Tidepools of Miwok Beach
pictures and text (c) Stephen Martin
On Highway One, just north of Bodega Bay and just south of
Coleman Valley Road is a place where cars can pull off the road
and park.
There’s enough room there for maybe ten cars.
If you can’t find a place, go a
little more south to Salmon Creek Beach
and you’ll find lots more parking.
Whether or not you walk down the cliffside steps to the
beach or not is your choice.
The view from the bluffs is spectacular and many
people simply sit in their cars and take photos of if from up there.
However, for those who don’t mind a bit of a climb along a
gravel trail,
you can go down to the beach and walk among the tidepools.
It’s a
fun place to walk and look at the creatures that live in the
puddles, but don’t
disturb them. Leave it as you found it.
Although we saw no accommodations, it is a very nice place
for a family picnic.
Simply pick up your trash before you leave.
| From the top of Coleman Valley Road we could see the expanse of the ocean before us. What a majestic view! |
| Following the descending narrow road, we were delighted by the pine trees and coastal sage. Great photographic opportunities, with wild calla lilies here and there. And then to see the tide pools at the edge of the coast like this, and almost no one else around ... |
| It seemed that most people are like us; finding this beach while
merely on a road trip. A few pulled off to the side to take pictures.
Only a few of us went down the steps that lead to the water.
A family just south of us was mostly school age girls running and jumping and scampering about while laughing and shrieking with delight as they darted into the surf. Only the youngest gal wore a swimsuit. The dad brought a fishing pole, and stood at the shoreline hoping to catch either a fish or some peace and quiet. The mama watched over everyone, waving and nodding to whoever needed someone to show off to. The waves ran up and tickled their ankles before racing away in a rush of laughter and giggles. Shelley was walking among the tidepools as careful as she could so as not to disturb anything. Our son, Dave, was with me while Shelley struck up a conversation with a young father and his elementary-age son who were also in the tide pools. I think she was too busy watching her feet to notice anyone else on the beach. She was pointing to the sand at the base of the crystal pools, giving away the locations of tiny fish that were darting about. We saw a crab that looked like a rock, but then no a spider walking sideways, then looking still as a rock again. We stayed about an hour and then we were done. Time for that southbound highway once again!
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The term "Miwok" refers to the Native Americans that originally lived in this northern California area. "Miwok" when translated into English means "people." Coyotes were coyotes, birds were birds, and people were people. Easy enough language, right? As a way of life, they were hunters and gatherers. Similar to us, they lived on salmon and other fish, as well as deer, acorns, and nuts. Unlike our modern government, they lived independently in small autonomous groups. Customs would vary slightly from group to group but be similar for the most part. Laws were decided upon by the leaders of the groups. Their religion can be classified as shamanic, in that the spirit world played an important part in human's lives. The Miwok religious ceremonies included elaborate dancing and dramatic acting. They saw the coyote as their ancestor and creator-god. Bibliography: Thoughts: Do you believe in the spirit world? Do you think spirits play a role in our world today? Do you think governments would work better if we all kept to small, individual groups? Do you think religious ceremonies impact the forces of nature?
My hobbies include writing poetry about the faeries, elves, gnomes, mermaids and magic of the Sebastopol, Bodega Bay, Sonoma County area. Like to read? I wrote Nude Tea which is available at online bookstores like Barnes and Nobles. My
44 Summer Stories are available at WildChildPublishing.com
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