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"Rides & Attractions" Boardwalk Memories

First Roller Coaster, 1996

My dad took me to the Boardwalk when I was 5 and I had never ridden a roller coaster. When we got there my dad asked me if I wanted

The Giant Dipper, 1958

I went to the Boardwalk often with my family, but would never ride The Giant Dipper. In 1958, when I was 14 years old, I attended my boyfriend’s graduation dance

Octopus, 1972

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

The Plunge Bathing Suit, 1950

My sister and I have always loved to swim, so as kids, mom often brought us to the Plunge at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. It sounds silly now, but

The Fun House, 1950

As a kid, my favorite Boardwalk attraction was the Fun House. I loved looking endlessly at my wiggly reflection in the Fun House mirrors – first I looked tall and

Hours in the Fun House, 1966

From the age of 6 years to this day my most memorable moments were when my brother, sister and myself would spend up to 4-6 hours in the Fun House.

Bumper Cars and Walking Charlie, 1951

The girls riding the bumper cars sometimes would get tangled up in a corner, and we would have to untangle them. That’s how we met them. It didn’t hurt us

Silly-Willies, 2005

My first ride on Double Shot was fun but terrifying! My best friend and I were scared to death and we didn’t want to go on it at all. But,

Giant Dipper, 1980

In the early 1980s I had a business meeting with my board of directors in Santa Cruz and we had a rides pass for all those attending the meeting. Only

The Scarey Haunted House, 1986

When I was around 12 my family would always go to the Boardwalk when we visited our Aunt, Uncle, and Cousin in San Jose every summer. We would have a

The First Ride, 2001

When I finally got enough courage to go on the Giant Dipper, I was terrified. I went with my dad through the hall, wanting to turn back. We got on

The Plunge, 1951

When I was 5 years old my Grandparents, Amy & Dick Luke, took me to the Salt Water Plunge, to learn how to swim! I remember walking down a long

Working my way through school, 1935

As I sit around at age 86, after a long caeer including four years as a Naval Officer during WWII, a long career with NASA-Ames, including managing Space Projects, I

Days Gone By, 1960

I remember going into the funhouse…scary and FUN. I particularly remember something like a spinner…..you sat down in the center and the faster it spun, the harder it was to

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