AT PLAY Bike Rentals Adventures By the Sea 210 Alvarado St., at Custom House Plaza, Monterey 685 Cannery Row, Monterey 299 Cannery Row, Monterey (831) 241-1125, adventuresbythesea.com Big Sur Adventures 125 Ocean View Blvd., Suite 122 (in the American Tin Cannery), Pacific Grove (831) 747-1677 2106 Sunset Drive, Pacific Grove (831) 717-4912, bikebigsur.com Epicenter Cycling 230 LIghthouse Ave., Monterey (831) 920-1804, epicentercycling.com Mad Dogs & Englishmen Corner of Ocean and Mission, Carmel (831) 250-7687 400 Cannery Row, Monterey (831) 230-0567 Pacific Grove Adventures 624 Ocean View Blvd. (at Lovers Point), Pacific Grove (831) 241-1125 Work Horse Bicycles 486 Washington St., Monterey (831) 375-2144, workhorsebicycles.com BIRD WATCHING From tiny, fluttering snowy plovers to massive California condors with a wingspan of up to 10 feet, there’s no shortage of diversity in the bird life in Monterey County. All of the hiking and beach destinations listed above are good for spotting the 482 different species of birds in the county, but a few places stand out as birding destinations. Asilomar State Beach Just above the beach, boardwalk trails wend through dunes. Turn your gaze away from the ocean and upward on a ranger-led tour to see how much bird life there is here, or take a selfguided tour. Adjacent to Sunset Drive, Pacific Grove. (831) 646-6440, asilomar.interp@ parks.ca.gov, parks.ca.gov/asilomar Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve The 1,700-acre reserve just inland from coastal Moss Landing is teeming with wildlife. It’s a popular spot for kayaking and other paddle sports to see sea otters and other marine life, but it’s also a place to walk slowly, binoculars ready, looking up at the trees. For a guided experience, join an early bird tour the first Saturday of the month. 1700 Elkhorn Road, Watsonville. (831) 728-2822, elkhornslough. org/birding Laguna Grande Park This 13-acre park includes an urban wetland that is a birder’s paradise, and attracts some unique species, like Heermann’s gulls. Del Monte Boulevard to Fremont Boulevard at Canyon Del Rey, Seaside and Monterey. ci.seaside.ca.us Resources Monterey Audubon Society montereyaudubon.org Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History The bird collection is viewable at 185 Forest Ave., Pacific Grove. (831) 648-5716, pgmuseum.org Ventana Wildlife Society Information on condors (plus animal cams). ventanaws.org WWW.MONTEREYCOUNTYNOW.COM 39
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