Moss Landing

The first sight of this serene meeting of land and sea was enough to make Charles Moss toss his 10-gallon hat. In 1866, the wealthy Texan and ship captain built a pier here — and the rest, as they say, is history. Commercial fishermen still cast their nets in this old-fashioned village tucked between Santa Cruz and Monterey, where visitors discover roadside markets, quirky shops and restaurants serving seafood that borders on the divine.

In Moss Landing, natural and manmade attractions abound. From pelicans to cormorants to Caspian terns, the 1,300-acre ecological paradise known as Elkhorn Slough provides habitat for more than 340 species of birds and hundreds of rare plants and animals. Dunes, pickleweed marsh, oak woodlands and unusual maritime chaparral, like the wooly leaf manzanita, are plentiful along this expanse, which is part of a National Estuarine Reserve.

Visitors here find plenty of ways to be nurtured by nature, from canoeing and kayaking to trails winding through the woods. Nearby, scientists plumb the depths at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and Moss Landing Marine Laboratories.

For those who prefer the trappings of civilization, timeless treasures await at Moss Landing’s antique outlets, including a curio shop located in an old caboose. Fans of vintage wares make a date for the annual antique fair, held on the last Sunday in July.

Romantics,take note: Moss Landing’s sunsets are magnificent. Grab a window seat at one of the local watering holes as a rosy sky reveals hope on the horizon for another beautiful day.