California Travels

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

It was a little foggy over the Santa Cruz mountains when we set out but it should clear by 8 a.m.  As we drove over the summit, the fog was thick.  It was remarkable how few cars had their headlights on.

First stop in Santa Cruz was the Boardwalk.  The streets around the Boardwalk are typical of most seaside resorts; small motels, cafes and gift shops.  The classier hotels are further out.  We parked at a meter opposite ‘The Hurricane Ride’.  By the way, parking is free before 10 a.m.  We’ll be gone long before then.

Last time we came here, we were able to walk through the Boardwalk to the beach.  Not any more.  Now there are locked gates manned by guards.

Dominating everything is the Casino building.  It is large and garishly painted but has a lot of history.  The original building was built at the beginning of the 20th century but it burnt down two years later.  In 1907 the new Casino was opened and two years ago it celebrated 100 years of being in business.  Although it is called the ‘Casino’, there is no casino.  Inside there is a large arcade called Neptune’s Kingdom and a conference center called The Coconut Grove.   The main feature in the arcade is the 18 hole miniature golf course with a pirate theme.  Originally a swimming pool, called The Plunge, occupied that site but it was closed in 1963.

We walk past the Casino to get to the beach.  Already there are small groups and families walking towards the beach with towels and coolers.  I guess you have to stake out your pitch early.  Later on this place will be heaving.

Rounding the corner of the Casino, we heard the sea lions, at rest under the pier, calling out.  The sound reverberated against the buildings on Beach Street.  Then we saw the beach with the pier stretching out into the bay.  It is not a large beach but it is sandy.  There are several volley ball pitches laid out which are a regular feature but today there were also some small soccer pitches.

I took a seat near the grassy area to the side of the Casino and start to write.  Tom wandered off to take photos.  I did spot him at one point down at the waters edge taking photos of the pier.

More and more family groups were arriving and most of the kids were wearing soccer gear.  It finally dawned on me that there must be some sports event taking place today down on the beach.

The fog had disappeared, though it is still a bit hazy.  There is a slight breeze but it is not that cold.  I see Tom at the end of the beach near the

Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf

pier but I turn the other way.  I wanted to find out what was going on at the other end of the beach.

The temporary soccer pitches were stretched all along the beach nearly to the end of the Boardwalk.  People were busy marking out the pitches with white tape and erecting small goalposts and weighting them down with sandbags.  In England we call this Five-A-Side football but here I discovered it is called Beach Soccer.  The event is the 2009 Pro Am Soccer Championship.

There was a large, small moving, brightly painted yellow tractor like vehicle clearing the beach of rubbish.  It’s turning circle was large and as I walked towards it, I had to make a huge detour to stay out of its way.  It was fascinating to watch though as it deftly scooped up both large and small objects from the sand.  When the tractor crossed the white tape, the conveyor pick up was lifted so it could be driven over the tape without damaging it.   Every so often the operator stopped to use a litter stick to pick up trash which had blown onto the white tape.  I could have stopped to watch for ages but it was time to move on.  There was now a steady stream of competitors and families arriving for the soccer competition and it was time for breakfast.

Walking back along Beach Street towards the car, I spotted a mural painted on the side of a building.   It depicted Beach Street in 1962, with  iconic cars, Anne’s Koffee Shop in the foreground and Casa Alto Hotel and the ‘Giant Dipper’ in the background.  The only thing that has not changed is the ‘Giant Dipper’ roller coaster, which still stands as a landmark and has done so since 1924.

June 08 2009 | Special Places | No Comments »

Santa Cruz Wharf

Once again we headed for the coast.  Last weekend we made the same journey but it was way too foggy.  Our plan was to visit Franklin Point and go for breakfast at the Nuevo Southwest Grill in Santa Cruz afterward.  When we arrived at Franklin Point, it was not only extremely foggy but very cold.  We abandoned that plan and kept driving north.  As the fog was still thick, we drove inland stopping at Duarte’s in Pescadero for breakfast and then driving home.  It was a long way just for breakfast!

(Click on the images for larger versions)

When we set out conditions were clear and we remained optimistic but as we approached Santa Cruz we ran into fog.  We headed for the wharf where we found a parking place.  Although there was fog and we couldn’t see far out to sea, we could see the boardwalk behind us.  It was not nearly as cold as last week so we took an early morning walk along the wharf.

Tom immediately started taking photos and I wandered around stopping to look at things which caught my eye.  My first stop was outside the Lifeguard Headquarters, where I studied the handwritten noticeboard outside.  It contained all sorts of information about the air and water temperature, surf height, wind direction and velocity, swell direction, times of low and high tides and the UV rating and dangers.  At the bottom was a Comments section and there was this interesting quote – “Understand happiness is not based on possessions, power or prestige, but on relationships with people you love and respect.”  Profound words.

Behind me I could hear the bark of a sea lion so I took a walk across the road and looked over the guard rail.  Down below on a pontoon were a harbor seal and two sea lions, one large one making all the noise and a smaller one.  I watched them for a while before I set off again.

A small building attracted my attention.  A sign outside said Venture Quest Kayaking.  Outside were brightly colored kayaks stored in a wooden rack.  In the window of the building were notices advertising prices and also details of their Nature Tours.  The latter looked very interesting. Every weekend the tours start at 10 am, 1 pm and 5.30 pm.  Single and double kayaks are available and the price of $55 includes all equipment, instruction and guides.  Now that would be fun, especially to get up close to sea otters.

I heard the sound of voices and the creaking of machinery and headed back to the guard rail.  A small fishing boat was being lowered into the water.  Already on board was fishing equipment and as the boat bobbed on the water, four fishermen climbed in, unhooked the ropes that lowered the boat and set off into the fog for their days fishing.  The boat rental company was doing great business as I watched three more sets of fishermen set out.

Back across the road I spotted a kiosk with a sign which said ‘Marcella Fishing Boat Memorial.  On three sides, posted behind glass windows, was a series of 14 sheets of information giving the history of a small commercial fishing boat named Marcella which is displayed behind the kiosk.  The history is written by Robert Podesta, who owned the boat for 30 years.  There are several photos displayed as well.  After reading all the history I went to look at the actual craft.  It looked tiny, almost like a model.  There was a small, glass cabin on the desk but the door was so small I’m sure only a child could have entered it.

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August 13 2008 | Special Places | No Comments »