The Birds by Alfred Hitchcock

Well I finally watched The Birds. I had to. Everyone who hears I’m living in Bodega Bay asks about it, and they’re shocked when I admit I never saw the film. As you may know, this classic Hitchcock thriller was set out here in Bodega Bay, many scenes were filmed on location, and it seems to have put this heavenly coastal village on the map.

As a publicist, I talk to media people across the country every day and when they find out where I am, they invariably mention The Birds. One radio show host back east is a Hitchcock fan and actually came to Bodega Bay just to see the locations. Others say they’ve vacationed on the Sonoma Coast and visited the famous Hitchcock sites while they were here. And many just ask if I’m afraid of the birds. Ha ha!

Before watching the movie, I visited several websites that provide a wealth of background information about the making of the movie as well as photos of scenes that were shot on location,
FilmInAmerica, The Tides, and our local visitor’s site.

Local sites include the Potter Schoolhouse and St. Teresa’s Church in the nearby town of Bodega, Bay Hill Rd., Taylor St., Westshore Rd., Bodega Head, Diekmann’s Market (earlier incarnation) and The Tides restaurant.
The Tides has also been expanded and remodeled since then, but I totally remember it as it was in the movie, smaller and painted white with orange trim. It was one of my grandparents’ favorite spots along the coast.

I loved the movie! What a masterpiece. Here’s a quick summary from IMDB. “A wealthy San Francisco playgirl pursues a potential boyfriend to a small Northern California town that slowly takes a turn for the bizarre when birds of all kinds suddenly begin to attack people there in increasing numbers and with increasing viciousness.”

Bodega Bay and the surrounding area looked beautiful, postcard perfect. And it really was a thrill to see all the local shots throughout the film! In fact, instead of being concerned about the children getting attacked by birds, I found myself saying “Hey, there’s the old Diekmann’s Market!”

Tippi Hedren was gorgeous, wasn’t she? (Turns out she’s Melanie Griffith’s mother.) In recent years, she has come back to Bodega Bay for public appearances to raise funds for her animal conservation work.

The film also stars Rod Taylor, Jessica Tandy, and one of my favorite actresses, Suzanne Pleschette.

I’m so glad to have finally watched this world-famous classic. Not only was it a wonderful film, now I’m prepared for the next time someone says “Oh, you’re in Bodega Bay? Isn’t that where they filmed The Birds?”

Clam Chowder Contest Winners

Spud Point Crab Company won first place in the Bodega Bay Clam Chowder Contest for the fourth year in a row!

The 6th annual free event took place on Sat., Feb. 7, and we had a blast. Our friends Karen and Jim came from Petaluma, and Robin and Jeffrey from Oakland, and together we visited each of the seven participating restaurants to sample their special clam chowder recipes. Jeffrey developed an elaborate rating system that judged by creaminess, texture, "spiciness," number of clams, and overall flavor, but I preferred the Forrest Gump method, "I like it a lot."

Participating Restaurants:

• Spud Point Crab Company

• Bluewater Bistro

• Sandpiper Restaurant

• Claudio’s Trattoria

• Brisas del Mar

• The Boat House

• The Tides

It’s no surprise that Spud Point won first place, we all agreed their bold, creamy, garlicky recipe was our #1 favorite. Opened in 2004 by locals Carol and Tony Anello, their distinctive clam chowder quickly became famous and garnered tons of publicity from near and far. (Coastal Living Magazine recently said they serve the “world’s best clam chowder.”) Tony has been commercial fishing for 35 years and he provides all the fresh fish from his own boat and that of his son and brother. Carol and daughter Lisa run the mostly-outdoor restaurant. (A granddaughter and employee are pictured.) Our family loves this place and we often bring out-of-town guests here. Once I brought a huge batch home for some lunch guests and Carol explained how to carefully reheat it without ruining it. No, I didn't try to take credit for it, I admitted to my guests that it was from the famous Spud Point!

The Visitor’s Center said all six of the other restaurants tied for second place (what?), so allow me to share our second and third place favorites.


Several of us felt that Bluewater Bistro in Bodega Harbour and the Sandpiper Restaurant tied for second place. In fact, in last year’s contest they tied for second along with The Tides Wharf. Bluewater Bistro’s chowder was very gourmet, perfectly seasoned, and had generous chunks of salmon in addition to clams. It was refreshingly light, not as thick and creamy as some of the others.


