Wednesday

Under the Boardwalk

That song continues to ring in our ears as we return from a day trip to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. What a great midweek getaway. The weather was great as the fog lifted mid afternoon the kids played in the ocean for a few hours; chasing the waves and making sand castles. Then we hit the boardwalk and rode the rides.

The Big Dipper Roller Coaster is the best! What a beautiful view of the ocean…that is if you keep your eyes open as the Dipper reaches the summit of the lift hill and the train begins to drop, catching speed as it descends the 65-foot first drop to reach a top speed of 55 mph!

After the first drop there are a variety of hills, and twisting turns, with an occassional pop of airtime. The Giant Dipper's double out and back layout features plenty of up and downs, with several crossovers and one large fan turn at the end.

On Monday and Tuesday the Boardwalk is celebrating 1907 days with special prices on food items and after 5:00pm all rides are 75 cents.


So I followed a few of my tips to Save Money on a Vacation and we had a fabulous time:

1. Don't eat on the "main strip" – We packed a picnic lunch of sandwiches, chips, fruit and the best ever chocolate chip bars ( I will post the recipe).

2. We made it a day trip and left at 10:00am to avoid the traffic and returned by 10:00pm. No hotel bills and no traffic. So if you are in northern California wondering what to do – try a midweek day trip to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. It will bring a smile to your face an renew your energy. Now back to work!

The Drifters – Under the Boardwalk
From the park you hear the happy sound of the carousel,
You can almost taste the hot dogs and french fries they sell,
Under the boardwalk, down by the sea,
On a blanket with my baby, that's where I'll be.

Under the boardwalk, (Out of the sun)
Under the boardwalk, (We'll be having some fun)
Under the boardwalk, (People walking above)
Under the boardwalk, (We'll be falling in love)
Under the boardwalk, (Boardwalk!)