In the midst of the 2008 global financial crisis, Northern California staycationers sought to forget their economic anxiety by wallowing in the deep fried, sun soaked fun on the boardwalk in Santa Cruz. Smartphones were in their infancy, social media's worldwide mental warping was in its nascent stages, people spoke closely without face coverings, with no fear of spreading an unknown disease, and there was nary an influencer livestreaming themselves on the beach with pleas to "like and subscribe." Some might describe it as a simpler time, although doing so borders on myopia. Just a cursory examination of classic American summertime pleasures of this period portend the multiple crises that would engulf the world yet again, little more than a decade later. One may wish to go to the beach to escape the difficulties back home, but it is strewn with reminders of the troubles left behind and those that will inevitably arise in the future.
All photos taken 2008-2011.
