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    Chance-Morgan Coasters

    5.0 (1 review)

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    Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk - Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk on the Monterey Bay, summer 2019.

    Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

    4.1(2.3k reviews)
    10.7 mi

    Great place to bring kids. They have everything. Games, rides, mini golf, snacks. You can't go…read morewrong. For the adults the restaurants surrounding have some good option. Cool spot! Parking can be crazy! Great place to bring kids. They have everything. Games, rides, mini golf, snacks. You can't go wrong. For the adults the restaurants surrounding have some good option. Cool spot! Parking can be crazy!

    We had a great day here, but you definitely have to go in with a plan. If you're doing more than…read more3-4 rides, the all-day wristband is the only way to go, as individual points add up fast. It's a mix of a beach day and a carnival feel here - You can jump from the sand to a roller coaster in thirty seconds. As for the food, it's fairly standard prices. The garlic fries are a solid bet, but there are also great spots just a short walk away on the wharf if you want a "real" seafood meal. Parking: Get there early. The main lots fill up by noon, and street parking is a game of luck. You can't beat the atmosphere. The ocean breeze, the sound of the arcade, and the smell of kettle corn make this one of the best spots in NorCal. It's nostalgic without feeling dated. Whether you're here for the rides or just the boardwalk walk. Not I need to go home and put on The Lost Boys movie and watch it again!!

    Photos
    Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk - Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, summer 2019.

    Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, summer 2019.

    Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk - Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, summer 2019.

    Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, summer 2019.

    Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk - Apple pie funnel cake yum

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    Apple pie funnel cake yum

    Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park - Fall things

    Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park

    3.8(1.2k reviews)
    13.4 mi

    For years, based on the promotional photos I saw, I avoided the Gilroy Gardens (GG) family theme…read morepark. I thought it would be tacky and hyper-commercialized. Curiosity, together with my wife's desire to see the place, finally got the better of me--and I discovered that I had been wrong. GG in my opinion manages to strike the best balance that any such theme park probably can in terms of appealing to the masses while at the same time avoiding the trap of being tacky or hyper-commercialized. The varied rides and exhibits are pleasant and well-maintained. Some are even quite artistic (like the totem poles, illustrated in the image attached here) and educational (like the ecologically oriented Green Barn). If you're already familiar with GG, you don't need me to tell you about it. If you're not, here are a few tips--which might not be obvious to the uninitiated--that might help you better enjoy it: * The lines for the rides can be very long at times. You might end up waiting for an hour before it's your turn. Best to be prepared for that and plan it into your itinerary. * We noticed a small number of people who avoided the lines for all rides, being let in through the back gate/exit. When we asked about this at the Welcome Center, we learned that GG sells yellow wristbands that allow people to skip the long lines and enter through the "back door" (exit). They cost something like $85 per person for the year or about $30 per visit, in addition to the membership fee. * Even with those wristbands, you'll need more than one visit to see and do everything here. Rushing around a lot will spoil the fun. * The food everywhere, as far as we could tell, is pretty bad. You'll be ahead of the game if you pack your own, which will also avoid your waiting in another line. * The big secret, so to speak, of GG is "hidden" in plain sight--in the second word of the name itself, "Gardens." Most visitors are so preoccupied with going on the rides that they miss out on the natural beauty of the gardens. We found Camellia Garden and Claudia's Garden, in particular, to be like sheltered oases of calm and natural beauty within the hustle and bustle of the park. In our opinion, the three most obvious ways in which GG could be improved are as follows: 1. Improve the quality of the food that's offered. With all the traffic the park gets, those concession stands must be worth a small fortune. Either get them to do better or replace them with businesses that will. 2. Design a more user-friendly map. Those who already know their way around don't need a map but for those who don't, the existing map is not sufficiently clear (hint: it probably needs to be larger). 3. Do a better job of training the staff, in terms of both knowledgeability and attitude. Some are quite good (a special shout out to Nina at the Welcome Center and Sean at the Garlic Twirl ride: they exuded both warmth and professionalism) but others, who shall remain nameless, need more training. Minus one star for those deficiencies, as well as for not making it sufficiently clear at the time of the 2026 premium membership purchase that the bring-a-friend tickets that came with the membership had to be picked up almost immediately or they would not be available.

    Review update for the start of 2026 season:…read more I expected the park to be refreshed and in top top shape for the start of the season. They just opened for the season! Unfortunately, I didn't find that was the case. We went during spring break on a weekday, and found it was more packed than usual. With that, it's no surprise considering local schools were on break. What was surprising to me was how dirty some of the rides (the caterpillar is an example) were. I feel like all of the attractions need a good pressure washing and clean up before busy season starts. We were also surprised to learn that they're now a cashless park. I'm not sure when they stopped accepting cash ( I usually use a card ) but wanted to highlight it for visitors to plan accordingly! Will be updating this review later into the season. Fingers crossed they just haven't checked some of the cleaning off the to do list yet!

    Photos
    Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park - Cherry Jubilee | June 2025

    Cherry Jubilee | June 2025

    Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park - Cherry Jubilee | June 2025

    Cherry Jubilee | June 2025

    Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park - With family and friends at the entrance

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    With family and friends at the entrance

    Mystery Spot - Optical illusion or actual phenomenon?! We all loved the Mystery Spot!

