A
pretty, if a bit
tourist-y,
coastal Californian town, located approximately 240
miles from San Francisco and
Los Angeles. Originally settled during the
1860s (in part by
Italian-speaking
Swiss imigrants) as a
quicksilver mining and
fishing community, and later focusing on
timber and
farming.
Today, the primary
industry is Tourism. The modern town is divided into
three areas:
East Village,
West Village, and
Moonstone Beach. East and West Village are located inland and feature many
galleries,
antique shops, and dining. As the
name implies, Moonstone Beach is on the coast of the
Pacific Ocean and features a
variety of
lodgings, many with ocean views.
Arachnophobia was filmed (in part) here.