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A Wedding Provides Excuse To Visit Montreal

I’ve been to Montreal at least a half dozen times in my life, but always seemed to stay in the anglophone enclave of Westmount, and restricted my exploration to that area along with Saint Henri and the downtown. That recently changed thanks to a wedding invite that brought me to Old Montreal, the historic former […]

Parks And Walk Around Berkeley

Lovely Parks And Walks Around Berkeley

There’s a certain sense of environmentalism that comes with living in Berkeley. It’s not necessarily politicized—in fact, it usually runs deeper than politics—but nevertheless it shapes the landscapes and spirit of the city. You could create a bingo card based on the kind of gardens you’ll see as you walk down the street: the low-water […]

More Than The University Berkeley

Berkeley Much More Than The University

Everyone knows of Berkeley as the home to one of the highest-ranked public universities in the country — the site of protests and liberal movements and “Nobel Laureate Only” parking spaces. As a third-generation UC Berkeley graduate, I get that. But as a fifth-generation Berkeley native, I’m here to tell you that there’s far more […]

Charleston Harbor

The Waterways Around Charleston On The Carolina Belle

I generally try to get out on the water when visiting coastal cities. It’s not enough to just feel a sea breeze on my face — I need to experience the feel of water passing under a boat’s hull and need to gain a better sense of the lay of waterways. After saying goodbyes to […]

Seen World

Wander The World With Scott and Kristen

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The Beach Boardwalk and The Mystery Spot

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Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk And Mystery Spot
There are a few places in the Bay Area where you need to take out-of-town friends and family when they come visit. Pier 39. Alcatraz. Fisherman’s Wharf. The Golden Gate Bridge. Somewhere lower on the list is the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, which has always struck me as bizarrely out of place, something you’d see on the East Coast or closer to Los Angeles. Still, it survives (and even thrives) here.

As misplaced as it seems, the Beach Boardwalk also feels like stepping into a more innocent past—and no wonder, since it opened in 1907. (Don’t worry, it’s clear that the rides have been updated since then.) If you’re in the mood to let go of normal life and be carefree for a few hours, the Boardwalk is absolutely the place to do it. And if the rides and games weren’t enough, the carnival food definitely gives the sense of being on vacation.

For me, the nearby Mystery Spot is somehow more compelling. As a Bay Area native by way of Berkeley, I take a certain local pride in never having visited some of the more touristy attractions; it’s something of a badge of honor in some circles to be able to say, “I’ve never been to Alcatraz.”

The Mystery Spot is different, though. I’ve heard so much about it, largely from enraptured locals who gush about how eerie and disconcerting it is. My own reluctance to go hasn’t been out of any sort of misplaced local pride, but rather because there’s something magical in leaving it a mystery, and something alluring about the anticipation.

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