Bodega is a charming little town
with some local interest shops and a coop of artist products. It's worth
a stop on your trips along the northern California coast.
As luck would have it, I
drove by this coop in Bodega on my trip exploring the northern
California coast and the city,
Bodega Bay. I found this fantastic hotel on the Internet, the
Bodega Bay Lodge & Spa, and in one of my free-form road journeys
simply made it a goal to arrive at this hotel one night. Beyond that,
all plans were open. Arriving during a fog that's so typical of this
region, I dined at a seafood restaurant on the misty bay and got to know
a couple from nearby Rohnert Park. They were having cocktails and in a
happy mood. They seemed to really like each other, something you don't
always see in middle aged couples who've let the spark disappear.
After learning that I'd just
missed Tipi Hedron, an actress whose role in Alfred Hitchcock's, The
Birds, put this lovely blonde on the map, I explored the town and
discovered this fishing village wasn't just a getaway for the San
Francisco crowd. It still retained an essence captured in that movie.
Leaving foggy Bodega Bay and
heading east on windy Highway 1, I came up on this fantastic little
town, right out of a film set, itself. I stopped my car and wandered
into the Artisan Co-op shown in the photos above. The place was crowded
and neatly cluttered with art glass, scarves, woven hats, and gift
cards, as well as some jewelry. If you could focus, the treasures were
really top quality gifts. The sun was shining just six miles inland from
Bodega Bay in Bodega, and the open road ahead beckoned me to get back
outside and keep on driving.
What I discovered about this
artists' coop, however, is that you can shop online. And one gem that
makes a great souvenir for those caught in the spell of Bodega Bay (like
I was), is an artist's rendering by artist Annie Murphy Springer of The
Birds school house. Bodega is home to the Potter School, better known as
the schoolhouse in Alfred Hitchcock's classic thriller. It is one of the
most photographed and painted motifs in northern California and one of
Annie's favorite subjects, the local resident of over 30 years states on
her website, anniemurphyspringer.com. Her set of notecards is quite
affordable, and makes a super gift for Hitchcock fans, or for those who
love Bodega & Bodega Bay.
Bodega Bay < Bodega >
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