Take a walk on the boardwalk
Take a walk on the boardwalk
Situated between the Santa Cruz beach and the rolling
redwood hills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, the Santa Cruz Beach
Boardwalk draws many people each day. As the roller coaster races
along its tracks, as the merry-go-round plays its omm-dah music,
and as the Ferris wheel spins around, life progresses at a rapid
pace. With people thronging its main path, a simple truth is
apparent: cleverly designed, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is
an enjoyable place to spend an afternoon.
Near the beginning of the twentieth century, officials at
the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk began the construction of a magnificent
roller coaster: the Giant Dipper. Built with colossal redwood
planks, iron bolts, and steel rails, the roller coaster has operated
almost daily since its completion. As I board the roller coaster
and shoot down into the pitch-black tunnel, the wind whistles
past eerily, and then I feel a mounting tenseness as the roller
coaster is slowly pulled up the ramp. Then: whoosh! The roller
coaster rushes down the other side of the ramp at breakneck speed.
Everyone screams, and I smile at the camera, which is taking
our pictures. As the roller coaster comes back to the loading
area, I think of how many people, since the days of World War
II on to now, have ridden on this roller coaster. Situated at
the entrance of the Boardwalk, the Giant Dipper provides an exciting
ride for many people at this amusement park daily.
Exiting the Giant Dipper, I walk several hundred yards past
several hot dog stands beckoning with their aromatic smells and
listen to music from the 50's, 60's, and 70's, and after buying
a bag of cotton candy and several other knickknacks, I stop in
front of the Loggers Revenge, which is another of the old rides.
I give my tickets to the clerk, and I step into a hollow plastic
log that seats four passengers. Floating in running water, these
logs gently bob along a trough and then are pulled up a steep
ramp, and then my log drifts lazily a couple of dozen feet above
the ground. My log nears a steep downhill ramp, and a person
stationed at the top of the ramp warns me, "Stay seated."
With no seat belts, no bar to hold me in, and only air between
the ground and I, I hold onto the handlebars for dear life as
I shoot down the ramp. Shaking with fear, yet quite excited,
I climb out of the log and make my way next towards one of my
favorite rides: the Ferris wheel.
Towering above the ground, orange and green and pink seats
bouncing around, the Ferris wheel turns grandly as I approach.
The attendant takes my tickets, and I step into the seat. The
attendant presses a button and the giant Ferris wheel begins to
move, and then the wheel stops with a jerk at the top where I
sit high above the ground, tensely watching as birds fly by lower
than I. After turning several more times, the wheel comes to
a stop, and then I am back on the ground again. After purchasing
some popcorn and cotton candy, I walk back to my car, eating and
thinking of the great day.
The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is one of my favorite places
to spend an afternoon, and I have spent many great afternoons
there. The thrilling rides, excellent food, and fantastic scenery
all make evident the clever design of the Boardwalk and how the
entire place was designed to ensure that patrons enjoy their stay,
for the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk entertains thousands of other
people and me.