Bodego Bay

That's how my kid keeps saying it. We've corrected her a thousand times, telling her it's Bodega Bay, but she doesn't care. She's a strong willed kid, and it's just par for the course that she doesn't listen to the parents. We're in for a rough couple of years when she becomes a teenager.

So we spent a few days up in Bodega Bay, renting a new vacation home up there. The house was fantastic, with a professional kitchen, a large family room, nice bedrooms, and great views. Out the front we could see a green chaparal landscape. Out the back we could see the local marina. Three families, each with their own bedroom and bathroom.

Bodega Bay is a quiet fishing town. There's not a lot to do there. And for the most part, that was fine. Mostly, we spent time around the house relaxing. Little J had a playmate of the same age, which meant we could just let them run around together. But we did take a quick trip to the point. We were contemplating a hike, but the wind was aggressive and it didn't make a whole lot of sense. We also stopped by the beach for a while. Little J fell in the ocean and walked out a sand monster. She was thrilled, but gave Wifey a cow.

One of the highlights was going down to Hog Island Oyster. They taught us how to shuck our own oysters. Our group ate over sixty oysters, about half raw and half grilled. I guess the good news is that if I had to depend on nothing but oysters for my diet, if I had a knife, I probably wouldn't starve on day one.

Each night one of the families prepared a meal. It was a great time of bonding, and when you add it all, reasonably priced and less than two hours away. Little J is still asking when she can go back.