Bodega Bay Vacation Rentals

Hitchcock has left indelible imprint on the Bodega
There is a scene from Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds," near the beginning of the film, where Tippy Hedren is speeding her sports car through the green rolling countryside. Suddenly the camera pulls back to show a village bay and the sea that are so pristine and picturesque they would do justice to any fine painting.

The film then proceeds to allow thousands of birds to terrorize this idyllic place and run Tippy and boyfriend Rod Taylor completely out of the city. Fortunately, it was just a movie and we are pleased to announce that the film village - Bodega Bay - has survived to become even more popular getaway than it was before Hitchcock chose for his film.

In fact, birds are big business in Bodega. You can not cross the street without a reminder that the movie was filmed there. The Tides Restaurant - featured prominently in the movie - now has a souvenir shop which has become a virtual museum with its shelves and shelves of stuffed birds, Hitchcock posters, location photos and just about any What kind of clothes you want wearing a variation of Bodega Bay or "The Birds." Of course, whether the "real" restaurant burned down long ago and the replacement buildings do not resemble those used in the film.

What remains is the same sleepy seaside village that appeared in the film. While there were certainly many new buildings added since the film's release in 1963, the city retains the same character so evident in the film.

Our suggestion would be to rent "The Birds" before taking your trip to Bodega Bay. It'll be fun comparing the many places in the film how they look now, 40 years later, and the film will also give you a good idea of what to expect when you get there - as long as you ignore the birds.

You can also ignore a few geographic inconsistencies. For example, one of the most memorable scenes of the film is when the birds attack the children at the rural school children and attempt a retreat in good order of the only school forced march towards the shouts and waterfront. In the town of Bodega, you can visit Potter school that you remember the movie.

Another great place to correspond with the film landscape is to take Bay Hill Road from the village area just over a mile up in the hills above Bodega Bay. Soon you'll be able to return to Bodega and see exactly the same "plan" of the bay that Hitchcock used in the first scenes of the film.

Back down at the Tides Restaurant, there is still a bit of the flavor of the waterfront view in the film. trawlers bring their fresh fish at a seafood company on the quay, and there are always plenty of barking sea lions hoping to dine on leftovers. In the film, Tippy rented a small motorboat at the dock before the car across the bay to the house of her new boyfriend.

Now, for those who do not care about movies, Bodega Bay was established well before a trip "The Birds" was released. The countryside along this stretch of scenic coast of California is a paradise for lovers of the ocean. It also helps that the area is relatively easy to reach from the San Francisco Bay - less than two hours from almost anywhere in Bay area, most of the motorway.

We spent the night at the Bodega Bay Lodge and Spa, the only Four Diamond resort area. The property is located on the southeast shore of Bodega Bay and provides a great space for you to go explore the bay. Images, sounds and smells of the bay are there - especially the horns heard faintly in the distance, guiding ships away from dangerous shores.

The lodge is spread in a series of buildings that have been updated with a Cape Cod style. Our suite was tastefully decorated like a high-end studio w.