and cafes; it’s a nice blend of vintage and modern attractions stretching a mile along a sandy beach. Visitors can even enjoy outdoor movies - bring your own beach chair. People of all ages were at the Boardwalk with the majority being young people from the local high schools and from nearby University of California, Santa Cruz. The beginnings of the Boardwalk date back to 1865 when John Leibrandt opened a public bathhouse near the mouth of the San Lorenzo River. Soon more bathhouses and concessions sprang up including restaurants and curio shops. Toward the end of the century Fred Swanton, considered one of the greatest promoters and entrepreneurs of his time, laid plans for a Boardwalk or Coney Island of the West. This family-operated Boardwalk has been thriving for more than a hundred years and its centennial was marked with a year-long celebration in 2007. The next morning we walked to a beach located next to the marina so Java could play in the sand. The sun umbrella’s, Life Guard huts, and the lovely Walton Lighthouse at the harbor entrance looked like something out of a movie. But alas, it was time to head back to the boat as our noon departure was fast approaching. We left Santa Cruz behind, tucked on the north side of Monterey Bay and headed out on our three-hour cruise across this large body of water for the town of Monterey, nestled at the south end of the Bay.