I want to recommend a dinner spot: The Sea Harvest, just off Highway 1, in Moss Landing. My wife Sarah and I ate there Monday evening during a magnificent sunset. After wandering out onto the beach near the harbor breakwater to check out the enormous surf, we pulled into the lot at Sea Harvest. The kind people welcomed us at the counter where you order from an overhead menu board. I got the shrimp and fries basket while Sarah ordered the shrimp Louie. The truly great part of this place, besides really good food, is their spacious deck. With plenty of room to safely spread out, the deck is a front row seat to the Moss Landing Harbor, surrounding dunes and, in our case, a dramatic sunset. It surprised us that there were only three other couples there, being such a wonderful setting.
Afterwards, we took a cruise around the Pajaro Valley to take in the grandeur of people’s Christmas decorations. We rolled through Pajaro and Watsonville and were stunned by the array and wealth of displays. It struck me at one point that taking that tour is one of the rewarding pleasures that we can still enjoy without the pandemic trashing the experience.
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Though it is encouraging to read about the progress of a new vaccine to combat coronavirus around the globe, it’s sure daunting to hear of another round of lockdowns and business closures on the horizon. Add to that, we’re in the shortest days of the year right now and winter starts up in 12 days. I read about one doctor, in warning about getting too fired up about the vaccines on the horizon, said he was amazed by so much media coverage about making the vaccine, bottling, distribution, dosages, who gets it first and so on. He said it was “like watching people make sausages.” I also read that around 40% of the US population say they will not get the vaccine.
There are now 68.4 million cases of Covid-19 around the world with 1.56 million deaths. The US has 15.1 million cases and 286, 338 deaths. Santa Cruz County reports 5,176 cases and 47 deaths; Monterey County has 17,746 cases and 136 deaths.
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I saw on TV news that Yosemite is now open only for day use between 8am and 5pm with no camping or backpacking.
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Gas prices have dropped a nickel over the past two weeks. I was in Morgan Hill last week where regular fuel was going for $2.47 a gallon.
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On Thursday there is a ribbon cutting ceremony for the opening of the first phase of the Coast Rail Trail, a section on the west side of Santa Cruz. Construction is moving steadily ahead on the Watsonville section of the trail off of Ohlone Parkway.
