When I'm not out walking around the Monterey Bay, I like to explore the California coast. One of my favorite places is Tomales Bay, north of San Francisco. I found out last weekend that it's still a great place to explore when it's raining out. OK, it was pouring! Cycling and hiking were out of the question. However, the view of Tomales Bay was right outside our window. Watching the tide come in and out and tracking the birds that appeared and disappeared was the ultimate "Slow Adventure." One day I counted over 200 Bufflehead right in front of us. Amazing little diving ducks that obviously love a rainy day. Other highlights included a "raft" of cormorants floating with the receding tide, all facing south with their bright yellow beaks pointing in unison. We also got to "know" the resident Northern Flicker, a pair of Osprey, and a pair of Belted Kingfishers who worked the area in front of the house on a regular basis. There are some great little villages to visit along the bay, including Inverness, Inverness Park, and Point Reyes Station. A wonderful bookstore in Point Reyes Station yielded some interesting used books and the Bovine Bakery willingly parted with an amazing lemon bar. Now it's time to get back outdoors and do some walking. See you on the beach this summer!
View of Tomales Bay
When I’m not out walking around the Monterey Bay, I like to explore the California coast. One of my favorite places is Tomales Bay, north of San Francisco. I found out last weekend that it’s still a great place to explore when it’s raining out. OK, it was pouring!
Cycling and hiking were out of the question. However, the view of Tomales Bay was right outside our window. Watching the tide come in and out and tracking the birds that appeared and disappeared was the ultimate “Slow Adventure.”
One day I counted over 200 Bufflehead right in front of us. Amazing little diving ducks that obviously love a rainy day. Other highlights included a “raft” of cormorants floating with the receding tide, all facing south with their bright yellow beaks pointing in unison. We also got to “know” the resident Northern Flicker, a pair of Osprey, and a pair of Belted Kingfishers who worked the area in front of the house on a regular basis.
There are some great little villages to visit along the bay, including Inverness, Inverness Park, and Point Reyes Station. A wonderful bookstore in Point Reyes Station yielded some interesting used books and the Bovine Bakery willingly parted with an amazing lemon bar. Now it’s time to get back outdoors and do some walking. See you on the beach this summer!
Who in their right mind walks from Santa Cruz to Monterey in MARCH? We may not have snow, but this is winter on the Monterey Bay! Well, a hearty young couple insisted on taking our Classic Walk the Bay Trip this week. I couldn't dissuade them with weather forecasts and surf reports. I am happy to report they made the 4 day / 40 mile trip around the Monterey Bay, from Santa Cruz to Monterey, without incident....and, without a drop of rain. These walkers could not have been more optimistic and enthusiastic about the opportunity to walk in winter conditions. Their optimism paid off... they were rewarded with excellent conditions. They experienced empty beaches, migrating birds, friendly marine mammals, gorgeous views, and plenty of exercise. Don't get me wrong: I'm not promoting a winter walk anytime soon. It takes special travelers to come during an uncertain time facing unknown conditions. But, I've learned a lesson about off-season travel. I'm going to be more optimistic....so, I'm off to Tomales Bay tomorrow....I think it's going to rain!
Who in their right mind walks from Santa Cruz to Monterey in MARCH? We may not have snow, but this is winter on the Monterey Bay!
March Walkers Cross the Pajaro River
Well, a hearty young couple insisted on taking our Classic Walk the Bay Trip this week. I couldn’t dissuade them with weather forecasts and surf reports.
I am happy to report they made the 4 day / 40 mile trip around the Monterey Bay, from Santa Cruz to Monterey, without incident….and, without a drop of rain.
These walkers could not have been more optimistic and enthusiastic about the opportunity to walk in winter conditions. Their optimism paid off… they were rewarded with excellent conditions. They experienced empty beaches, migrating birds, friendly marine mammals, gorgeous views, and plenty of exercise.
Don’t get me wrong: I’m not promoting a winter walk anytime soon. It takes special travelers to come during an uncertain time facing unknown conditions.
But, I’ve learned a lesson about off-season travel. I’m going to be more optimistic….so, I’m off to Tomales Bay tomorrow….I think it’s going to rain!
