From Marina to Moss Landing

The sun is shining nice and warm as I am walking down the beach for a couple of hours today.
Jon has dropped me off at Marina State Beach, some eight miles north of Monterey, so that I can walk to Moss Landing.

To the left I am looking back to Monterey, but because I have decided to walk north to the right, the sun is shining comfortably in my back.

There are many sea birds around that are looking for food at the waterline.

In the dunes there are sometimes strange formations, when the rocks can be seen under the sand. Erosion is a landscape building element that plays a big role in California.

The waves are nice to view, but surfers seem to prefer the high and equal waves in Carmel further south.

Though the weather is really beautiful the beach is mostly empty. Over long stretches I am completely alone. That is probably also caused by the soft sand that is not really good for walking, even at low tide.

A pond on the beach? That's weird!

The dunes here are mostly overgrown by ice plants, that came on a boat from Africa in former times. It has been introduced to California in the 1600s. Today, gardeners use it as ground cover and control erosion.
Die Dünen sind auch hier größtenteils von Eispflanzen bewachsen, die in früheren Zeiten mit einem Schiff aus Afrika eingeführt worden sind und viele einheimische Pflanzen verdrängt haben.

The Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge, where the river alomst touches the sea, is a restricted area. People are just allowed to walk on the desigend paths, otherwise there a loads of signs that nobody can oversee.

I sometimes see fishermen on the beach who are hoping for the big catch.

Bizarr patterns on incoming wood between the Pacific Ocean and Salinas River.

Along the river a huge gathering of birds is going on.

Before the mouth of the river of Moss Landing, there's the Monterey Dunes Colony, a very nice place to live right at the beach.

When I reach the first parking lot at Salinas River State Beach I have had enough of walking through the deep sand.

Over a narrow hiking and equestrian trail I walk to the next parking lot trough the dunes and deep sand, before I call Jon to pick me up.

I am crossing Salinas River, to meet Jon at CA 1.

Behind the dunes the landscape is completely flat and reminds Jon to his home in Iowa.

Next to the street a liquor store greets all passing drivers and welcomes them to Moss Landing.