The Sandpiper’s chowder was deliciously traditional, creamy, and had the perfect blend of herbs. I wanted seconds of this one! The Sandpiper has been getting a lot of press lately due to a dispute with their landlord—apparently he’s been threatening to evict them. They have a big “Save the Sandpiper” banner across the roof, and many locals wear buttons sporting the same slogan.


Karen and Jeffrey really liked the only Manhattan-style chowder on the list, served at Claudio's Trattoria. Maybe because their restaurant is Italian, their chowder had vegetables making it almost like a minestrone. Karen said whenever she craves a perfect bowl of soup, this is exactly what she pictures.

All of the other chowders were tasty too, and it was especially nice to meet and greet the local restaurateurs and thank them for participating in this wonderful annual event. (At The Boat House, the owner’s delightful school-age daughter helped check in tasters who were waiting patiently in long lines, while her mother brought out endless trays of chowder and crackers.) Just imagine how many pots of clam chowder they all served so generously for free that day.

Fortunately we got an early start, the Visitor’s Center said they were overwhelmed with people who came out for this event. They were expecting around 300 people but by noon 400 had shown up and by 2:00 p.m. they had to shut down because they ran out of maps and clam chowder. They ended up counting nearly 800 ballots!

The weather couldn’t have been more inviting. It was a gorgeous, sunny day with no wind. And talk about lucky, the very next day was overcast, chilly and windy, and of course it seems like it has been raining ever since. In fact, I sure could go for some more clam chowder about now. Decisions, decisions…

Wave Therapy at the Coast

We’re finally getting some rain this week and it’s wonderful! In addition to the obvious benefits, out here on the coast it also brings wind and big waves. The sun came out for a while this afternoon so my daughter and I decided to drive up the coast for some “wave therapy.”

There is something calm and soothing yet powerful and energizing about watching huge waves crash against those rugged rocks. Or watching rows of surf roll, curl and break onto the beach. It’s mesmerizing, meditative. Some say it’s the negative ions produced by the crashing waves that make you feel so good. Whatever it is, it works!


I found out it’s hard to take good photos of waves, and I now have a much greater appreciation for photographers who catch wave spray in mid-air. It’s difficult to time, plus my little camera doesn’t shoot immediately when I push the button. There’s always a few-second delay. What’s with that?


There are many beaches along the Sonoma Coast. In Bodega Bay, there’s Doran Park and because it’s on the bay, the waves are much calmer. If you’re looking for action, it’s better to head up the coast a bit to the ocean beaches. We drove north on Hwy. 1 and stopped at Salmon Creek, Arched Rock, and Schoolhouse Beach. My favorite is Portuguese Beach but we didn’t venture that far today. My parents used to take us on family outings to Portuguese when we were kids and we have photos that go way back. We’ve all changed with time but the beach hasn’t.



Many thanks to my friend Shona Weir at Business Services Unlimited for this map. One day when I was dropping off some UPS packages at her shop, I mentioned I wished I could find a map of all the Sonoma Coast beaches. She smiled and said “Here you go!” Ask and you shall receive, thank you Shona! If you click on the image, it should expand so you can read the names of the beaches.



On our way back from the big waves, restored, refreshed, renewed, we saw some deer with beautiful coloring. We have a lot of mule deer around here and they’re usually a sort of grayish buff color. But this afternoon, we saw two that were a beautiful warm, reddish brown color instead. The photo isn’t that great, I couldn’t get very close. We pulled over to the side of the road and observed them across a ravine for quite a while. At first they were grazing in the shrubs on the hillside, then settled down to rest in the wet grass. Another beautiful encounter with nature.

It’s Whale Watch Time at Bodega Head!

Last weekend, we went out to Bodega Head for a hike. The weather was spectacularly sunny and warm and the parking lot was packed. At the far end, we were delighted to find a group of Whale Watch volunteers on hand to answer questions for visitors. Turns out they’re there every weekend 12:00-4:00 p.m. (weather permitting) January through mid-May.

I met Bea Brunn, head of Whale Watch for the Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods. Bea has coordinated this program since it's inception in 1986 and her dedicated weekend volunteers come from as far away as Concord and Sacramento.


She told us Bodega Head is a prime location for watching the annual gray whale migration. According to her website, “The whales begin their journey at their summer feeding grounds off Arctic waters of the Bering, Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. They travel down along the Pacific Coast to their winter calving lagoons off Baja California, Mexico. The whales return after breeding or with their young via the same route, usually closer to shore with the mothers on the outside and the calves closer inland for protection.”

