If I could just get away from all of that dang smoke and heat, just for a day . . . Fannie the Corgi had never been to the ocean and it had been a while since I had visited Moss Landing, so I came up with a plan. Sally the Weimaraner stayed home but she loves the beach and would have loved to go. My sister told me to tell Sally that I took Fannie to the Vet, and all would be good with that possible problem.
I stopped by one of the vegetable stands in Moss Landing on my way in. I came well prepared, bringing ice chests for my haul. I always look at their bargain bin and they had big bags of strawberries for $1 that were starting to look a bit sad. I just didn’t think they would make the day in the ice chest without looking sadder so passed on those. I ended up with corn and artichokes.
I continued on, across the bridge, parking on the street at Phil’s Fish Market. The air was nice and cool, expected to reach a high of 68 in the afternoon. That was a far cry from the smokey 100’s or so we had been having. A narrow sand pathway along the restaurant led us to the beach behind it and that was the extent of hiking I did on this adventure. Dogs are allowed on leash on this strip of beach access and beach, which is one reason I chose this spot.
Moss Landing is home to Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, a multi-campus research facility for the California State University system. It also harbors over 600 boats that include fishing boats, pleasure craft and research vessels. The commercial boats bring in dungeness crab, halibut, king salmon, albacore, rockfish, sablefish, anchovies, sardines, squid, black cod, red snapper, corvina, prawns, mackerel, and others. There is also access to state and federal protected lands such as Moss Landing State Beach, Salinas River State Beach, Zmudowski State Beach, Moss Landing Wildlife Area, and the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve.
At first Fannie didn’t know quite how to act.
She looked to me for guidance and as I laid my towels out against a log to sit for a while, she figured we must be going to be here for a while.
I asked her if she wanted to go for a walk.
I told her come on, let’s do it!
After a little walk along the water, we sat and watched boats and seagulls. Sometimes I spot sea lions, whales or porpoises but not today. The crash of the waves and cool air were all that I needed.
Fannie thought those seagulls were very interesting.
That was a lot of excitement for one day and I was getting hungry, which leads me to the second reason I chose this spot. I love Phil’s and they are open for takeout or eating on their outdoor deck or patio. I chose to take my calamari sandwich with me.
The restaurant and fish market had been well designed for social distancing while ordering.
Fannie was tuckered out from all of this excitement and slept all the way home. It is a 3 hour drive from my house, about the same as me going over to Tioga Pass for hiking, but still a long day.
Dog Friendly?
Most beaches do not allow dogs but one reason I like stayed at Moss Landing (besides Phil’s) is that there are a few areas where dogs are allowed on leash. The path between Salinas River State Beach Potrero Parking Lot and Sandholdt Road is one of those. The beach access and beach behind Phil’s and the the jetty area are a couple of others.
Maps:
Moss Landing Map
Prior Blogs in this Area:
Escape with Sally to Moss Landing January 26, 2020
Escape to Moss Landing for the Day July 29, 2018
Escape to Moss Landing January 24, 2016
Sources:
