…yes, there is a place named Jenner-by-the-Sea.
In 2019 I took a day trip north on the PCH. A first for me with photography the reason. I’d been quite as far as I would go in a day trip going south, so north it was, and I was not disappointed.
At the end of the route, I planned to take lunch in a town the map called Jenner. Google Map showed some spectacular views of the coast on the way to and at Jenner. More specifically, Jenner-by-the-Sea, a subsection of Jenner itself. At the heart of the area is what Donna and I have claimed as “our” place. I determined on that first photo trip that I had to bring Donna, and we HAD to stay. We came back in 2020 for an overnight, and a couple other times since. We’ll be back there once I hit the lottery. 😒
At this place, there is no internet, no cable, no cell towers, anywhere. Go here to forget all that shit. I made a trip every morning to the coffee shop in downtown Jenner. It’s about a quarter mile strip with a few shops, a gas station/general store, a flower shop, some high-end artsy places and the coffee shop. There’s a pay phone there. Yup, a real phone booth. On infrequent occasions, if I stood in the right spot at the coffee shop (outside) I got a bar, one bar, on my cell phone and it was a fleeting tease – there and gone.
We’ve stayed in two of the cabins at this place, and once in the apartment below the restaurant. Take a peek for yourself. I bet this is all you’ll need to decide you want to go here. If you’re wondering, no, we didn’t hear a thing from the restaurant above us. They close at 8 pm.
Each cabin and the apartment, as well as the restaurant have spectacular views of the shore. Each cabin and the Apartment have a porch overlooking the end of the river. There’s a couple of pics of the resort itself from the beach (I think its Goat Rock Beach) across the river. The cabin on the lower left is our favorite. We also stayed in the tiny one next door. The larger structure at the top right is the Restaurant, with the apartment below. The day we arrived it was calm with a few rollers smashing the jetty. The next morning was another story. The sea was angry.
The Inn is situated at the mouth of the Russian River. When the tide comes in, there’s an intense battle raging between the waves, sometimes monstrous, and the jetty at the entrance to the river. Seagulls, Cormorants, and Harbor seals call this place home. The Seals have a protected area where they haul out. One section is a nursery. There’s a resident Bald Eagle who visits often for lunch.
The Restaurant is a five-star wonder. Make reservations and ask for a window. Also, if you decide to stay here, the restaurant is not open all week (unless they’ve changed policy), and they are not open for breakfast. We brought a cooler with breakfast foods, snacks, and beverages. They have a coffee maker in the rooms but I’m real picky. We brought my Keurig and some pods. Even residents of the Inn have to make reservations for the restaurant. I would check the menu first. If I were you, I would make those reservations when you book your room.
Not more than five miles south of Jenner, you come to Bodega Bay, a much larger community with many more choices for food, entertainment and shopping. There are beaches everywhere. The water is COLD. Often there are rip-currents and no lifesavers. BEWARE!
NOTE: Both the Restaurant and the Inn are pricey. IMO, both are worth it.
If you clicked on the link and you looked, the internet address for this place is ‘ilovesunsets.com’. It is absolutely known for its incredible, mind-blowing sunsets. The sunsets in this set are merely wonderful. In my next set/post I’ll show our next trip there, we spent four days. WOW!
Popi still luvs ya…
