Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

Above is a picture I put together after visiting the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, one of my favorite day trip spots in Northern California. I have so many great memories here. In high school I got to participate in the Guiness Book of World Records attempt to have the longest country line dance on the beach. I had summer crushes and fun times pretending I was a surfer girl (even though I've never surfed in my life). If you have never experienced a traditional oceanside boardwalk theme park, you've got to stop in for an afternoon.

Must See/Do
Go On the Giant Dipper Roller Coaster
The Giant Dipper is the best classic roller coaster ever in my opinion. With a rickety wooden structure it's a traditional coaster not to be missed. If you only ride one ride here, this is the one.

Get a Cajun CornDog from Surf City Grill
Every time I visit I grab one of the cajun corn dogs from the Surf City Grill, located near the main entrance of the boardwalk. If you enjoy corn dogs YOU MUST TRY THIS ONE. They are hand dipped, delicious goodness. I mean so good that I may have at one point taken a random day trip, driving two and a half hours just for the corn dog, only to find out that they were closed. I'm not willing to officially confirm that I wasted that much time and money for a corn dog, just know that they are damn good.

Go Watch Surfers
There are surfing spots throughout the area, the easiest place to watch near the Boardwalk is a place called Cowell's north of the wharf. Here is a guide to other surf areas in the Santa Cruz area.

Enjoy a Summer Concert on the Beach
On Friday evenings in the summer they host free concerts on the beach. For a complete list of events at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk click here.

What are some of your favorite summer or beach memories?