• Local Events,  Travel

    Elkhorn Slough & Moss Landing

    February 17, 2019 /

    Playful Otters, barking sea lions, and graceful egrets are only a few of the amazing wildlife you may see at Elkhorn Slough and Moss Landing.  The area is also home to a plethora of good restaurants, art galleries, and shops.  You can also enjoy a variety of outdoor activities here, including fishing, surfing, beach combing, sea kayaking, whale watching, walking trails and even hydro biking.

    A lone fisherman on Moss Landing Beach during the King Tides. The extreme low tides pose prime conditions for fishing.

    HISTORY

    Located between Monterey and Santa Cruz, Moss Landing is located where the Elkhorn Slough creates an estuary as it flows into Monterey Bay. Moss Landing is named for Charles Moss, a ship captain from Texas who built a wharf here in the mid-1800s.   The area was once a very busy whaling and fishing port and the site of many fish processing plants and canneries.  Today, Moss Landing Harbor is home to hundreds of fishing, pleasure, research and tour boats.  Commercial boats bring in Dungeness crab, halibut, salmon, albacore, sardines, squid, mackerel, prawns, and more.  Fresh seafood can be purchased off the boats and in the local restaurants.

    The Sea Goddess is one of several whale watching tour ships in the area.
    Moss Landing Harbor is home to the Monterey Submarine Canyon, a mile-deep chasm filled with a variety of sea life, including whales!
    The twin towers of the power plant can be seen for miles.

    BUILDINGS AND RESTAURANTS

    Notable buildings in Moss Landing include the Moss Landing Marine Laboratories operated by California State University, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, and the Moss Landing Power Plant.  Some of the amazing restaurants in the area include Moss Landing Cafe, The Whole Enchilada, Haute Enchilada, Lighthouse Harbor Grille, Pacific Grill, Lemongrass Seafood, Sea Harvest and Phil’s Fish Market.  Lines form daily at Phil’s for the cioppino, one of the restaurant’s most famous dishes.  For more information on local eateries in Moss Landing, see Restaurants.

    ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS

    Moss Landing offers many fun activities and events including dancing, music, and wine and other tastings at both the Haute Enchilada and the Whole Enchilada.  The Elkhorn Yacht Club also hosts a multitude of fun events including a crab feed in February as well as seasonal parties and races.  There are also open studio art tours in September and October featuring local artists.   One of the most popular summer events in the area is the annual Moss Landing Antique Street Fair.  It is usually held the last Sunday in July and brings hundreds of vendors and shoppers together for a day of fun.  Other activities in the area include the May opener for rock cod fishing, blessing the fleet May 1, open house at the Marine Labs every spring, and a Nautical Flea Market in May.  For more information on events in the area, see Moss Landing.

    The main drag in Moss Landing has many quaint, historic buildings and shops.
    Moss Landing is a great place to bike and enjoy the quiet fishing village.

    WILDLIFE

    Elkhorn Slough is one of the largest wetlands in California.  It began as a salt marsh and efforts are being made to help restore this habitat.    It is considered one of the top ten best birding spots in the country, according to Audubon.  More than 350 bird species migrate through Elkhorn Slough each year.  It is a nesting place for Western Snowy Plover in spring and summer.  In fall and winter, the wetland provides habitat for waterfowl and shorebirds.  My favorites are the snowy egrets and the endangered brown pelicans.

     

    Moss Landing offers wonderful opportunities to view resident sea otters.  You can see rafts of sea otters swimming here, sometimes holding hands.  A raft refers to a group of sea otters in the water.   A group can also be called a family, romp, lodge, and bevy.  Whatever they are called, who doesn’t love those faces?  Too much cuteness!

    Moss Landing is also one of the best places to spot whales up close!

    I hope you are able to visit Moss Landing and enjoy its beauty.  Thank you for visiting my blog!  Wishing you peace, love, happiness, and beautiful vistas.

