On Sunday, June 16, we headed down the road to spend a few days in Bodega Bay. The drive was less than an hour, so we opted not to hook the Jeep up to the RV. Instead, I took the Jeep on a scenic route, recommended by several travel guides, called Coleman Valley Road, which winds through the mountains before intersecting with coastal Highway 1 just north of Bodega Bay. The last few miles of the drive were the most dramatic, as the Pacific Ocean came into view. Since there was no place to pull over, I confess that I did just stop in the road a few times (after checking for signs and sounds of nearby cars, of course), turned on the hazard lights, jumped out of the jeep and snapped a few pictures. Below is an example.
On our first day in Bodega Bay, after we set up the RV, I went on a bit of a hike. There was a half mile walking path from our RV Park which supposedly led to a nearby beach. What I discovered when I set out with the map and directions in hand, is that this half mile path actually leads to a paved road, which then leads to a park entrance gate. Beyond the gate, the road continues for another mile or so until it ends in a parking area next to the dunes, which you climb over to reach the beach. I ended up walking about 3 miles round trip and didn’t actually reach the dunes or the beach, but I could see them and the ocean beyond. Talk about the old bait and switch! Still, I did take a few pictures along the way, so it was worth the time and effort.
One of my favorite things about the California coastline, in addition to the drama of the cliffs and rock formations, is the abundant and unusual plant life that can be found there. As I was walking to the dunes, I saw some really funky looking trees and shrubs, photos of which appear below. I didn’t recognize them as being anything I’d seen before…they looked more like a type of cypress than pine to me, with really long branches that curved downward and an overall shape that didn’t narrow much toward the top. And of course, there were some beautiful wildflowers.
Some of the plants, trees and shrubs that I photographed on my hike. I found the evergreens very unusual but it could be that they are common in Northern California and I just haven’t seen them before. Feel free to educate me if you know anything about them. I love the yellow-green shrub with the long “arms”.
Our second day was all about exploring Sonoma Coast State Beach which stretches along the coast for 17 miles from Jenner, where the Russian River dumps into the Pacific Ocean, to just north of Bodega Bay. There are numerous “beaches” along Hwy 1 that make up the State Beach, some of which are little more than scenic pull offs featuring rocky cliffs and a few picnic tables and others which are more developed, with parking lots, bathrooms, picnic facilities and walking paths that lead from the cliffs down to the beaches and rocky outcroppings below.
Again, I remain fascinated by the beautiful wild flowers that grow untended in this inhospitable place. Most grow in a thin layer of soil on the tops of rocks, subjected to harsh sun and strong winds.
There is a funny story associated with the rock formation below. We stopped at Goat Rock Beach and were looking around trying to find the namesake rock. We hadn’t done any research and didn’t know what we were looking for, so we decided this must be it. I could imagine it looking a bit like the face of a goat from the right angle, and Frank agreed.
When we got in the car, I discovered that, it point of fact, another much larger, flat rock which we both completely ignored and I didn’t photograph, was the famous rock. It was named Goat Rock because at one time goats are believed to have grazed on it. Apparently goats are great climbers and are known to climb to find new grazing areas. Now we know.
At the northern end of Sonoma Coast State Beach is the tiny town of Jenner. Here the Russian River flows into the Pacific Ocean. The next two photos are not great shots, but I simply couldn’t get any for various reasons and I really wanted to capture this lovely little enclave and the beauty of the river at this point in its journey.
LMAO about Not Goat Rock!
John, I thought you and several others in particular would enjoy that story. It was comical; we’re wandering around, trying to figure out where in the hell is the rock that looks like a goat! And then, when I decided it had to be that particular one, Frank was completely on board! No wonder absolutely no one else was paying any attention to that rock as I proceeded to take like 10 shots of it!!!
These are stunning pics! Thanks for taking us along on the ride with you!
Hey Tracey,
Great to hear from you. It helps to have stunning scenery to take pictures of but thanks for the compliment.
These are very lovely pictures and I am eager to visit this California region soon. Seeing trees is really refreshing too when one is in Palm Sprigs ! The Russian river area is known for its great wines, but I think mostly Pinot Noir, which you don’t seem to be too fond of? Enjoy the rest of the trip before we see you soon back home.
Thanks for checking in Julie. I was actually cold in Bodega Bay. Its lovely but a bit remote for me.
I really loved the entire Sonoma County area. You are right about Russian River and Pinot Noir, but there are hills nearby where they can grow Zinfandel so that is pretty common as well. It’s interesting to look at the map of AVAs in Sonoma…several of them come together near Healdsburg, so there is quite a surprising variety of wine being produced there. Many of the wineries have vineyards in several different locations to give them a greater range of options in terms of what they can grow.