Bodega Bay, California

Bodega Bay really is one of the North Bay’s best-kept secrets. While most North Bay residents travel to nearby Stinson Beach on a sunny day and sit in traffic for hours, an extra half hour up the 101 will get you to the turnoff that takes you to this little coastal town where The Birds was filmed.

The beaches here are just as good as they are further south, and a fraction as crowded. Doran Beach is about as family-friendly as one can get without importing the Atlantic Ocean’s warmer tides, and further north, Bodega Head gives the dramatic, cliff-side scenery that California is all about. The harbor is great for windsurfing and kite boarding, and the town, although small, has a charming, seaside village feel to it.

One should also be aware that idyllic, sunny beach days are few and far between this far north on the Pacific. Most days, if not cloudy and foggy for the duration, at least start out that way. Either way, the sunsets here are remarkable.


As far as living here…that’s another story. The one grocery store is highly overpriced, and the nearest major town, Sebastopol, is about 40 minutes away. Nightlife is minimal – there is one bar in nearby farm town Bodega, which has a very…local…scene.

But for that individual, that one person for whom the beach and proximity to the redwoods are more important than a vibrant nightlife or cell phone reception, Bodega Bay might just be the perfect place.