Topic of the Day

The Boardwalk

I just got home after spending three days down at the Santa Cruz beach Boardwalk. It was my first visit, and my daughter's first visits. It's been a place I have always wanted to see, but never made the effort to do so. I am very glad I did.

The first time I ever even heard of the place was in the song called Under the Boardwalk. Now, I have a secret shame to admit here...it's the Bruce Willis version I heard. Yup, Bruce Willis had an album called the Return of Bruno, and I owned it. It really wasn't much to talk about (big surprise!!). However, he did amazingly well on that song. I actually still like his version the best. After hearing it, I wanted to be under the boardwalk on a blanket with my baby.

The next time the Boardwalk came to my attention was during my youthful vampire phase when I couldn't get enough of the movie the Lost Boys. I watched it over and over and loved the scenes where the Boardwalk was the background. The lights, noises and movements called to me and I was sure I was destined to move to Santa Cruz. I had no idea that it would be over twenty years later before I would even see the Boardwalk in real life, and would never live there.

Ok, that actual town of Santa Cruz fell short of what I was expecting. I thought of some classy, artsy, kind of mystical beach town (thanks Hollywood) would be waiting, but it was actually kinda trashy and beat down. Maybe there was a time it was more lively and attractive but those days are clearly over.

Though the town disappointed, the Boardwalk didn't. Ok, it kinda did, but it was no fault disappointment as it closes at five and I was sooooo looking forward to seeing the rides lit up and running in the night. I wanted to sit on the beach and watch the ferris wheel and roller coaster lights, eat corn dogs in the sand. But, alas, it was bright day light when the place closed down. I was bummed.



That said, the rest was really great. There were rides, food booths, souvenier booths, arcades, games and pictures everywhere. We went on a billion rides and laughed so hard we cried. My littlest went on her first roller coaster, the Hurricane, and loved it!!!And it isn't a tiny, baby roller coaster either. She won a teddy bear all by herself. We ate funnel cake with a pound of powdered sugar on it and spent $40 on quarter sized burgers and fries. It was ridiculously expensive but worth it.

I'm sure a lot what made it worth it was the company I kept. My kids were having a blast and that makes everything better. My husband wasn't acting like a cheapskate. And no one was sick!! We usually have one person sick on each family trip. It was a real good time for all of us. I wanted to share that here.

Under the Boardwalk, down by the sea....is where I'll be,
Sissy