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At the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, the view from the wooden Giant Dipper roller coaster is sea and sand. More than 50 million people have ridden the coaster since it opened in 1924. Along with the 1911 Looff Carousel, the Giant Dipper is one of two National Historic Landmarks at the Beach Boardwalk, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this summer—a significant milestone, since the Boardwalk is one of the few remaining seaside amusement parks in the United States.

Several old oceanfront parks have closed in recent years, including the Miracle Strip Amusement Park in Panama City Beach, Fla., which closed three years ago, and South Carolina's Myrtle Beach Pavilion, which was shuttered in 2006. Coney Island's Astroland amusement park was sold to developers last year, and its fate is uncertain. And in Ocean City, Md., the Trimper family has said that this summer may be the last for Trimper's Rides, the boardwalk amusement park that opened in 1890 and is one of the oldest operating amusement parks in the world.

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