    Mystery Spot

    4.2(1.6k reviews)
    11.5 mi

    Haven't been hear in around 10 years and my fist time back was absolutely amazing, tour guide was…read moremy favorite part and really let us enjoy our time took pictures of the groups that went was very interactive and was all in all my best experience. If you see her, hard not to miss just look towards the floor a little lol, tell her I said hello. ( picture she took on my phone of us.. I thought lol )

    I just have to give a HUGE shoutout to our tour guide, Cassidy! It was already funny and kind of…read moremeant to be because my daughter with me is also named Cassidy, but she really made the whole experience special. She had such a bubbly, playful personality and kept the energy up the entire time. She was cracking jokes, making everyone laugh and just had a way of making the group feel comfortable and engaged. You can tell she genuinely enjoys what she does and it made a big difference. The tour itself is on the shorter side which was about 30 minutes and the area isn't huge, which explains the lower ticket price, but honestly it was still a fun little experience. She gave us a heads up about possibly feeling dizzy or nauseous, and I actually did feel that way in the cabin, which was wild to experience firsthand. Overall, it's definitely worth checking out if you're in the area, and if you can, I'd absolutely recommend asking for Cassidy because she's what really makes it memorable! Thank you Cassidy!

    Photos
    Mystery Spot - Say cheese

    Say cheese

    Mystery Spot - It's a mystery to me

    It's a mystery to me

    Mystery Spot - Entrance

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    Entrance

    Quicksilver Express

    Quicksilver Express

    4.3(4 reviews)
    13.4 mi

    This is the most thrilling attraction at Gilroy Gardens. We did have to wait almost an hour for it…read more(we went during holiday season), but since we're not locals it was a must to try at least once. It is themed after the mines, and you ride on a mine cart. When you're in the queue you can see pictures and some historical snippets, but not much to look at in general. The ride itself isn't super fast and doesn't go very high so the drops don't feel anything more than someone quickly going down a hill in a car. So when they say thrilling that may mean thrilling for kids, but as someone said, this is a great trainer coaster. Fun, but not something I'd wait over 30 minutes for. It is neat that it goes through the trees here and it's the only ride that has it's own separate check in on Yelp? I know Disney has separate check ins for everything, so maybe it is time to change that LOL.

    The website boasts this "thrilling mine coaster speeds you through dips and turns surrounded by…read morenearly 600 trees!" Built in 2001 by DH Morgan Mfg, it's billed as the only "thrill ride" in Gilroy Gardens, although their wobbly Sky Trail Monorail ride makes my adrenaline rush because it feels like it's going to fall. The track is 2,139 feet with a top speed of 32 mph. The highest of the two lift-hills is 38 feet, which is about 7 yawning grandpas end to end. Basically, the smooth dips and turns of this two-lift steel coaster disguised as an abandoned cinnabar (mercury) mine train that is a very basic but enjoyable ride that's thrilling for someone barely reaching the height requirement (42" to ride with an adult, 48" to ride alone). It's a good training coaster. The cool thing is that they'll often let you stand by the exit wall for a chance at a second ride if they anticipate that the next train won't fill up. Think "Big Thunder" but not that big. Think "Small Thunder" but not that thunderous. Think "light rain", or "hummingbirds spitting on you".

    Photos
    Quicksilver Express - April 2023

    April 2023

    Quicksilver Express - April 2023

    April 2023

    Quicksilver Express

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    California's Great America - The new addition of visual effects

    California's Great America

    2.9(2k reviews)
    34.8 mi

    One year for Christmas my dad asked me what I wanted and I told him a season pass to California's…read moreGreat America and I was there like every weekend in the summer of 2016. I am a huge fan of the park! I think it is a great investment for people of all ages!!! I am only 33 but I still love the go and spend all day there.

    I bought a season pass for the 2026 year because I am worried that Great America might be gone next…read moreyear. I wanted to experience all the rides, food, games, the vibes and much more, all once again. I have been coming to Great America for over 25 years and I have made many memories at the park. From first rides on Stealth, to Days of Thunder, to getting wet on Whitewater Falls. Of course, some of those rides are long gone and have been replaced by other attractions. My favorite roller coaster there is actually Patriot. It is a simple floorless coaster that use to be the standup coaster, Vortex. I like how there are many rides very close to each other and you are just a few feet away from food and drinks in every corner. There are some days though where the lines move painfully slow. I wish the staff would consider optimizing the loading and unloading process so that wait times are more bearable. Other than that, everything else is good. I do hope someone or even the City of Santa Clara can sweep in and save Great America for future generations. If we lose Great America, we lose a community gathering spot for picnics, attractions, waterpark fun, concerts and so much more.

    Photos
    California's Great America - Railblazer

    Railblazer

    California's Great America - Oktoberfest 2024

    Oktoberfest 2024

    California's Great America - Railblazer

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    Railblazer

    Chance-Morgan Coasters - amusementparks - Updated May 2026

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