Nothing says summer more than a beach boardwalk.
The smell of the ocean in the air and the sound of kids screaming with excitement as they ride on roller coasters is what I love about going to Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. It brings me back to my childhood in Toronto. Each summer I would look forward to going to the CNE (Canadian National Exhibition or also known as The Ex). It’s a huge fair that comes to Toronto each summer and its only there from mid-August to Labor Day. There’s a lot of with rides, games, food from all over the world and free shows. You knew summer was coming to an end when the Ex opened up and school was right around the corner. It’s kind of like your last hoorah before school starts. It was the summer event my friends and I looked forward to all year!
While we weren’t lucky enough to have a beach right by The Ex, the Santa Cruz Boardwalk is the perfect place to spend a summer day and night.
Santa Cruz is about a 30-40 minute drive from San Jose, depending on traffic. We came on a Wednesday late afternoon and it was busy but not crazy busy. I’m not one for huge crowds so I often gauge when we go somewhere by how crowded it will be.
As soon as we arrived, the first thing Gabriel spotted was the ice cream stand so of course we had to get one. He loves his sweets!
After the sugar rush, he was ready to go on some rides and play some games!
Can I just say how beautiful it was the day we went! Blue skies and not a cloud in the sky. It did get a bit chilly around 6:00pm so make sure to bring a sweater or light jacket.
Emilia loves being outdoors and looking at everything. She is such a curious little girl and I love that about her!
On Wednesdays and Thursdays after 5pm until August 25th, they have Pepsi Nights. Just bring in a Pepsi product and you’ll receive unlimited rides for $12.95. That’s a great deal if you have kids that will be riding at least 4 rides.
They also have free movies on the beach on Wednesday nights. Just bring some chairs and blankets and enjoy a free movie right on the beach under the stars. On Friday nights, they have live music and feature new bands for you music lovers.
Going to Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk quickly became one of my favorite summer activities to do with the kids. I hope to share with them one of my favorite childhood memories and maybe this will become theirs too.
What is your favorite summer activity to do with your kids? Let me know in the Comments section below.
xoxo Barb
What I’m Wearing
Dress: Nordstrom, old (similar style here, here and here)
Sweater: Anthropologie, old (similar style here)
Bag: Nordstrom
Sandals: GAP
Diaper Bag: Tory Burch
I see your site is similar to my blog. Do you allow guest posts?
I can write high quality posts for you. Let me know if
you are interested.
We LOVE the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and visit all the time — especially since our vaca rental is a short walk away http://www.beachhavenatseabright.com. We always have a hard time pulling our son away from the arcade and laser tag as well as the rides. It’s not as crowded in the spring and summer months, but then again, not everything is always open. It’s always good to check. That said, it’s still great fun even if a few rides are closed. Thanks for sharing!