Happy 100th Birthday, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

Travel Blog • Terry Ward • 08.09.07 | 9:31 AM ET

I could practically smell the funnel cake and picture the big wheel turning while reading this nostalgia-inducing AP piece about the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. When I visited the northern California beach town several years back, I recall being surprisingly moved by the sight of the old-school Ferris wheel, set just back from the sand. (You’d think a girl from Orlando would be harder to impress.) While other iconic seaside attractions in spots such as Coney Island and Atlantic City are shutting shop, according to the AP report, Santa Cruz’s good times gathering ground appears to be here to stay.

This year marks the attraction’s 100th anniversary, and a typical snapshot of the scene on the boardwalk feels like it could have been taken in any era. From the story:

On any given weekend, the scene might include children drying out ride tickets on a bench after a dunk in the ocean, or husbands being playfully admonished by their wives for eyeing the passing bikinis.

In a world of thrill-a-minute entertainment, it’s good to know some things never change.

Photo of the Ferris wheel at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk by brunkfordbraun, via Flickr (Creative Commons).