Beginning at the Bay

The first new morning of 2022 had us hitching up the house and cruising up to the Northern Coast of California. Beautiful weather carried us out of the desert, over a mountain pass, through a long agricultural valley filled with citrus and nut trees and along a windy! narrow! tree slung! road to our new coastal home, Bodega Bay. 

We are set up to workamp here at Bodega Bay RV Park for a new season, helping customers with reservations and orientation, in addition to taking care of the grounds and all 70+ sites in the park. The family who runs the business have made us feel very welcome. They are a pair of brothers, a son and his girlfriend and have enlightened us to their joys of how-to crabbing, local history, favorite chowders, adventure cats, and vegan motorcycle clubs.

The honeymoon period for any new place we settle is so exciting to explore! We are pretty smitten with visiting the beach at all times of day, especially for sunset on the Pacific and its ensuing stunning photographic opportunities. The coast is just over a mile walk from the RV Park or a quick hop & drive to several other new favorite spots, like Salmon Creek. Dune hiking strengthens the legs and barefoot walks along the water exfoliate the feet! You could also sit there forever watching surfers glide at Bodega Dunes, shore birds digging for clams at Doran Beach and sea lions lounging and fishing in the currents at the mouth of the Russian River. Investigating tide pools filled with sea grasses, crabs, starfish and anemones is also a new favorite at Schoolhouse Beach! 

Beyond the fragrant eucalyptus and cypress trees along the coast are forests of giant redwoods just inland ready to receive water from the sudden rolling fogs. These otherworldly walks at Armstrong Woods and The Grove of Old Trees easily transport us to Endor or Lothlorien. We watch the sunlight streak through the towering trees and and sense the magic in the quiet.

Small towns in the hills and on the coast are perfect for finding a little history of settlement in this part of California. They have such charming names like Occidental, Petaluma and Sebastopol. Their local artists and gardens of “exotic” succulents frequently catch our eye. We (I mean Jesse) spot all the adorable coffee shops to try along the way, though the closest one, Left Coast Coffee, is literally a one minute stroll from our house. Oh, and of course there’s the seafood. We are slowly working our way through all the chowders of Bodega Bay and hope to get some kick ass crab cakes soon since it is Dungeness season.

All in all, it sure is nice to be settled for a while, to feel productive with work and to have the time and space to go out and find some of the beauties in this part of the world.