    Nothing is more fun than playing in the sea foam when the tide is low. It reminds me of when my Mom used to pour Mr. Bubble in the bathwater and the bubbles got higher and higher in the tub! Good times 🙂

     

     

     

     

  • Home & Garden,  Travel

    Ragged Point: Gateway to Big Sur

    September 25, 2018 /
    Known for its breathtaking views from its perch 400 feet above the wild Pacific coastline, Ragged Point Inn is often called the gateway to Big Sur. Ragged Point consists of not only an Inn, but also a cafe, restaurant, gift shop, mini mart, ice cream parlor, and gas station.  It is basically a self-sufficient little community in the remote wilderness that is Big Sur.  
    Ragged Point features beautiful flower gardens, fountains, and pathways filled with gently drifting Monarch butterflies and swiftly darting hummingbirds. Fabulous ocean vistas include myriad sightings of seals, dolphins, and migrating whales.  Live music is an attraction on weekends and holidays, lasting throughout the summer into October.  There are also photo ops at the “Portal to Big Sur”, a wooden sculpture that looks like a big donut (or toilet seat, you decide).  There is also a fairly steep and somewhat challenging hiking trail leading down to the beach.
    Helpful Tips:
    •  No Wifi unless you are staying at the Inn, and even then it is sketchy
    • Expensive gas prices
    • No cell service
    • Rooms are a bit outdated
    • A good place to stop on the long drive between outposts of civilization in the area
    • Pets are allowed at the Inn and on the premises
    Other Fun Activities in the Area:
    • Hike to Salmon Creek Falls. This natural waterfall is located 3.6 miles north of Ragged point Inn close to Hwy 1. An interesting feature of the waterfall is that it actually starts out as two waterfalls that merge into one as they cascade down 120 feet. It is a relatively easy and popular hike with a round trip distance of only .25 miles. The pullout for the trailhead is 45 miles south of Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. The falls are visible from Hwy 1. Salmon Creek Falls is also next to the Silver Peak Wilderness area.  For more information, see Salmon Creek Falls
    • Visit Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery.  Located almost 11 miles south of Ragged Point Inn, the colony includes more than 17,000 elephant seals, which gather seasonally to safely avoid predators and frolic playfully with their pups.  Elephant seals are the largest seals in the northern hemisphere.  For more information, see Elephant Seals
    • Visit Hearst Castle.  Located 15 miles south of Ragged Point Inn, Hearst Castle was designed by famed architect Julia Morgan for business magnate William Randolph Hearst.  It is nestled on 127 acres of meticulously groomed gardens and terraces.  For more information, see Hearst Castle
    • Visit San Simeon Pier, 15.5 miles south of Ragged Point Inn.  This area is protected by the Marine Life Protection Act and is home to seals, otters, humpback whales, elephant seals, pelicans, ospreys, and much more.  For more information, see San Simeon Pier
    • Take a tour of Piedras Blancas Light Station, located approximately 9 miles south of Ragged Point.  For more information, see Lighthouse
    • Visit the romantic village of Cambria, 22 miles south of Ragged Point, for fabulous shopping and delicious sunsets at Moonstone Beach.  For more information, see Cambria
    • If you are into hiking hidden trails and experiencing isolated beaches, visit the very private Ragged Point Beach. This is 1.8 miles south of Ragged Point Inn. The trailhead starts at a small pull-out parking area on a bend between a blue call box and a “no campfires” sign. The trail is called Ragged Point Cliffside Trail.  It is a .6 mile steep and fairly strenuous hike with a 400-foot change in elevation.  The black sand beach is extremely private and is flanked by rocky bluffs.  There is also a seasonal waterfall here called Black Swift Falls.  
    • Visit the Big Sur Jade Festival in the Lost Padres National Forest, directly across from Sand Dollar Beach on Hwy 1.  This beloved annual festival, which draws people from all over the world, is usually held for three days in October.  Multiple vendors sell and showcase their work, ranging from tiny, delicate pieces of jewelry to huge slabs of stone harvested from the sea.  For more information, see Big Sur Jade Festival

    I hope that you enjoy Ragged Point and the wonderful sights around it!  Thank you for visiting my blog.  Wishing you peace, love, happiness, and beautiful vistas!