Halloween on the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

My husband's little sister is visiting from the East Coast, which, as most of you have probably heard, was pummeled with unseasonably wintry weather this weekend. In an effort to give my sis-in-law one more wink of summer before she heads back home, we drove down to Santa Cruz today.

All three of us grew up spending time down the Jersey Shore in Ocean City, NJ which is known for its carnival-like boardwalk. I've always envisioned the Ocean City boardwalk as a real-life incarnation of Pinocchio's Pleasure Island. The boardwalk boasts dangerously rickety old rides, a rainbow of blinding lights, and an army of staggering drunk folks.

Santa Cruz also has a boardwalk, which attempts to mimic the classic Coney Island/Atlantic City experience. It's not nearly as expansive, but still seems all-too-saccharine. In other words, it's just right.

When we arrived, however, we realized that every ride, attraction and booth was closed. October is considered off-season so it's open during weekends only. Instead of filling up on cotton candy and fried Oreos and riding the Double Shot, we wandered the The Beach Boardwalk's vacant lacquered wasteland and I snapped a few creepy pics. Happy Halloween everyone!

How did you spend your Halloween?