there four years later, as a teenage ride operator in Kiddie Land, a collection of rides for children not tall enough for the larger attractions. Today Charles, 67, is president of the company. "Technology has really changed amusement parks considerably," Charles Canfield said.
"(But) the people are basically the same. They just come here to have a good time, sort of escape their jobs for a weekend." The rides are faster now, but admission to the boardwalk is still free.
A $28.95 wristband buys you access to all the rides all day long, a bargain compared to bigger brand-name theme parks where one-day tickets exceed $50. And unlike larger theme parks, the lines at Santa Cruz move along briskly.
The park also seems clean and spiffy despite its age, and the view of the ocean and the occasional surfer is part of the fun. About 75 miles from San Francisco, Santa Cruz was a logical place for such an attraction in the early 1900s, when trains brought vacationers in from the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys, as well as farther afield. The Giant Dipper roller coaster, a National Historic Landmark, remains the signature ride.
It began thrilling visitors on May 17, 1924, and its 500 feet of twisting track and wood construction survived the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. The slow climb to the Giant Dipper's 75-foot peak is a tense affair. The small cars chatter, and the cranking of hidden chains and gears gives the impression of something bad looming.
Then you drop, and your stomach is briefly weightless as you recall the deep-fried artichoke hearts you inhaled a half-hour earlier. The boardwalk also still hosts a strip of hand-eye coordination games where dexterous dads win a stuffed animal and impress their brood by tossing dimes, aiming tennis-ball-shooting bazooka guns and tossing rubber balls at weighted milk bottles. Games of chance and skill are housed in the main arcade, but the clunky, simplistic wood contraptions of the past have given way to cutting-edge video games.
Some of the old games have been relegated to showpiece status, including a dangerous-looking contraption that reads "Electricity: The Silent Physician," which dared boardwalk visitors of an earlier generation to grab hold of its two metal handles and receive a gentle jolt of electricity. The Buccaneer Bay two-story miniature golf course used to host the Plunge, also known as the Natatorium, from 1907 to 1962. It was a large, indoor, saltwater swimming pool that featured water carnivals and fancy high-dive demonstrations.
Over the years, the boardwalk has seen its share of beauty pageants, movie sets, roller-coaster fanatics and every phase of the bathing suit (or lack thereof) you could imagine. 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. "I like the vibe in Santa Cruz," said Jason Hall, of San Jose, who visited on a recent Sunday and recalled seeing the boardwalk featured in the 1987 Kiefer Sutherland film "The Lost Boys.
" "It's got its own energy that's different from anything else." there four years later, as a teenage ride operator in Kiddie Land, a collection of rides for children not tall enough for the larger attractions.
News RSS