Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk! Worth the stop??
 

Is The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk worth stopping at or just a quik peek while passing thru?<BR>Thanks

Depends entirely on how you feel about "Surf City, U.S.A." There is a honky tonk boardwalk with one of the oldest wooden roller coasters in the country, swarms of kids, a surfing school just north of the boardwalk that is quite serious and the museum of surfing which has very unusal opening hours. Santa Cruz is Santa Cruz. It's up to you if you want to experience the retro surfer mentality. We rarely go,but some of our houseguests couldn't consider their trip to CA complete without a visit to Santa Cruz. Basically, it's a city frozen in time in the 1960s. BTW if you want to take a surfing lesson, the rules are quite strict and you must reserve ahead, but in the long run, it's a very safe experience. Surfing on your own around there is really scary unless you know the area.

I don't really care for Santa Cruz. Reminds me of a rundown beach town with a lot of teenagers and immigrant farm workers. Save your time for more scenic places like Carmel or Cambria.

I actually enjoy Santa Cruz very much. It's very "beachy" and "cute" which is what I like. I grew up in the 60's so it brings back happy memories. I think it's worth spending an hour or so if it's not too far out of your way. It is a very pretty area. Candy