Bea said they’d spotted at least half a dozen whales the day we were there. My husband was watching with a group that saw one spout but I missed it. We’ll go back again soon, with binoculars.


There are two main hiking trails at Bodega Head, one heads north toward Horseshoe Cove and the other goes south and loops around the peninsula. We decided to head south. Near the beginning of the trail there’s a fisherman’s memorial comprised of low cement blocks arranged in the shape of a ship pointing out to sea.


The views on this hike are breathtaking, but don’t take your eyes off the path in front of you. It seems dangerously close to the edge of steep cliffs, which drop straight down to crashing waves and rocks below. We were lucky to be there on such a calm sunny day. Sometimes it’s extremely windy up there and I’d be afraid of getting blown off a cliff in a big gust. Also, the bluffs can be unstable, another reason to keep away from the edge.


It was so beautiful! On the inland side, the surrounding grasslands were fresh and green, and wildflowers were just beginning to bloom. After we hiked along the dramatic cliffs above the ocean for a while, the trail curved around the head and we could see straight across the ocean to Pt. Reyes and Tomales Bay. Bodega Rock was out in the water below and occupied by sea lions barking their heads off.


Further around, we were treated to a striking view looking back into Bodega Bay, Doran Beach and the campgrounds, Bodega Harbor, and the homes on the hillsides. It was fascinating to see it all from this perspective.


Eventually the trail linked up with a dirt road which we followed back around to the main parking lot. What an adventure! That Bodega Head hike offers magnificent world-class views; just imagine how it would be to also see migrating whales along the way. But keep your eyes on the trail!

Gourmet Au Bay, Wine Bar with a View

Gourmet Au Bay is a cool wine bar, bottle shop, and gift store combo right on the water in the heart of Bodega Bay. They feature a wide selection of wines and gifts for sale, a tasting area, and a beautiful deck that looks out over Bodega Harbor, with stunning views of the water, the marina, and Bodega Head. In addition to traditional tastings, they offer “World Famous Wine Surfing,” consisting of three wines of your choice served on a mini-surfboard.

We’d heard from locals that this was a happening place but hadn’t had a chance to stop by. Then, Bodega Bay Grange held a raffle to raise money for their scholarship fund and we won a prize—a gift certificate to Gourmet Au Bay!

No further prompting needed, we went down to check it out on a Friday evening. The place was packed yet the owners, Bob and Sissy Blanchard, immediately came over and greeted us. They welcomed us warmly and introduced us around to other local patrons. We were surprised and delighted to meet other working folks like ourselves. Bodega Bay has a large population of retired people and other than local merchants, we hadn’t met anyone who was still in the workforce. So this is where they hang out! Everyone was very friendly and made us feel right at home.

Sissy explained Wine Surfing to us (a clever Bodega Bay spin on the “flight”) and we made our selections. They offer six selections daily, three reds and three whites. Recent examples were:

WHITES
Chenin Blanc by Man Wunters, South Africa
Pinot Grigio by Tutu, California
Chardonnay by Heron, California

REDS
Pinot Noir by Balletto, Russian River Valley
Zinfandel by Sausal, Alexander Valley
Claret by Steltzner, Napa Valley


We’ve been back several times since then. It’s a fun place to bring guests from out of town, as well as run into locals. Last time, we ran into our auto mechanic and his wife. They’d come over the hill from Sebastopol for the afternoon, and were soaking up the sun on the deck and sipping chilled glasses of Pinot Grigio. (Didn’t I tell you this was paradise?)

Bob and Sissy are good people. And in a way, we can relate to them because they too are following their dream. Last year, they bought this establishment and moved here from Orlando, FL to run it. Since then, they’ve been working hard to provide outstanding customer service, maintain a collection of over 200 premium, boutique and everyday wines, and a gift shop that carries wine- and beach-themed gifts and décor. They also host special events. One Sunday afternoon, we enjoyed live music by guitarist Jason Herum on the deck. Another time, Bob gave out free bowls of his homemade chili, can you believe it? I highly recommend that you stop by and see them.

Gourmet Au Bay, 913 Highway One in Bodega Bay - Just North of the Tides, (707) 875-9875. Open Thursday thru Tuesday 11am to 7pm, Fridays and Saturdays 'til 8pm.