I was born and rasied in Madera, in the central San Joaquin Valley. We knew summer was coming the first time a commercial for the Boardwalk televised on TV. I also knew it was time to start saving my nickels and pennies for “Skee Ball”!!!
Every summer we’d come to Santa Cruz to spend our week summer vacation. Our family of 5 stayed in a little three room cottage for a weekright across from the Boardwalk (in a place that is no longer there)… good thing we were all young!
The best times of my life were spent in Santa Cruz. The best place when I was about 5 years old was the Fun House. My parents would drop me off and then pick me up hours later. I met so many friends for a week… and had many good times – the barrel, the slide, the waves, the wheel… We would see tons of people from our hometown of Madera at the Boardwalk, as this was “the place” to be. In Madera, temperatures could rise to over 100 degrees, so everyone came to Santa Cruz to cool off and have fun as well. You could be guaranteed you’d see a dozen people that you knew!
The strolling pier, the trapeze artists over the beach, the Mouse, the Fun House, the Plunge, the salt water taffee, the people, the food….SKEE BALL!!! What a great time it used to be and still is!
Happy Birthday Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk!!!!
