6/21 Scarborough Beach or "You Gotta Be Carzy!"

The last week has been the first time the UK has had warm and sunny temperatures this year.  So, of course, everyone had to go to the beach. 

When I picked up my rental car on Friday, I did not take time to enter the address of my hotel into the GPS, just entered the name of the city.  So, when I got there, I started driving around, trying to find a place to pull over and look it up on my cell phone.  Except I could not find any place to pull over, so I ended up on this main road along the beach.   

Frankly, I was more than a little surprised.  I had made my reservation several months ago, and really chose the location because of a nearby museum.  I did not expect to be in the middle of a weekend at the sea, nor did I really do my research adequately because I was not really even aware that this was a seaside resort, which apparently it has been since the 1700s!  

Anyway, if you keep driving through this mess shown in the photo, you end up circling around a peninsula and finding a lot of spaces about a mile down the road.  I pulled over and found my hotel, then headed there.  But I figured I had to check this area in more detail! 

 

 

Most of the city, including almost all hotels, are on a bluff overlooking the North Sea and beach area.  Today, Saturday, I headed for the beach, but took this photo from a viewing area at the top of the bluff.

This funicular cliff lift was built in 1875.  It was originally run on sea water somehow, but has been updated to electricity.  There is a nice set of stairs next to it, but this is much easier on my body.   

It consists of two cars, one that is going uphill while the other one is going downhill, so they balance each other. 

 

 

There were a lot of what they called casino game rooms on the strip.  I imagine this and all the other shops is a good reason why people come here.  

And what would a tourist beach be without a Ferris wheel?  

 

 

From my perspective, the crowds on this beach were something I would avoid, not look forward to visiting.   

 

 

 

  Lots of ice cream shops, souvenir stores, tea shops, and beach equipment stores.  

 

 

There were quite a few people who already had tans, but I was surprised at how many of these sun bathers had very white skin that looked as if it had never seen the sun.  Even with suntan lotion, I expect a lot of people are suffering from sunburn tonight.   

 

 

What was impressive was the several grand old hotels from the Victorian period.  This one was the biggest and most impressive.  I might go into its lobby tomorrow to see what it looks like.  

Some more big hotels.  Unfortunately I was not close enough to get good photos.

 

 

And of course, nonstop lines of cars.   

There were also quite a few seagulls that were hanging about hoping to get some of the scraps of food that people were eating.