Castles & Kites Festival in Bodega Bay

The Castle & Kites Festival in Bodega Bay was very windy. Good for the kites but not so good for the castles, judging by the number of entries. But we still had a blast. We hooked up with a group of family and friends, assembled a delicious picnic, and enjoyed a wonderful day at the beach. (Click on the photos to enlarge them.)

We picked up smoked turkey sandwiches from Pelican Plaza Grocery & Deli (I think they make the best deli sandwiches in town), packed them with our homemade fruit salad, peanut butter chocolate chip cookies and other picnic goodies, and drove down to Doran Regional Park, locally known as Doran Beach in Bodega Bay.

It was extremely windy but, thanks to my daughter’s fast action, we were fortunate enough to secure our favorite sheltered picnic table on the beach. Doran has about half a dozen tables protected by curved concrete-type walls that provide excellent windbreaks. Each table has its own barbecue pit too, although we didn’t use ours this time. (I actually had a birthday party at this same favorite table a few years ago.)


We brought a gorgeous kite I’d received as a gift from my dear friend Peggy. It’s shaped like a big dragon in bright pink, orange, and yellow, with purple streamers hanging off the wings.





The sky was filled with beautiful kites of all colors, shapes and sizes including a cute fish kite that looked sort of like Little Nemo, and a brown teddy bear kite. There were also stunt flyers zooming their powerful kites over the breaking waves.





There weren’t very many sand castle entries, probably due to the high winds. But we were impressed by those who braved the elements and built massive, detailed castles with towers, windows, winding staircases, and motes.







There was even a woman who sculpted a dog and accompanying dog house. He looked a little like Snoopy but his dog house said “Duke.”



The parks department provided tubs, buckets and tools for castle building.



There were a number of booths set up representing local businesses including Candy & Kites, Second Wind, and the regional parks dept.

If you missed this event but love to fly kites, Candy & Kites says they offer “Friday Night Fun Flies,” every Friday night through the end of September at Doran Beach. Of course you can go fly on your own anytime too, but the Candy & Kites folks are real friendly and offer lots of helpful tips.

Here’s more information about the places I mentioned. And to answer a reader’s question, no I don’t get paid for mentioning any of these businesses. I just love sharing the terrific resources we’ve discovered living here in Bodega Bay.

Pelican Plaza Grocery & Deli (no website)
Pelican Plaza Center at 1400 Hwy 1, Bodega Bay, (707) 875-2522

Doran Regional Park (Doran Beach)
South of Bodega Bay at 201 Doran Beach Road. Directions: Hwy. 1, one mile south of Bodega Bay on Doran Park Road, just past Bodega Harbour Golf Course.

Second Wind
They sell kites, toys, candy, locally made chocolates and more.
1805 N Highway 1, Bodega Bay, (707) 875-9463

Candy & Kites
They sell kites, flags, banners and spinners, salt water taffy, and more.
1415 Coast Highway 1 in Bodega Bay, across from the Pelican Plaza.
Open daily 10:00am - 5:00pm. 707-875-3777

Bodega Bay News

Castles & Kites Festival
We have a fantastic family event coming up next weekend! The annual Castles & Kites Festival will be held Sat. April 25, 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. at Doran Beach Regional Park in Bodega Bay. Admission is free but there is a $6 day use permit to enter the park. They say park representatives will be on hand to provide tools and molds for the castles, and local kite shops will supply some incredible kites and offer kite-making workshops. You can fly your own kite, design a new one, or watch stunt kite demonstrations. I’m really excited. We’ve never been to this before, but we love the annual sand sculpture contest at Drake’s Beach. I hope this will draw similar entries. And of course, who doesn’t love colorful kites soaring in the air? I plan to take lots of photos to share.

Free Live Music in Bodega Bay
Each Thursday evening 5:00-8:00 p.m., Bluewater Bistro presents live music in their lounge with stunning views of Bodega Bay, Doran Beach, and sunsets behind Bodega Head. You can also hear the music in the dining room down below.

On most Sunday afternoons 3:00-5:00 p.m., Gourmet Au Bay offers live music on the deck of their wine bar overlooking the beautiful Bodega Harbor. Check their website for details.

Ren Brown Collection
On Saturday, we dropped by this local art gallery to check out an exhibit by Bruce Johnson--a fabulous sculptor who lives above Timber Cove. Ren Brown Collection is very well-known for their contemporary Japanese art, California artists & sculpture, and antique Japanese furniture, and clients travel from all over the country to visit. You can see continuing and upcoming exhibits at their website.

Earthquake Drill
Bodega Bay is located along the San Andreas fault so we know it’s not a matter of if, but when the next big quake is coming. Fortunately our community has a dedicated Emergency Preparedness Committee that meets year-round, planning and training for The Big One as well as other emergencies.

We’re planning a “mock disaster” drill for Wed., May 13, and encouraging the entire community to participate. The drill will help us become comfortable with what to do first, second, third, etc. and to effectively counter the emotional and situational turmoil of the moment.

