Generations of area residents have been making their way to Santa Cruz since 1907.

In fact, there’s a classic photo in the Manteca Museum collection the late Ken Hafer once shared of a local family that was taken in 1910.

They were decked out in one-piece swimsuits complete with the father wearing the now cliché vertical striped “body suit.”

Behind them on the left was the beach and the Pacific Ocean. To the right, was the original casino and dance hall built in 1907.

What attracted those Manteca residents — and others from elsewhere in the sizzling summers of the Northern San Joaquin Valley — to Santa Cruz?

Four things.

* The casino and dance hall with band music.

* The amusement rides.

* The sandy beach.

* The fact average high temperatures are in mid-70s, roughly 20 degrees less than here, providing a respite from the Central Valley heat.

The casino is now an arcade and most of the rides are a bit newer.

But unlike in the 1920s when it was an excursion, it’s an easy day trip in 2026.

That said, some of the rides are still the same.

The big one, of course, is the 102-year-old Great Dipper Roller Coaster.

It is a classic wooden roller coaster.

And it still delivers the thrills more than 68 million riders later.

The Boardwalk doesn’t charge admission, leaving you to tailor your visit to how many thrill rides and “midway” style food and fun you can stomach, as you don’t have to go all in amusement park mode to enjoy the day.

There is great expansive beach for sunbathing and frolicking literally a step off the Boardwalk.

The parking is cheaper on weekdays, costing $25.

It’s $35 on weekends and holidays.

Unlimited rides and attractions start at $44.95 per person with lowest prices online and during the week.

You can also buy Boardwalk Cards so you don’t have to keep whipping out cash plus get bonus buying power as well. A $50 card lets you spend $55; a $100 card lets you spend $115; and a $200 card lets you spend $250.

The card can then be used at rides, to buy food, or play midway games. They don’t expire if they aren’t used, and can be used by anyone in your party.

But if you plan to go crazy on rides, the all-day ride passes are best.

If you make the trip more of a beach experience and even forsake having to move your car, it’s a 0.3-mile stroll to the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf with its restaurants, shops, kayak rentals, fishing, and even whale watching tours.

The Santa Cruz Surfing Museum is a 1.3 mile walk from the Boardwalk.

The route takes you by a world-class surf spot and beautiful coastal views.

You can also take in eclectic Pacific Avenue in downtown with its collection of sidewalk cafes, bookstores, unique stores and restaurants.

There is plenty of UC Santa Cruz merchandise — their sports team mascot is the Banana Slugs — in the downtown mix.

As for the Boardwalk itself, I honestly thought I was going to die the first time I visited it 30 years ago.

Somehow against my better judgment and fear Cynthia had talked me into going on Chaos.

They strapped two of you into a full upper body harness in a “bucket”.

The bucket would randomly flip as the ride rotated up and down.

The ride designer called it a “three-dimensional rocking, rolling, and rotating” ride. I called it insanity.

You’d flip over facing the ground as Chaos spun and then twirl rapidly around as you climbed.

The only time I was more terrified was parasailing midway between Maui and Lana’i when I lost my grip on the harness.

Chaos enjoyed a 13-year run at the Boardwalk before it was replaced with another ride.

The Boardwalk not only has ample thrill rides — 11 at last count— but also 19 family rides, eight kids rides and nine other attractions plus food and shopping.

It also has some things that Great America and Marine World will never have — you can walk right onto the beach, you don’t have to pay an admission fee, and ride lines are super reasonable on even the busiest days.

The Boardwalk is the grandfather of California amusement parks having opened in 1907.

Its charm is the fact it blends state-of-the-art thrill rides with century-old classics in an atmosphere that is semi-carnival as well as being on a beach.

The two oldest rides alone — the Giant Dipper rollercoaster and the Looff grand carousel — are worth the drive.

Why the carousel?

Not only are the 73 ornate hand carved wooden horses on the carousel that has been running since 1911 a sight to see, but it is also one of the few carousels remaining in the world that offers a ring dispenser.

Riders on outside horses grab a ring from a dispenser as the carousel spins and then attempt to toss them into Aarhus clown’s gaping mouth.

Hit the target and you’re rewarded with bells and flashing lights.

Some opt not to toss the rings but choose to keep them as souvenirs. That’s fine by over 60,000 people a year or one out of every 13 riders.

Then there are the delightful sounds provided by the 342-pipe Ruth and Son organ built in 1894.

It has been in use since 1911, with a complete refurbishing in 2009. It was joined in 2007 by another rare organ — the Wurlitzer 165 Band Organ from San Francisco’s now shuttered Playland-at-the-Beach amusement park.

The grand dame of West Coast rollercoasters and the third oldest in the United States, the Giant Dipper built in 1924 is a classic wooden roller coaster.

It has a feel you won’t find on modern versions of the ride.

I rank it right up with Space Mountain and the Matterhorn at Disneyland as a classic thrill ride that has character given the wooden construction and glimpses of the unparalleled scenery for an amusement park when you’re not laughing your head off or holding on for dear life.

While I love the Great Dipper and carousel, my favorite ride as a 70-year-old kid without a doubt is the Space Race.

Think the classic bumper cars that the Boardwalk also has but are circular. Maneuver them just right and you can get decent “air” when you ram someone.

Rides are open seven days a week during the summer with less operating days in the off season. The restaurants and midway games are open daily.

You can’t go to the Boardwalk without indulging in saltwater taffy.

There are also other amusement park staples such as cotton candy, kettle corn, churros, funnel cakes and even deep-fried Twinkies, to name a few.

For more information go to www.beachboardwalk.com