The last time Max and I visited the boardwalk alone, in 2018.
With three young kids, romantic outings with my husband Max have become quite rare.
When the stars align and our parents are available, Max and I rely on our familiar date-night routine. I’ll slip into dark jeans and a chic top. Max will don a short-sleeved button-down and his gold pinkie ring. We’ll kiss the kids goodbye, rush to the car, and drive eight minutes to the “fancy” restaurant in a nearby town. By the time we return home, we always feel renewed.
But.
If time weren’t a constraint and we had a whole day to ourselves? My dream would be to spend the afternoon at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.
Here’s my vision: It’s an ideal California day — sunny and 75 degrees. I’m strolling down the boardwalk with a corndog in one hand and Max’s tattooed hand in the other, feeling the ocean breeze on my neck.
Max and I can choose any ride we like, as we have the endurance and bladder capacity to handle long waits. We start with the Giant Dipper, a 102-year-old roller coaster, and finish on the ferris wheel with a make-out session at the top.
In our early dating days, Max and I went to the boardwalk twice a year. Once the kids arrived, boardwalk dates turned into family outings, which are enjoyable too. But I’m eager for the chance to return and use our arcade points on games other than the claw machine.
Plus, the boardwalk offers all the elements that make a fantastic date: novelty, plenty of flirtatious touching (sitting on your date’s lap in the photo booth, leaning against them while you nervously wait in lines), and food meant to be shared (I’m thinking of you, funnel cake).
What about you? What does your ideal date look like? Please share all the details!
P.S. A brilliant dating tip and what’s your most awkward dating story?
