Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk: The Early Years - Never a Dull Moment [Paperback]

Chandra Moira Beal (Author), Richard Beal (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 22, 2003

Stroll through the early history of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk!

Visit the historic Boardwalk through over 175 photographs, personal interviews, and extensively researched records in this first comprehensive book about the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Rekindle memories and meet the colorful characters that shaped the town's image as a world-class resort. Learn about the Boardwalk's beginnings as a simple wooden bathhouse on the beach to the multi-million dollar business of today, and the unique political and cultural marriage between the Seaside Company and the City of Santa Cruz.

Includes:

Entrepreneur Fred Swanton, "Father" of the Boardwalk

Famous Orchestras and Dances at the Cocoanut Grove Ballroom

World-Famous Casino's Tragic Fire and Reconstruction

The West's First Hot Salt-Water Plunge Natatorium

Giant Dipper Wooden Rollercoaster

Charles Looff's 1911 Carousel

Origins of the Miss California Pageant

Luxury Hotels such as the Casa del Rey and Pacific Ocean House

And much, much more!

Editorial Reviews

Review

Important addition to our knowledge of the past. -- Harold J. van Gorder, 100 year-old former Boardwalk employee.

About the Author

Chandra Moira Beal is a freelance writer in Austin, Texas. She grew up in Santa Cruz, California going to the Boardwalk. Chandra is also the author of Splash Across Texas! The Definitive Guide to Swimming in Central Texas, and has published hundreds of magazine articles. She is also a registered massage therapist and body worker, and volunteers with many community organizations.

Richard Beal has lived near the Santa Cruz Boardwalk for 28 years and has written another local history book called Highway 17 - The Road to Santa Cruz.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 266 pages
• Publisher: The Pacific Group (May 22, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0962997420
• ISBN-13: 978-0962997426
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,032,572 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Chandra Moira Beal can't remember a time when she wasn't writing. She has kept a journal since childhood and finds inspiration in the places she's called home: California, Texas, and Britain. Her life experiences have led to books about Texas swimming holes, California amusement parks, and massage and healing for pets.

"I follow the old adage of 'write what you know'," she says. "I'm an adaptable Gemini with many varied interests, so I write about anything that crosses my path. I'm particularly interested in the sense of place and how those places shape our selves."

Chandra has co-authored books with her father, Richard Beal, and even a rabbit. She is currently living in San Diego, California, plotting her next project.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Local And Era History, September 1, 2003

By 

Gary R. Hillerson (Aptos, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk: The Early Years - Never a Dull Moment (Paperback)

I'm a longtime resident of the Santa Cruz area who has visited the boardwalk amusement park a number of times over the years, usually when out of town friends visit. It's an amazing place, and this book provides a rich and fascinating history on how it came to be. In fact, this book provides a wonderful view of how our relationship to water and amusement parks has changed over the years. I was especially taken by the picture this book paints (and pictures it includes) of the earliest days of the boardwalk area.

I heartily recommend this book to anyone who has ever enjoyed the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, or to anyone interested in learning more about the history of Central and Northern California.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A nostalgic, poignant, and engaging presentation, October 10, 2003

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk: The Early Years - Never a Dull Moment (Paperback)

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk: The Early Years -- Never A Dull Moment by the daughter-father writing team of Chandra Moira Beal and Richard A. Beal, is a captivating collection of black-and-white photographs and thoroughly researched records that combine to paint a magical picture of the Santa Cruze California board walk of yesteryear. A nostalgic, poignant, and engaging presentation packed with curious minutiae of detail, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is highly recommended -- especially to those of us old enough to have memories of our own of the boardwalk's simple beginnings as a wooden bathhouse on the beach and its evolution and transformation into a contemporary City of Santa Cruze-based multi-million dollar business operation.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Packed With History!, April 16, 2004

By 

"wil4alson6" (Santa Rosa, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk: The Early Years - Never a Dull Moment (Paperback)

Anyone who is interested in the history of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk needs to have this book. It is packed full of all kinds of historical facts and it has over 160 black and white photos. The detail is amazing. It was fun and informative.