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Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk:
Photo courtesy of Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.Santa Cruz, CAOperating since 1907, the only remaining oceanfront amusement park on the West Coast has two rides officially recognized as National Historic Landmarks: the hand-carved Looff carousel (1911) and the wood-framed Giant Dipper roller coaster (1924). Another throwback to its early years is Marini's Boardwalk, whose 1915 location still cooks its saltwater taffy in copper kettles. At the Surf City Grill, the fresh-dipped corn dogs are infamous, but the artichokes in a light, garlicky batter are the real finds.
Photo courtesy of Atlantic City Boardwalk.Atlantic City Boardwalk: Atlantic CityThis 5.5-mile stretch, the longest boardwalk in the world, once captured the country's collective imagination with its glitzy acts and grand Art Deco and Beaux Art hotels—now dramatically revisited on HBO's Boardwalk Empire. The oldest boardwalk in the US is also enjoying a revival with the 2012 opening of the Revel resort. Its dizzying array of star chef-run restaurants includes a modern steak house by Marc Forgione, a Riviera-inspired seafood spot by Alain Allegretti and offshoots by DC chef Michel Richard and Philly chef Jose Garces. For a taste of old-time lore, the James Candy Company pulls saltwater taffy from recipes that date from the 1900s.
Ocean City Boardwalk
Photo courtesy of Ocean City, MD Department of Tourism.: Ocean City, MD
There's a lot packed along this wooden boardwalk, including free
concerts on Wednesday nights in July and August, outdoor movies and a
Beach Olympics (think sand castle-building competitions). Thrasher's, a
favorite since 1929, serves french fries twice-fried in peanut oil and
doused with apple cider vinegar. The no-frills Mug & Mallet serves
terrific Maryland blue crabs by the bucket steps from the beach, and at
Fractured Prune, hand-dipped doughnuts are named after classic desserts
like the Black Forest, with raspberry glaze, coconut and mini chocolate
chips.
Photo courtesy of Visit Newport Beach Inc..The Boardwalk Shops at Newport Pier : Newport Beach, CA
Hampton Beach Boardwalk
Photo courtesy of Hampton Beach.: Hampton Beach, NHHampton Beach hosts 80 free summer concerts, ranging from pop to
country, sets off fireworks every Wednesday and holiday during the
season and is rated one of the cleanest beaches in the country by the
Natural Resources Defense Council. Pizza spots abound, but locals look
for the bright orange signs that mark the two locations of Blink's Fry
Doe shacks for warm, chewy deep-fried-to-order rounds of house-made
pizza dough. The 20 toppings range from garlic and butter to peanut
butter and jelly.
Photo © The Walt Disney Corporation.Disney's Boardwalk: Orlando, FL
Street performers juggle flaming batons and kids take spins on the 1920s
mini carousel at this idyllic curved stretch looking out on Crescent
Lake in the Magic Kingdom. At Flying Fish Café, diners make the effort
to call at least a day in advance to order the Hong Kong fish, local
yellowtail snapper coated in tempura and fried whole. The nearby Big
River Grille and Brewing Works has floor-to-ceiling glass walls that
look onto the working brewery.
Navy Pier: Chicago, IL 
Photo © Axiom Photographic / Design Pics / Corbis.
This pier, stretching into Lake Michigan, is packed with all sorts of
attractions, including the Chicago Shakespeare Theater (modeled after
London's Swan Theatre), Chicago Children's Museum and the 1,500-seat
outdoor Skyline Stage. The warm, crisp chocolate-covered churros from
the Churro Factory booth make a terrific snack for a stroll. The
LandShark Beer Garden offers microbrews like Dogfish Head, Flying Dog
and Fat Tire to go along with its live concerts and fantastic skyline
views.
Photo courtesy of Great Southern Publishers.Carolina Beach Boardwalk: Carolina Beach, NC
Though this historic boardwalk on the northern end of Pleasure Island is
lined with carnival rides, arcade games and numerous food stands, one
of the oldest and best draws is Britt's Donut Shop. Fans line up under
the blue-and-white-striped awning for traditional glazed pastries—no
sprinkles or cream fillings in sight—made with a secret recipe passed
down its 70-plus year history. Originally a nickel a piece, each
doughnut is now 85 cents.
Coney Island: Brooklyn, NY 
Photo © Daniel Avila / NYC Department of Parks & Recreation.
Serving generations of vacationers since before the Civil War, this
landmark boardwalk had a $30 million facelift in 2010 that brought in
almost two dozen new rides. Huge summertime crowds can still largely be
attributed to the iconic, only-in-Coney Island mix of tawdry side shows
(knife-swallowers, flame-jugglers), plus the wooden-framed 1927 Cyclone
roller coaster and original Nathan's Famous, practically synonymous with
the hot dog and host of the annual Fourth of July hot dog-eating
contest.
Photo courtesy of Kemah Boardwalk / DPW Public Relations.Kemah Boardwalk: Kemah, TX
Opened in 2001, this 42-acre boardwalk amusement park overlooking Trinity Bay is home to the Texas Gulf’s only roller coaster, the gargantuan Boardwalk Bullet. In April, the annual Kemah Crawfish Festival takes place under the Kemah Bridge, featuring farm-raised Louisiana crawfish in a variety of iterations, including étouffée, gumbo and jambalaya, but the most popular is the $2-a-pound boils by expert boiler James Wimberley.
