Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
fully executed, while the Dungeness crab salad is fresh, briny and perfect. Jazz and warm
light complete the atmosphere.
Gourmet Au Bay
WINE BAR
(913 Hwy 1; 11am-6pm Thu-Tue)
The back deck of this wine bar offers a salty breeze with wine tasting.
BLOODTHIRSTY BIRDS OF BODEGA BAY
Bodega Bay has the enduring claim to fame as the setting for Alfred Hitchcock's The
Birds. Although special effects radically altered the actual layout of the town, you still get
a good feel for the supposed site of the farm owned by Mitch Brenner (played by Rod
Taylor). The once-cozy
Tides Restaurant
,
where much avian-caused havoc occurs in the
movie, is still there but since 1962 it has been transformed into a vast restaurant com-
plex. Venture 5 miles inland to the tiny town of Bodega and you'll find two icons from the
film: the schoolhouse and the church. Both stand just as they did in the movie - a crow
overhead may make the hair rise on your neck. The
Bodega Country Store
(
8am-8pm)
claims to have more The Birdsartifacts than anywhere else in the world.
The movie's star Tipi Hedren, now in her 80s, visits Bodega Bay at least once a year to
help with local events and fundraisers. She also was in town for the movie's 50th an-
niversary festival in 2013 and there are hopes that the event will become annual.
Coincidentally, right after production of The Birdsbegan, a real-life bird attack oc-
curred in Capitola, the sleepy seaside town south of Santa Cruz. Thousands of seagulls
ran amok, destroying property and attacking people.
Information
Sonoma Coast Visitor Center
VISITOR CENTER
(
707-875-3866;
www.bodegabay.com
; 850 Hwy 1;
9am-5pm Mon-Thu & Sat, to 6pm Fri,
10am-5pm Sun)
Opposite the Tides Wharf. Stop by for the best help on the coast and for a copy of the
North Coaster
, a small-press indie newspaper of essays and brilliant insights on local cul-
ture.
