Bodega, California sits down in a
valley with rolling hills six miles from the Pacific Ocean. Not to be
confused with Bodega Bay, it is the inland counterpart to the seaside
village. In the photo above, you can see Bodega sits at the base of a
rolling mountain formation.
Bodega is a located
approx. six miles from the sea and another place called Bodega Bay. The
two places are separate entities, but the do share a common bond. Both
were used for location filming of the movie, "The Birds", by Alfred
Hitchcock.
What caught our eye in Bodega was
the historic look and feel of this small, serene seeming place. And
artisans' coop was worth a stop
and provided excellent gift buying opportunities for women in our lives,
especially. Scarves, knitted items and art are all hand-made,
representing an esteemed list of artists. (artisansco-op.com)
Among the majority women artists
represented at this coop (there are several men), you'll find souvenirs
such as Annie Murphy Springer's watercolor paintings & notecards that
include scenes from "The Birds". Art glass, woven tote bags,
photography, gourd art, basketry, hand sewn children's clothing, woven
rugs, felted apparel, keychains and jewelry, locally grown woolen
products, award winning original hand knits, handcrafted wood pens, and
more, all fine quality crafts are sold. Vera Van Schaick, Joy Ridge
Pottery; Judy Lange, Cherry Ridge Farm; Martha Cant, Starbuck Station
Wools; Judy Fisher; Edith Nelson; Alice Rantos; Carolyn Horan: Appletree
Ceramics; Kelly Horan; Ange'l Fiorito-Leddy: Windwalkers Sheerling
Slippers; Nancy Roberts: Fused Glass Art and on and on. The
representation of artists is just awesome.
While you'll find some limited
shopping in Bodega Bay, do stop at the Artisans Co-op in Bodega. It
offers one of the best shopping experiences of hand-crafted, quality
items you'll find in California.
When stopping and shopping, book a
hotel room at a luxury sport,
Bodega Bay Lodge & Spa. I booked a room with a fireplace and bay
views overlooking lush greens and Doran Park. I truly felt I got lucky
by picking this hotel. I loved the drapes and fabric treatments with
little beach chairs on them. The quality balcony doors with large wood
slat shutters, nice bed, and the hotel greens were all peaceful,
privileged and the gym with attached spa was a delight. There's nothing
like working out at night with the windows to the beach open, blowing in
a cool ocean breeze while one exercises on a treadmill and lifts
weights.
Bodega Bay < Bodega >
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