Trips to Santa Cruz, 1937 and 1938

A Mattos family trip to Santa Cruz along Highway 17 in 1937 transitions into another visit to Santa Cruz in '38. Note roadsigns for Aptos, San Jose, and Santa Cruz. In Santa Cruz, speedboats, the Giant Dipper, the pier, a stage show, and other attractions entertain the crowd on Easter, celebrated with an annual egg hunt in the sand. Take a ride on the Giant Dipper - just as thrilling as it is today! On the ride back to San Jose, the familiar turns of the highway are still there today - and not much wider - but don't you wish the traffic was always this light?

Music is "Nashville Nightingale" by The Charleston 7

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• San
• Jose
• Santa
• Cruz
• Pioneers
• Giant
• Dipper
• speed
• boat
• beach
• film
• 16mm
• telecine
• highway
• 17
• summit
• road
• ocean
• car

[sliderossian]

17 was suicide alley - no center divider.

[TomTallis529]

My aunt used to ride the Giant Dipper standing up, back in the early '30s. She also used to ride, standing up, on her boyfriend's motorcycle down West Cliff Drive from Lighthouse Point to Natural Bridges Beach.

[winelovrs1968]

From Bill, the Husband. The shot of entering Scotts Valley with Camp Evers in the shot takes me back to 1948. Had not changed much back then.

[Physco219]

weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee no seat belts and the good life...

[MrSomeidiot13]

If you ask someone anywhere from 1937 about Santa Cruz they will know and have probably been here. But if you ask anyone now they will say its that place with the red rollar coaster. Santa cruz has lost its old charm

[mntallgriz]

This is great - how about that unpadded iron bar on the front of the Giant Dipper?

[TheGreeneyes777]

that was awesome..Thank you so much for that..I grew up there♥

[johnevoice]

Excellent! Thanks for sharing. Please post anything else like this! Great Job!!

[dyannnecat]

Terrific little film. I agree we are lucky to have it.

[Phoenixwillow90]

Is it a coincidence that the video is 4:20 long? :p Just kidding! This has some amazing footage, we are lucky to have it! Thank you for posting this! :) Peace and love