Today's Boardwalk cuisine is surprisingly diverse and the quality is superior to the choices we had in the past.   

Back in my high school years, hot dogs, hamburgers and french fries were the usual fare. But the memories of sizzling onions, fresh buns and turnover pies are still delicious. Here's a snapshot of what I remember. 

The Boardwalk Bowl has a new display chronicling the history of bowling at Santa Cruz Beach. Locals probably remember the Surf Bowl, but the first bowling alley was a four-lane "duckpin" alley located at what is now the Haunted Castle. 

After opening the second Casino and Natatorium in 1907, Boardwalk entrepreneur Fred Swanton commissioned a Scenic Railway, a unique gravity coaster the likes of which enjoyed rising popularity throughout the country. Unfortunately the ride never fulfilled the vision of Swanton or its builder. Read on to learn the saga of this lack-luster addition to the Boardwalk.

The Giant Dipper is the Boardwalk’s crown jewel. It speeds riders along the Boardwalk where the sights and sounds and smell of Pacific salt air bolster the ambiance of the breath-taking experience. Whether nestled in the front seats for a push over the drops or whipped around in the wildest rear seats, the Dipper delivers memorable thrills – as it has for 95 years.

The Boardwalk’s 1911 Looff Carousel is the soul and spirit of our seaside park. As our oldest ride, four or five generations of the same family may have ridden this operating antique—maybe even on the same horse - during its nearly eleven decades on the Boardwalk

The Boardwalk’s Free Friday Night Bands on the Beach concert series is a nostalgic summer tradition featuring bands from the ‘80s and ‘90s. It hasn’t always been that way. When the idea for a band series was first presented in 1988, the Boardwalk had an internal policy prohibiting live music on the bandstand.