The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk


Book Description

A chronological and pictorial history of this seaside institution, commemorating the centennial in 2007. The over 500 photographs and lively narrative tell the story of the many attractions and characters that have made the amusement park a treasury of Americana.




Santa Cruz Trains


Book Description

Once there was an endless redwood wilderness, populated by only the hardiest of people. Then, the sudden blast of a steam whistle echoed across the canyons and the valleys-the iron horse had arrived in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Driven by the need to transport materials like lumber and lime to the rest of the world, the railroad brought people seeking out new ways of living, from the remote outposts along Bean and Zayante Creeks to the bustling towns of Los Gatos and Santa Cruz. Bridges and tunnels marked the landscape, and each new station, siding and spur signaled activity: businesses, settlements, and vacation spots. Summer resorts in the mountains evolved into sprawling residential communities which formed the backbone of the towns of the San Lorenzo Valley today. Much of the history of the locations along the route has since been forgotten. This is their story. Third Revision (February 2016) Addenda available at http://www.whaleyland.com/downloads/addenda1.3.pdf Exclusive CreateSpace Discount: Enter MU236Q6V into the coupon code field and get this book for $5.00 off! Offer only valid through CreateSpace. Review this book at GoodReads (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25144919)




Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk


Book Description

"First comprehensive book about the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk: Fred Swanton, "Father" of the Boardwalk; Cocoanut Grove ballroom; eliminating sin-- liquor and skimpy bathing suits; Neptune Casino-- tragic fire and reconstruction; famous salt water Plunge & Natatorium; Giant Dipper wooden rollercoaster; Casa del Rey luxury hotel; Pleasure Pier & Cottage City; Looff's 1911 Carousel; Seaside Company origins; Thompson's Scenic Railway; the Balboa 'pleasure ship'. Includes over 175 historic photographs and much more!"--P. 3 of cover.




Boardwalk Summer


Book Description

In this new novel from the USA Today bestselling author of The Dressmaker’s Dowry, two young women two generations apart discover the joy and heartbreak of following their dreams. Aspiring Hollywood actress Violet makes a shocking choice in 1940, and seventy years later, Mari sets out to discover what happened on that long ago summer. Santa Cruz, Summer 1940: When auburn-haired Violet Harcourt is crowned Miss California on the boardwalk of her hometown, she knows she is one step closer to her cherished dream: a Hollywood screen test. But Violet’s victory comes with a price—discord in her seemingly perfect marriage—and she grapples with how much more she is willing to pay. Summer 2007: Single mother Marisol Cruz lives with her parents in the charming beach cottage that belonged to her grandfather, Ricardo, once a famed performer on the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Drawn to the town’s local history and the quaint gazebo where her grandparents danced beneath the stars, Mari sells raffle tickets at the Beach Boardwalk Centennial Celebration, and meets Jason, a California transplant from Chicago. When Mari discovers the obituary of Violet Harcourt, a beauty queen who died too young, she and Jason are sent on a journey together that will uncover her grandfather’s lifelong secret—his connection to Violet—a story of tragedy and courage that will forever transform them.




La Nostra Costa (Our Coast)


Book Description

“I work everyday in these fields, I am ankle-deep in mud, all I smell is pattume, and in a couple of hours il vento will blow dirt and debris in my face. Next month the rains will come; they will soak me through, and I will have to carry those wet sprout sacks up and down these muddy rows. I work ten to twelve hours every day for very little money. My young son is sick and I cannot pay the doctor. My young wife is pregnant and our second baby is on its way. Where will I get the money to feed another mouth? I promised my beautiful wife an easy life in America; all she got was hard work and desperate times. If there is a God up there, why doesn’t he show himself? Why doesn’t he make my son well? Why doesn’t he help me? I need more money! O God, if you are up there, why don’t you wave your hand, and make things better for me?” Not really expecting an answer, the rancere lowered his head and with his shavola slowly returned to working the soil. Then from out of the thick, eerie mist, he thought he heard someone, perhaps a woman, say in a soft and gentle voice: “O rancere mi. Don’t you know? You live su per la costa—not Heaven.”




The Leftmost City: Power and Progressive Politics in Santa Cruz


Book Description

Almost all US cities are controlled by real estate and development interests, but Santa Cruz, California, is a deviant case. An unusual coalition of socialist-feminists, environmentalists, social-welfare liberals, and neighborhood activists has st...




Beaches and Parks from San Francisco to Monterey


Book Description

Many of California’s most alluring attractions are found along the coast from San Francisco Bay to Monterey Bay: Alcatraz Island, San Francisco’s waterfront, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Monterey Bay Aquarium, and Point Lobos. This easy-to-use, up-to-date, comprehensive guidebook is the essential companion for visitors—sightseers, hikers, swimmers, surfers, campers, birders, boaters, and anglers—who want to explore California’s fabulous shoreline. The book describes some 350 shoreline destinations, including every known publicly accessible beach along the coast of Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, and Monterey Counties. It also lists wildlife reserves, marinas, and public parks, and includes descriptions of plants and animals, places where dogs are welcome, nature centers, aquariums, and much more. The guide features: • 53 color maps that show topography, roads, trails, bicycle routes, and other features • 299 color illustrations • Sidebars on shipwrecks, railroads, aviation, and other aspects of California history • Descriptions of geologic formations, wildflowers, tidepools, and beaches • Information on recreational outfitters, whale-watching trips, surf shops, and more




Lost Restaurants of Santa Cruz County


Book Description

Millions of people come to Santa Cruz every year to enjoy the beach and eat at one of the many popular restaurants. Favorite places have come and gone, but they haven't been forgotten. From the treasured Miramar Fish Grotto, in business for more than seventy years, to Nature's Harvest, local, seasonal food has always been a staple of this little slice of paradise. Food trends were embodied in places like the Wild Thyme Café and the Sāba Club alongside longtime fixtures such as the Tea Cup and Adolph's Italian Family Restaurant, catering to locals and tourists alike. Author Liz Pollock combines wonderful stories and classic cocktail recipes from bygone eras in this trip down memory lane.




Santa Cruz Through Time


Book Description

Echoing a sentiment that could be expressed by many Santa Cruz residents today, Sara White wrote this about Santa Cruz to a friend in 1896: "The country is so beautifully bright and fresh ... you will find many beautiful homes here and congenial people ... I've never felt the slightest desire to go east again." Early settlers came to Santa Cruz for the temperate weather, fertile soil and abundant resources. Today, residents are drawn for the same reasons, but additional attractions include the 115-year-old boardwalk, surfing at Steamer Lane, the Mission State Historic Park, and the many shops, restaurants, bars and nightclubs in the old downtown. Inhabited by native tribes for over 1,000 years, Spanish Padres, Mexican soldiers, rough frontiersmen and New England pioneers in turn established homes and businesses in the area. Now, tourist attractions, natural disasters, high-tech companies and the founding of University of California, Santa Cruz, continue to shape the area.




Why We Left


Book Description

"It was 12 years ago when I moved to Mexico, leaving my comfortable, familiar life and community, driving by myself to start a new life in a foreign country. Some sort of bravado or naivete or, as my friends would say later, courage, allowed me to pooh-pooh concerns about all the unknowns- culture, language, customs-and head off nonetheless."And so begins one of the more than two dozen essays in this anthology, written by "regular" women about their "regular" lives and how they decided to change everything and move to Mexico. In simple, engaging words straight from the heart, the contributors to Why We Left share their plans and preparations, hardships and challenges, joys and satisfactions as their journeys to new lives in Mexico unfold.