Saturdays during the summer I volunteer on the Municipal Wharf, from which I have a panoramic view of the rides on the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, including the log ride. It was one of my favorites while growing up almost in the shadow of Astroworld, largely because it provided a refreshing splash on those 90/90 days.* America’s massive heat wave hasn’t reached Central Coast, but still, the log ride called to me from across the water. Since I don’t work on Tuesdays, and my husband is not taking classes during the summer, we take outings, and last Tuesday evening we headed for the amusement park.

The log ride is ubiquitous, so you probably have a memory of your own. Early in the ride a conveyor belt takes you Up, then you slosh around a curvy, elevated sluice for a while, then you return to your original level via a fast slide, which is where the splash comes in, especially for the person in front, which was me. The curvy part is relaxing, in this instantiation offering lovely views of Monterey Bay, the beach, and the wharf.

Tuesday night is $1.50 ride night so the park was a little busy, but we enjoyed sharing the crowd’s schedule-free, we’re-hear-for-fun attitude, an attitude we encounter a lot since we live in a Vacation Destination. We avoided traffic congestion by parking in a neighborhood and walking across a bridge over the San Lorenzo River. We rode the wooden roller coaster, walked around considering other rides, and watched some beach volley ball.

As we headed back toward the bridge, we passed the log ride again, and noticed two logs were stranded on the conveyor belt, and at least four bunched up waiting for the final drop. 

Under that awning you can see in the photo is an attendant, and clearly there is some control stopping the logs from plunging when the ride is off, so the riders should be safe, but ouch! I was stuck on a ride once before, and it made me very uncomfortable, psychologically speaking.

Something can go wrong at any time. You can twist an ankle on a hike, or get a speeding ticket while driving, or drop and break your glasses, or catch the flu, or step off a cliff while taking a selfie. Stuck on the log ride isn’t so bad, but not getting stuck is better.

Most days, nothing bad happens.

=====================================

* On a 90/90 day in Houston, ie, most days during the summer, both the temperature and the humidity are in the 90s, usually the high 90s.