It might seem, in retrospect, rather odd that in the 1960s there were plans to build a nuclear power plant on Bodega Head, the striking bluffs that separate the Pacific Ocean from the entrance to Bodega Bay. Digging commenced and, per Northern California progressive tendencies, people protested. Alas, the project was canceled when it became known that the reactor would be sitting on the north end of the San Andreas Fault.
Geology’s threat is our gain. Bodega Head and its trails offer stunning views of the Pacific are more than a treasure. As you gaze up and down the coast, you realize what you are seeing is virtually no different than what Spanish explorers saw when they were poking around here in the late 1700s. Few places offer the experience of something genuine and unique, yet so close and so different.
That feeling of unchanged natural beauty extends from the bluffs to the large salt marsh near Doran State Beach. In no time, what you feel here is a deeper sense of tranquility.
Located about 75 minutes north of San Francisco, Bodega is an easy go-to when it comes for a chance to see unique terrain and climate. When it is 100 degrees in the inland valleys, Bodega Bay offers a dose of cooling fog. While cold winter temps settle here, you can find vast vistas overlooking the Pacific at more moderate temperatures.
The area is full of hiking and bike trails, but tourism is a major economic engine, as evidenced by many surf and taffy shops. The marina is full of fishing and crab boats, which is expected for one of the best spots on the West Coast for sports fishing.
Golfers can be satiated by the Bodega Bay Golf Links just one exit before the center of town. This Robert Trent Jones II-design opened in 1986 and calls its “links style.” The front nine does indeed have some links to the feel, but the steep inclines on the back nine are more Northern California than traditional Scotland. Still, you can’t beat the views.
Whether it’s golf or hiking the bluffs or walking the Bird Walk through the marsh at Doran Beach can bring an appetite, and Bodega Bay is boastfully rich in clam chowder or fresh seafood places. Bucolic stops like Spud Point, Rocker Oysterfellers and Lucas Wharf all feature the best of the sea as well as farm-to-table fare. Terrapin Creek earned a Michelin star in the 2010s and meets the highest standards of the most ardent foodie.
For those who want to add some extravagance, there’s The Lodge at Bodega Bay. Each of the 83 rooms of this 50-plus-year-old luxury inn offers views of Doran Beach and the Marina. Counting the swimming pool and full-service to go along with banquet and meeting rooms, The Lodge meets the needs for those putting on weddings and reunions and even corporate meetings, or those just wanting an overnight indulgence. It’s been rated Northern California’s best hotel and recently received highest honors from Conde Nast readers as their “most favorite hotel.”
A day trip there can easily extend longer, and Bodega Bay has plenty of hotels, though it’s best to plan ahead. And as you leave, what you might have remembered as the background for famous films like the “The Birds” by Alfred Hitchcock or “The Fog”, among others, ultimately has evolved into a treasure so easily enjoyed to us in northern California.
