Click photos to enlarge.Inspired by Lisa Mann's post in SonomaontheCheap.com, my daughter and I headed up the coast to see the seal pups at Goat Rock Beach, just north of Bodega Bay.
We never made it because we were distracted by another fascinating sight. Along the road out to the beach parking lot, we came upon a paraglider perched on a cliff above the ocean. Captivated by his enormous, colorful "wing," we pulled over and waited for him to launch. Our patience was rewarded and we watched in awe as he lifted off and began soaring silently above the rocky cliffs.
He rode the gentle winds back and forth above our heads for about ten minutes and my daughter shot this video clip:
At one point when he saw our camera, he swooped down for a close-up. We were certain he was going to land on the roof of our car when he asked "Close enough for ya?" Then he grinned, pulled on his suspension lines, and floated back out over the ravine.
I've since learned that Goat Rock is a very popular site for paragliders. It must have excellent wind conditions as well as spectacular views. Of course my daughter, always up for a new adventure, immediately wanted to know how she could learn to paraglide. The only place I found that gives lessons is down on the peninsula. Does anyone know of any paraglide trainers here in Sonoma County? Not that I'm signing her up or anything...
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You are such a great photographer, Kathlene! My daughter wants to try that, too. We once met a paraglider who let her get in the harness (but not in the air). My daughter is dying to skydive, but thankfully they won't let her go until 18. She did try indoor skydiving (http://sonomaonthecheap.com/2010/03/indoor-skydiving-deal/) which gives you the feeling of skydiving, but you're actually in an indoor vertical wind tunnel. My husband hoped that would stop her from actually skydiving, but no luck. She REALLY wants to skydive now.
ReplyDeleteGreat tip, thanks Lisa! I checked out your indoor skydiving link and it looks like a blast. But same as you, I think it will make her want to do it MORE! Let us all know if you find any good deals on paragliding too. I hear you can go tandem with an experienced instructor which might be fun.
ReplyDeleteWe still plan to make it up to see the seal pups soon!
Hi Kathlene, once again I learned about something going on here that was new to me, great Blog. FYI they teach in Marin on Mnt Tamalpais
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sfhanggliding.com/paragliding.html
Thanks for the great lead John, I appreciate it!
ReplyDeleteYou just can't beat "Eagle Paragliding" in Santa Barbara. In fact, my family, 2 brothers my sister in law and my father (76 yrs old) all traveled from Atlanta to learn at their fantastic facility in Santa Barbara.
ReplyDeleteIf that's too far, I highly recommend Wally at Merlin Flight School. He teaches at Milpitas and Pacifica. There is also another instructor that teaches at these same places, but avoid him and go with Wally.
You just can't beat "Eagle Paragliding" in Santa Barbara. In fact, my family, 2 brothers my sister in law and my father (76 yrs old) all traveled from Atlanta to learn at their fantastic facility in Santa Barbara.
ReplyDeleteIf that's too far, I highly recommend Wally at Merlin Flight School. He teaches at Milpitas and Pacifica. There is also another instructor that teaches at these same places, but avoid him and go with Wally.