We grew up in San Jose and didn’t have a lot of money to spare. For a summertime treat Mom would pack up all 6 of us kids and take us for a day at the boardwalk. It was great fun. We would spend all day on the beach and in the water.
Then when night would hit we would ride the rides on the Boardwalk. This was my favorite part, until Mom decided it would be great fun to ride the Octopus. This ride sat right on the edge of the Boardwalk and when we went up and the car turned around and around it scared the beejeebes out of me. This 10 year old thought the car would fly off into the ocean.
Still to this day, I cannot ride it without thinking of her and how she tried to console me all along while laughing her head off.
Mom passed on 01/01/2000 but memories of Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk will live on forever.