Santa's Village

    I’ve always been intrigued by abandoned buildings, all the more so if they have some amount of personal history for me. About 20 years ago, while driving through Scotts Valley, near Santa Cruz, I pulled off at the Santa’s Village exit on a whim. I had fond memories of visiting the Christmas themed amusement park as a child, and was curious to see what remained. At that point in time, although it had been closed for some time, most of the property was still intact. A gate had been left open, and I was treated to an almost post-apocalyptic scene of roller coasters and giant faded candy canes entwined by ivy and poison oak, and rusting dilapidated North Pole buildings slowly being reclaimed by nature. I always meant to go back and create some kind of photo essay of the property, assuming I could get back in, but never did. I assume the area has all been built up in the meantime.