Coastal Traveler - Summer 2007 - (Page 40)

coastalthe sonoma coast rugged beauty By Peter Jamison The Sonoma Coast: Sonoma County’s 76-mile coastline strikes the fancy of a motley array of visitors. This area has in turn hosted the easternmost outpost of tsarist Russia; the production set of Alfred Hitchcock’s famous horror film, The Birds; and a 24-mile wall of white cloth built over ranchland by conceptual artist Christo Javacheff. Valley Ford Traveling north, one first encounters Valley Ford, a small village surrounded by grassy hillsides. Stop to stretch your legs and browse the fun and unique gifts of Gabby Girl or the local artisan crafts of West County Design, a gallery for the home. The Valley Ford Hotel is one of the original buildings remaining from the mid-1800’s and has been lauded for its historical preservation. Housing six charming guest rooms and an excellent restaurant/saloon featuring BBQ oysters and local foods in Southern-inspired cuisine, you should not pass through this charming town without stopping to experience Sonoma County. The town of Bodega A few miles north is the 19th century town of Bodega, the town where Alfred Hitchcock’s chose to film his 1963 film The Birds. Historic landmarks such as Potter School (est. 1863) and St. Theresa’s Church (est. 1860) were featured in the film. Antique hunters and flea-market buffs will find much to pick through in Bodega’s roadside strip of stores. Bodega Landmark Studio exhibits and sells local fine art and craft in its gallery. Freestone & Occidental West of Sebastopol along the Bodega Highway is Freestone, with its renowned day spa, Osmosis. There is also an excellent bakery, Wild Flour Bread, open only Friday through Monday. A bit further on is the onetime railroad town of Occidental. Historically recognized for its Italian restaurants, Occidental now boasts a variety of artisans’ galleries and other restaurants. The town of Bodega Bay Five miles north of the Bodega turnoff on Highway One is Bodega Bay, the largest community on the Sonoma County coast. The town has many places to eat; the best-known are two bayside restaurants, Lucas Wharf and The Tides. Both extend over the water, and diners can watch fishing boats coming and going in the harbor while they enjoy excellent seafood. But the gourmet’s favorite is the highly regarded Seaweed Café, where most of the food comes from within 30 miles of the restaurant. Overnight lodgings can be found at the nearby Inn at the Tides. Many of the Please turn to page 42 40 coastaltraveler summer

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Coastal Traveler - Summer 2007

Coastal Contents Coastal Connoisseur Coastal Surfer Coastal Review Coastal Rider Coastal Map Coastal Maifesto Sausalito - Tiburon Mill Valley Muir Beach Stinson Beach Bolinas Olema San Geronimo - Nicasio Fairfax Inverness - Inverness Park Point Reyes Station Point Reyes Station and Dillon Beach Sebastopol Petaluma Sonoma Coast Healdsburg Mendocino - Redwood Coast Lake County Napa Santa Cruz Monterey Carmel-by-the-Sea Big Sur

Coastal Traveler - Summer 2007

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