If you haven't taken a walk on the beaches and pathways that surround the Pajaro Dunes development, now is the time! The shorebirds on the beach and the ducks and waders in the river are in breeding plumage and strutting their stuff. I saw over 30 American Avocets in the river yesterday with numerous Buffleheads, Goldeneyes, Yellowlegs, Curlews, Comorants, Egrets, Black Necked Stilts, and other great birds. I also watched 4 snowy plovers frolic near the water with their colorful leg bands assuring me they were indeed the endangered plovers. The Friends of the Pajaro Dunes have installed and updated their visitor centers. You can learn more at their excellent website. Stop by at either development (at the end of Beach Street in Watsonville, near Palm Beach State Park) and check out the interactive displays and great nature brochures. If you park at the end of Beach Street you can walk to the visitor center across the street to the south, and then along River Road toward Moss Landing. Stay close to the small river on your left and check out the various ponds as you walk toward the end of the road. The road ends in a circular parking area with a bench on the left overlooking the small river. This is a great place to watch the birds. Now that you've come this far, walk through the housing complex on a path to the beach. This beach is a snowy plover nesting area and much of the year you will be limited in the areas you can walk. However, you will always be able to traverse the one mile or so out to the mouth of the Pajaro River. The river mouth is currently flowing toward to Moss Landing and is about a mile on the
If you haven’t taken a walk on the beaches and pathways that surround the Pajaro Dunes development, now is the time! The shorebirds on the beach and the ducks and waders in the river are in breeding plumage and strutting their stuff. I saw over 30 American Avocets in the river yesterday with numerous Buffleheads, Goldeneyes, Yellowlegs, Curlews, Comorants, Egrets, Black Necked Stilts, and other great birds. I also watched 4 snowy plovers frolic near the water with their colorful leg bands assuring me they were indeed the endangered plovers.
American Avocet
The Friends of the Pajaro Dunes have installed and updated their visitor centers. You can learn more at their excellent website. Stop by at either development (at the end of Beach Street in Watsonville, near Palm Beach State Park) and check out the interactive displays and great nature brochures.
If you park at the end of Beach Street you can walk to the visitor center across the street to the south, and then along River Road toward Moss Landing. Stay close to the small river on your left and check out the various ponds as you walk toward the end of the road. The road ends in a circular parking area with a bench on the left overlooking the small river. This is a great place to watch the birds. Now that you’ve come this far, walk through the housing complex on a path to the beach. This beach is a snowy plover nesting area and much of the year you will be limited in the areas you can walk. However, you will always be able to traverse the one mile or so out to the mouth of the Pajaro River. The river mouth is currently flowing toward to Moss Landing and is about a mile on the beach.
If you walk the entire distance, River Road and the beach walk out to the river mouth, your roundtrip distance is approximately 5 miles. You’ll want to stop and watch the birds so plan on spending several hours.
For those of you who do not live in the area, you’ll see these miles of interesting beaches and river habitats when you sign up to Walk the Bay! I’m always happy to walk this area with any of you who want to see and identify the birds. Just ask!
I was fortunate to hear a fascinating lecture by noted marine scientist, Dr. Steve Lonhart. Dr. Lonhart has studied the Monterey Bay area most of his life and is an expert on many facets of this dynamic marine sanctuary. He works at SIMon, Sanctuary Integrated Monitoring Network. They have an interesting website filled with information and images of just about every aspect of the Monterey Bay National Sanctuary from marine mammals to birds, to the deep ocean and beaches. I urge you to spend a little time on the website, particularly the photo library with over 3,000 images of incredible mammals, birds, kelp forests, and invertebrates that will challenge your imagination. SIMon also has a great YouTube channel where you can watch videos of otters, underwater dives, and sea creatures that seem unworldly. A particularly interesting video explores the kelp forest that thrives in the Monterey Bay. As beach walkers, we see evidence of these forests when kelp washes up on the beach. It's quite a thrill to see the kelp forests as they exist under the water. Once you get hooked on exploring the Monterey Bay, it will be time to join a walking tour around the bay. Check out our upcoming trips and send me an email with your questions.
I was fortunate to hear a fascinating lecture by noted marine scientist, Dr. Steve Lonhart. Dr. Lonhart has studied the Monterey Bay area most of his life and is an expert on many facets of this dynamic marine sanctuary. He works at SIMon, Sanctuary Integrated Monitoring Network. They have an interesting website filled with information and images of just about every aspect of the Monterey Bay National Sanctuary from marine mammals to birds, to the deep ocean and beaches.
