Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2009 - (Page 45) Pajaro Valley & Watsonville Pastoral charm, scenic nature A variety of options await visitors to Pajaro Valley and Watsonville. Choose from an early morning bird watching excursion, an afternoon at a u-pick farm or museum, or a sunset stroll on an expansive beach. Strawberry fields and apple orchards provide a gorgeous backdrop for this scenic destination. The area’s fertile soil and Mediterranean climate yield some of the nation’s finest produce. Berry fans flock to Watsonville every summer for the Monterey Bay Strawberry Festival to celebrate this ruby gem. Agriculture has long been the main industry in Pajaro Valley and Watsonville. Celebrating this heritage is the Agricultural History Museum at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds. Restored horse-drawn equipment, interpretive exhibits and vintage items are all on display. The fairgrounds also host the annual Santa Cruz County Fair and summertime stock car racing at Ocean Speedway in Watsonville. The Wetlands of Watsonville Nature Center displays a diversity of wildlife habitats, including the Pajaro River, the Watsonville Sloughs and Pinto Lake. Over 200 species of waterfowl, raptors and songbirds live in and migrate through the wetlands, making it an ideal place to watch for feathered creatures, or enjoy one of the many trails winding through the area. Nearby, the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve is one of California’s last undisturbed coastal wetlands. The annual Monterey Bay Birding Festival is a captivating way to take in the sights. Another kind of bird watching takes place during the Watsonville Fly-In. The largest air show in Northern California, the Fly-In features vintage planes and restored World War II war birds in an airborne extravaganza during Memorial Day Weekend. The streets of downtown Watsonville are lined with Victorian buildings, 1880s storefronts, and the town’s centerpiece, the Watsonville Plaza, which serves as a gathering place for celebrations and festivals. A few blocks away, the Henry J. Mello Center for the Performing Arts boasts the finest acoustics in the county. The Pajaro Valley Arts Gallery features rotating exhibits, while the Pajaro Valley Historical Museum retraces the region’s past. Southern Santa Cruz County’s coastal state parks are often uninhabited, and are perfect for sunset walks along the water’s edge. Watsonville’s unique landscape is rich with options for fun and exploration. 45 a variety of options await visitors to pajaro valley and watsonville “ to celebrate the annual return of the birds, Central Coast bird enthusiasts started the Monterey Bay Birding festival, headquartered in Watsonville…” BAy nAture MAgAzine, July - SePteMBer 2008 Photo: Brad damitz / MBnMS / nOaa www. s a n t a cr u z co u n ty. t r a v e l http://www.santacruzcounty.travel
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