Sonoma coast sea glass can be found along many of the beaches in Sonoma county. Sonoma coast in Northern California has more than 55 miles of shoreline. There are more than a dozen beaches to explore. There are sandy beaches, rocky beaches, and cliffs to explore. Whether your passion is sea glass collecting like mine, or beachcombing, birdwatching, hiking, whale watching or photography. There is sure to be a beach that will satisfy your passion.
The beach I chose to explore was a beach with many shingles. A shingle is a beach made up of stone, pebbles, and small rocks. At this beach, as seen in the photo below, the rocks were very colorful. This added to the challenge of finding sea glass. I find different methods of collecting sea glass work well depending on my mood and the conditions. I sometimes walk along the beach and look for sea glass as I slowly walk by. When the weather and the tide conditions are favorable, I like to walk along the water’s edge and get my feet wet, as I look for sea glass at the water’s edge. This beach was so inviting that I sat down in the midst of one of the large shingles, and sorted through the tiny pebbles, raking the pebbles with my fingers. I found several tiny pieces of sea glass hiding in the piles of pebbles. I love collecting these tiny pieces and putting them in a glass locket necklace or a little corked treasure bottle.
Collecting sea glass in California means being prepared for all weather, as it may be hot at times, but also it may be cold and foggy. Of course just after a winter storm may be the best time, as the stormy seas cause more sea glass and other materials to wash up on the beach. It is important to know the tide times when you visit an area, as it is possible to get a stranded on a beach when the tide is rising, if you are not attentive to these details.
In addition there are other treasures to discover. We enjoyed a stay at The Inn at the Tides in Bodega Bay to allow a little more time to enjoy the surrounding beauty. Our room had an ocean view, the grounds were lovely, and the staff were welcoming and provided us with a bottle of wine to celebrate a special occasion. We dined at Terrapin Creek, a Michelin guide rated restaurant, and were so happy not only with the warm welcoming vibe, but the wonderful service and mouth watering meals.
Sea glass travels in Washington involve some ferry travel to access all the islands. The SanJuan Islands Islands comprise over 400 islands and over 478 miles (769 km) of shoreline. There is an extensive ferry system that allows acccess to explore these islands, each with unique features and attractions.
It’s spring vacation, beautiful weather in California and time to visit some of the beach. We selected 4 beach areas for our sea glass hunting expedition. My husband is very supportive and enthusiastic about helping me find sea glass treasures. Our teenage son joins us, although his preference is connecting with friends on social media, he is good at spotting sea glass.
Davenport
Our first stop is Davenport, home of fabled sea glass. Discarded bins of artisan sea glass from the Lundburg glass studio washed into the sea when a creek overflowed, which resulted in beautiful glass being washed into the ocean. We planned for an arrival at low tide, but brave sea glass hunters venture into the dangerous waves to capture Davenport sea glass. We did bring a shovel to dig in the sand, and found a few small pieces of ordinary sea glass. Perhaps next time, I’ll plan a longer time to dig in the sand, but this was also a road trip, and the road was calling to us.
New Brighton Beach was our next stop. We were able to spend morning and afternoon sea glass hunting. The landscape of the beach looked very different at high tide than low tide. My beach shoes were a welcome addition and allowed me to wade in the water. Probably this was my favorite beach for walking on, and logged about 5 miles a day of beach walking.
Seaside has a long stretch of nice sandy beach. There was lots of sea glass. There was a person hang gliding there, so that was fun to watch, but most of the sea glass was rough and jagged, not the smooth, frosty pieces. Of course we know that the conditions on any beach vary greatly from one day to the next, so, this was just our experience there. Cambria’s Moonstone Beach is enchanting. There are so many beautifully colored pebbles. I found myself just picking them up even through they weren’t sea glass. The multicolored pebbles made finding sea glass among the many colors quite a treasure hunt. See if you can find the one piece of sea glass in the small stones below. Hint, it’s green.
Thanks for visiting these beaches with me. Please share with your friends. I would love to hear from you, please comment or ask questions.
What thrills me about sea glass collecting?Why do I love it so much? There’s nothing more restful to me than spending the day at the beach, enjoying the crash of the ocean’s waves, soaking in the scent of the beach, and being calmed by the sounds of the ebb and flow of the waves, and the tangy salty taste in the air. I fully engaged in my 5 senses as I feel the wet sand squish between my toes.
After months of sheltering at home, I’m ready for an adventure. I hear thebeach calling to me and I can’t wait to answer the call. The weather has been stormy weather for a few days now, wonderful beachcombing weather. Our hopes are raised, and we eagerly anticipate the search for sea glass. The morning sun greets us aiding us in our search. The sunlight reflects off the hidden sea glass. Our entire family shares in the joy of discovering sea glass this trip.
Over the course of the day, we visit four beaches , and are now at our final beach of the day. We enjoy chatting with the few beachcombers we have met on these windy days. But at our last beach, the comradery of sea glass lovers blesses us. A family with young children searches the beach nearby us. Their goal for the days was to find green sea glass. They joyfully share a beautiful piece of turquoise sea glass with me.
Needless to say, as I experience the sense of belonging to the sea glass community, my family is also sharing in the joy of this journey. Join me on this journey and marvel at the beauty of sea glass.