Our family has also signed up for CERT training (Community Emergency Response Team). This is a free program through FEMA that trains you to help others in the event of a disaster. Not quite as much fun as castles & kites, but I'm looking forward to it too. :-)

Terrapin Creek Cafe

Terrapin Creek Café is a jewel tucked away at the north end of Bodega Bay. This lovely, intimate restaurant features creative, sophisticated cuisine prepared with local, responsibly raised produce, meats, and seafood. We’re always amazed by their exquisite presentations and delicious flavors.

They recently held a winemakers dinner, which we attended with some guests from out of town. Each course was paired with a selection from Moshin Vineyards of Healdsburg. (The event was sold out, the photo below was taken before everyone arrived.)



Winemaker Rick Moshin gave a presentation covering the history of his family winery, his philosophy, and how his wines are produced.


Our guests are major foodies and wine experts so it was fun and educational to hear their comments. They were very impressed and gave rave reviews of all the food, and enjoyed three of the four wines. Coincidentally, they were visiting while on their way to two wine festivals further down on the central California coast, so this winemakers dinner fit right in with the theme of their trip.

Here’s our menu and the accompanying wines from that evening:

Ceviche of Scallops, Shrimp & Calamari Salad
Citrus Segments, Creamy Avacado, Butter Lettuce, Cilantro
2007 Sauvignon Blanc, Larrick Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley

Pan Roasted Alaskan Halibut
Caramelized Fennel, Sun Dried Tomato & Herb Salad, Romesco Sauce
2006 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley

Pork Tenderloin & Sweet Italian Sausage
French Navy Beans, Swiss Chard, Whole Grain Mustard Jus
2007 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast

Créme Fraiche Cheesecake
Raspberry Sauce
Moshin Poshin No. 7, Late Harvest White

Obviously the lighting conditions were not condusive to appetizing food photography, but here are a couple of shots.





Terrapin Creek Café is owned by Andrew and Liya Truong, a delightful, hard-working, extremely talented young couple who met while going through culinary school.



The ambiance is very nice. They call it casual, I say it’s a step up from that. The dining area is comprised of two small rooms, yet it feels spacious and comfortable. They have an open kitchen where you can watch the food prep, and a small bar in the other room.

The tables are covered in white cloths, walls are painted in warm yellows and reds, the lighting is soft, and local artwork adorns the walls. The paintings are by Robert Devee of the Ren Brown Gallery here in Bodega Bay.



Terrapin Creek Café is located in the Blue Whaleship Shopping Center, 1580 East Shore Rd. right off Hwy. 1, in Bodega Bay. Phone 707.875.2700.

Hours
Lunch: Thursday thru Sunday, 11am to 2:30pm
Dinner: Thursday thru Sunday, 4:30pm to 9pm


View Larger Map

(Top food photo and photo of Andrew and Liya, courtesy of the Terrapin Creek Cafe website.)

Fun at the Fish Fest!

What a beautiful day at the Fisherman's Festival in Bodega Bay! After a month of high winds and chilly temperatures, we really lucked out and today's weather couldn't have been better. It was sunny and warm with only an occasional slight breeze. Staffed by volunteers, the Fisherman's Festival is Bodega Bay's primary annual fundraising event for many worthy community organizations.



It was the first time our family attended and wow, what a blast! The place was packed, and no wonder. Live music, wine tasting, seafood, crafts booths, and more, all right on gorgeous Bodega Harbor with the rolling hills in the background. It was a postcard setting. (You can click on the photos to enlarge them.)


I think the highlight of the day was the Wooden Boat Challenge. Each team had to build a wooden boat in three hours, then race it around a short course in the harbor. Each team had four members or less and received a basic package of building materials.



There were teams with names like the Wasabi Rockets, Buoys in the Hood, and Team Whaleship, representing the Bodega Bay Fire Dept., Santa Rosa Firefighters, US Coast Guard, UC Davis Marine Lab and other local organizations. It was wild! One boat sank. Another one couldn't row straight, crossed directly in front of oncoming boats, and caused at least one collision.



The food was delicious. The fish and chips were fantastic and drew long lines of hungry customers to prove it. The barbecued oysters were also a big hit.




Here's our realtor extraordinaire, Ed Vail, of Coldwell Banker Coast Properties. A dedicated volunteer, Ed has shucked thousands of mouth-watering oysters for this fundraising event over many, many years. Not to be outdone, his wife Jane runs the popular fish & chips booth next door.


Yes, this dog is wearing shades! "Mugsy" is on the shoulder of The Pet Guy who sells all kinds of handmade pet gear under the name of Bite Me Pet Products.


UC Davis Marine Center had a booth displaying sea life from nearby tide pools.


A local llama company had several of these striking animals at their booth. The owners demonstrated how to make the fur into yarn.


The US Coast Guard presented a dramatic demonstration of saving someone from the water. Can you see the guy with the fins jumping down from the helicopter? The "victim" in the water is off to the right.



The live music was fantastic. The Tomales High School Rock Band blew everyone away with their version of Oya Como Va.


The Seven Deadly Zins was an excellent band, the crowd loved them. And there was so much more! Our camera's card filled up before the pet parade so we didn't get any more photos. But we saw tons of adorable, well-behaved dogs. My husband shot this one with his cell phone:


And tomorrow morning, the big event will be the blessing of the fleet and a boat parade. And over at The Links at Bodega Harbour, they're holding a Fisherman's Festival Golf Tournament. What fun!