I urge you to spend a little time on the website, particularly the photo library with over 3,000 images of incredible mammals, birds, kelp forests, and invertebrates that will challenge your imagination.
SIMon also has a great YouTube channel where you can watch videos of otters, underwater dives, and sea creatures that seem unworldly. A particularly interesting video explores the kelp forest that thrives in the Monterey Bay. As beach walkers, we see evidence of these forests when kelp washes up on the beach. It’s quite a thrill to see the kelp forests as they exist under the water.
Once you get hooked on exploring the Monterey Bay, it will be time to join a walking tour around the bay. Check out our upcoming trips and send me an email with your questions.
One of our favorite places to stay along the Walk the Bay inn to inn hike is The Captain's Inn in Moss Landing. Thanks to Melanie, the innkeeper, I am providing a bit of information on upcoming events in Moss Landing. This little town is a great place to spend a day or a weekend. Great for birdwatching, kayaking, beach walking, eating, drinking, antique shopping, or just wandering around. APRIL Moss Landing Marine Labs, part of CSU, has announced their annual OPEN HOUSE This Free event is scheduled for April 30th and May 1, Saturday and Sunday, 9am to 5 pm, here in Moss Landing. The event will include: Access to research facilities, behind the scenes. Displays on current research, corals, ocean monitoring by satellite, kelp, age of fishes and more. Experts in oceanography, biology, submarine canyon, plankton, whales, sharks, Antarctica and much more!Lectures. Research vessel tours. MAY Artichoke Festival in Castroville (only a few miles from Moss Landing) May 21 and 22, Saturday and Sunday. The event has cooking demos, several stages of live music, artichoke food booths from artichoke cupcakes to artichoke pasta from artichoke soup to pickled artichokes, arts and crafts for sale, farmers market, kid activities, hometown parade. JUNE MBARI (Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute) is focused on deep sea engineering will also be holding an OPEN HOUSE. This is on June 25, 2011. This free event has small submarines, deep sea researchers, tours of the facility, demonstrations of underwater robots, talk with engineers,and submarine support ships. JULY Boreas Sailing race ends here in Moss Landing. They start in Half Moon Bay and arrive in Moss Landing on July 4, 2011. Sponsored by our local Elkhorn Yacht Club. Moss Landing Antique Street Fair, July 31, 2011 from 8am to 5pm, over 200 antique and collectible vendors,
Moss Landing
One of our favorite places to stay along the Walk the Bay inn to inn hike is The Captain’s Inn in Moss Landing. Thanks to Melanie, the innkeeper, I am providing a bit of information on upcoming events in Moss Landing. This little town is a great place to spend a day or a weekend. Great for birdwatching, kayaking, beach walking, eating, drinking, antique shopping, or just wandering around.
APRIL
Moss Landing Marine Labs, part of CSU, has announced their annual OPEN HOUSE This Free event is scheduled for April 30th and May 1, Saturday and Sunday, 9am to 5 pm, here in Moss Landing. The event will include: Access to research facilities, behind the scenes. Displays on current research, corals, ocean monitoring by satellite, kelp, age of fishes and more. Experts in oceanography, biology, submarine canyon, plankton, whales, sharks, Antarctica and much more!Lectures. Research vessel tours.
MAY
Artichoke Festival in Castroville (only a few miles from Moss Landing) May 21 and 22, Saturday and Sunday. The event has cooking demos, several stages of live music, artichoke food booths from artichoke cupcakes to artichoke pasta from artichoke soup to pickled artichokes, arts and crafts for sale, farmers market, kid activities, hometown parade.
JUNE
MBARI (Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute) is focused on deep sea engineering will also be holding an OPEN HOUSE. This is on June 25, 2011. This free event has small submarines, deep sea researchers, tours of the facility, demonstrations of underwater robots, talk with engineers,and submarine support ships.
JULY
Boreas Sailing race ends here in Moss Landing. They start in Half Moon Bay and arrive in Moss Landing on July 4, 2011. Sponsored by our local Elkhorn Yacht Club.
Moss Landing Antique Street Fair, July 31, 2011 from 8am to 5pm, over 200 antique and collectible vendors, food booths, on-site appraiser, collecting workshop, and music. Furniture to glassware, books to western, lamps to toys. Captain’s Inn guests can store large purchases in the garage!
