Santa Cruz Boardwalk attracting more Bay Area 'staycationers' facing high gas prices
SANTA CRUZ -- High gas prices are forcing some Bay Area families to change their plans this holiday weekend, keeping things local.
Pain at the pump can take all the fun out of a summer road trip, that is unless you don't drive far. For Nicole Shepard's family from Sacramento, that's exactly what they did.
"We had a couple of trips planned and we had to cancel them just because it was going to cost $700 in gas," Shepard said.
They came with the kids to camp on the coast and visit the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.
"Yeah, it's about $200 to fill up. It's a tank to get here and a tank to get home, but it's for the family," said Troy Laird of Sacramento.
For the Bay Area and a little bit beyond, Santa Cruz is a terrific "one-tank and don't-break-the-bank" getaway.
"The Boardwalk is a great spot when gas prices are high, because we're an easy half a day's drive at most. We're free admission. You can experience it however you'd like. You can buy an all-day wrist band, you can ride one ride, you can buy one corn dog," said Boardwalk Spokesman Kris Reyes.
And speaking of corn dogs, they're now $5 each or 3 for $13. We found some kids experiencing the Boardwalk's best culinary experience: a corn dog and garlic fries.
"When I was younger, I used to come here all the time. So it's nice to be able to come here again," said 13-year-old Anthony Gonzalez of Salinas.
The Boardwalk is expecting its best summer since COVID hit in 2020. There are no health restrictions like there were over the past two years.
And the crowds are back. Families just want to have fun.
"That's what we want. We want to go and have fun and figure out what normal used to be," Laird said.
The Boardwalk will be offering a scaled down music series with local bands on Thursday nights and movies on the beach on Friday nights as summer officially kicks into high gear. More information on upcoming events and entertainment can be found at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk website.
