Sonoma Vacation: Goat Rock Beach at Jenner

Wildlife interlude.

So after settling in to our cottage at Fern Grove Cottages in Guerneville, (definitely "quaint," meaning "small" but quite nice), we realized we had a bit of time before dinner, so we took a leisurely drive out towards Jenner and crossed over to Goat Rock Beach in hopes of spotting some seals.

Unfortunately, although there are signs advising us not to harass the seals, and ropes up, there are no seals to be seen.

Nevertheless, the beach is gorgeous, and I'm totally fascinated by the flocks and flocks of pelicans, who scatter themselves among the sea gulls all across the beach and sail inches away from the water at the mouth of the Russian River.

They look like nothing so much as the neo-pterodactyls they are, and as each group comes in for a landing, I peer at them, wondering what desert island they've been hiding on since the Mesozoic Era.


I sidle over to get a better look at him, and that amazing neck stretches out, ET-like, to get a better look at me.

We eye each other for a bit, and then he waddles off a step or two and I realize that they're even more absurdly ungainly on land than swans.

But when they take off, suddenly, they're like alien warplanes. No sagging chin full of fish, no thick feet, just streamlined darts cutting through the air. They look dangerous, and prehistoric. As I watch them sail over Goat Rock, I can't hlp but wonder if this is what dinosaurs saw standing on this beach?

No tourists, no taco stand, no wineries or marketing materials. Just gorgeous coastline.

Back to our itinerary.