This has been one of the nicest weekends in Bodega Bay in a long time. After an unusually long, foggy summer, we finally enjoyed clear skies, no wind, and temperatures in the 70s!
Of course, the beaches were packed, Doran Beach’s parking lots were full by midday and a steady parade of visitors streamed through town up Hwy. 1.
The water was really the place to be! It was such fun to see kids wading along the mud flats in the harbor, powerboats cruising out to sea, and a colorful Hobie Cat race, the Sharkfeed Regatta, that took place Saturday and Sunday on Bodega Bay, right off Doran Beach. Here are some photos of the festivities.
View across harbor looking toward The Tides Inn and Restaurant.
View across harbor looking towards Old Town Bodega Bay and the abandoned boat.
View of boating channel through the harbor, behind Doran Park campground.
Backside of Doran Park beach and campground.
Sharkfeed Regatta, Hobie Cat Race Sept. 26-27
I think this is a godwit.
SeagullWe finally had an opportunity to take my new kayak out for her maiden voyage and it was a blast! However, I don't have any photos to document the big event because I didn't want to risk getting my camera wet. We set off from Campbell Cove beach, near Hole-in-the-Head. The soft sand makes it a great place to launch kayaks, but it's a bit of hike down from the parking lot.
Campbell Cove Beach. Doesn't this look like a scene from Gilligan's Island?We rowed along the base of Bodega Head and watched the Hobie Cat race out on Bodega Bay, then turned up Bodega Harbor toward town. Hugging the shore, we passed an enormous flock of what seemed fifty or more beautiful white pelicans on a sandbar-boy I wished I had the camera. As we rowed quietly past, several stretched their wings to reveal the black edges. Here's a stock photo of what they looked like:
We also saw several harbor seals and hundreds of shore birds. Next time I'll try to bring my camera. It was a perfect day to kayak because there wasn't any wind, the water was calm, and the tide was high all day. Even low tide was higher than some day's high, does that make sense? Ttfn!
It's amazing that such a lovely community has been hiding under that fog all this time. You're the only one out there exposing Bodega Bay as the treasure that it clearly is. My family is planning a vacation out there in the future. Thank you for this wonderful blog.
ReplyDeleteI love reading your blogs. My family and I have always loved camping at Doran beach since I was young. It was something my dad did as a child as well. So needless to say Bodega Bay is a family favorite. It's so great to read about the great things going on there that I never knew about. I also love how your pictures capture the beauty of the place we all love so much. Keep up the great work.
ReplyDeleteWow, thank you very much! I enjoy seeing the families camping at Doran and across at Westside Park. Everyone seems so happy, with their kids and dogs all running around and having a ball. It's clear you all are creating wonderful memories for the next generation as well.
ReplyDeleteSuch a beautiful spot.
ReplyDeletevery nice.