Page 38 - Sonoma County Gazatte May 2017

Shaping the Sonoma-Mendocino Coast
Sea Ranch for several decades now, seasoned geologist Thomas Cochrane introduces us to the ground beneath our feet in his just-published book, Shaping the Sonoma-Mendocino Coast – Exploring the Coastal Geology of Northern California, which is already available at over 40 retail locations in the two counties, including several state parks regionally.
Book review by Jeane Slone
Having made his home at The
Outdoor enthusiasts will be
particularly drawn to a unique aspect
of this new title – namely its 85-mile
“Road Log” which utilizes highway mile markers in leading the reader on a self- guided geological tour up Highway 1 beginning in Bodega Bay and concluding in the tiny hamlet of Elk in Mendocino County. The Executive Director of Sonoma Land Trust, Dave Koehler, wrote an enthusiastic endorsement for the book on the back jacket. Not only does the Road Log bring to life the rst part of the book’s overview of the complex and interconnected natural (and sometimes manmade) forces which have shaped our stretch of California’s shoreline. It delightfully includes information on best hikes, picnics, campgrounds, parking access, restrooms, and restaurant recommendations sprinkled in. Unlike most geology road logs, which only o er a dozen or so spots to check out, this book o ers a whopping 150 stops in all.
resurrected huge “Steam Donkey”. Experienced volunteers work in rhythm with these and you can embed the sounds and smells of one of
our founding industries. It is both primal and detailed, full of historic and amusing info about local families and businesses, and an immersed steam-punk dream.
To further esh out the telling of our region’s coastal story, Shaping the Sonoma-Mendocino Coast also contains over four dozen maps, diagrams, and gorgeous color photos. Cochrane is a former teacher and de nitely has a knack for distilling complex earth science into digestible information for the average reader who knows little or nothing of this topic, making the material easy to understand...and enjoy.
reasonably priced lunch is available near the The resurrected “Steam Donkey” large picnic area, and sometimes you’ll catch (photo courtesy of Sturgeon Mill) a draft horse demo while you eat. Admission
After our miserably soggy winter, grab a copy of this book and hop in the car now that the sun’s returned to engage in some rsthand exploration of some of our nearby fascinating geological oddities – among them sea stacks, “gargoyles,” and the truly bizarre and puzzling Bowling Ball Beach among numerous other locales. There’s also an entire chapter on our ever-present worry, the San Andreas Fault, providing information as well as insights which help us better understand the over-arching role it continues to play in shaping the coast we see today. Rounding out this “primer for those interested in the often mysterious interplay of water, wind, earthquakes and other geologic events, processes, and stressors at work in the natural world” is a nal chapter recounting human impact on our fragile coastal region.
The Mill is only open 4 weekends a year plus a few school tour only days. May 6-7th is the opener, followed by June 17-18th, Sept. 16-17th and Oct. 14-15th.
Sturgeon Steam Mill
Just down the way we have a local treasure of a working museum, The Sturgeon Steam Mill. It features ancient steam-driven machinery including the sawmill itself, the planer that hoots out giant smoke rings, and the newly
Great for geezers and wee ones both, one can watch live blacksmiths shaping white hot steel, see the sawyer “ride” the huge circular blade through the enormous logs. Stroll the historic garden and museum of artifacts, go under the mill to see the workings, and check out the
old toolhouses and the paycheck office. Fresh,
is free (donations welcome). Being a popular destination for car clubs and motorcycle rides often makes the parking lot part
of the show. Just be sure and spare your dog the startling loud steam whistles and leave it home – really. No Fidos allowed.
TOTS and Tourists
Spring is finally allowing us to take breaths between rains and enjoy our blindingly green hills, and run errands without wondering if we will have to brave flooded roads or come home to the power out — again. It also heralds the start of tourist season. The downtown street of Graton is wall-to-wall cars on weekends and our bouquet of great eateries is buzzing with hungry visitors. Instead of floods, we contend with slow, curious drivers (who have hopefully been spitting tastes as they tour the wineries).
It is easy to lose patience as we barrel down the local roads, threading the unending potholes and patches with jaded practice. We mutter about the new BMW in front of us, creeping to avoid the kidney-rattling goat paths the County of Sonoma has neglected to fix for years and the storms of 2017 have finished off with relish.
Stress can be a killer, so let me add a few years to your life by pointing out the good these well-wheeled folks do for us. They spend almost $400 a day, about half on lodging. With only 9 incorporated cites, most of the county
is unincorporated ; much of the greenbacks floating from those chariots of leisure are landing in our smaller communities. At around $14M and rising for unincorporated areas alone, (Transient Occupancy Tax) TOT ain’t peanuts. It’s great that the biggest spends of these funds goes to maintenance of our Regional Parks, promoting more tourism and into the General Fund. Some
of it really should go to a Locals Vehicular Repair fund; we are paying a stiff unrecognized “tax” for living in the rural parts of the county. Our battered suspensions and the visitors will both be grateful for that redirection of cash.
Unincorporated Arts
One of the legions of former film students, I was intrigued to hear about the new West County Film Society. They’re about to hold their second filmmaker’s meet-up and screening at the OCA, Occidental Center for the Arts and it looks like a good moment for some of us old film buffs and splicers to come out of the hills. The film ‘NOW’ will be screened, followed by networking and a discussion about how it was to make a micro-budget feature film with no crew in ten days - on a twenty-two foot sailboat in the middle of the Hudson River.
38 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 5/17
‘NOW’ is the narrative debut of Malachi Roth who also made “Limon: A Life Beyond Words” about the dancer Jose Limon. He will be on hand to answer questions and discuss the difficulty of making Now. Venture west a few miles and meet me Friday, May 19th 6:30 to 8:30 PM.