There was a time when you'd fish off the Seal Beach Pier in your
finest suit, with the Scintillator thrill ride right behind you.
Who can believe that the
sleepy little Seal Beach everyone loves for its quaint charm was
once the Seal Beach, California filled with chills, thrills,
screams, roars and even seal barks.
The black and white historic
photo above show an earlier version of Seal Beach Pier and a ride
called the Scintillator. The dapper gents in the picture and a
woman or two, perhaps, all wore hats back in the good 'ol days. With
long fishing poles, the men are watching the water below the pier,
hoping for the catch of the day. Beyond them the Seal Beach
Pier is gated with a danger sign that warns of high voltage beyond
where the Scintillator towers above. On the tower structure of
the ride is a huge design of a seal, and a dome of an open air
tower.
The Seal Beach Pier during the
prohibition was not only known for its thrills. It had a reputation
as a place the "rum runners" could bring liquor ashore in barrels.
So the sleepy little Seal
Beach that you see today with its shops on Main Street, its Irish
pubs and surfing shops was once a tourist attraction to rival most.
It's amazing what 100 years will bring, and how a city's disposition
can change.
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