One-tank getaways: Bodega Bay

At Bodega Bay, it's all about the views. Walk the beaches at sunset, hike trails to vast Pacific panoramas, kayak along the shore. You can relax: Curl up and read a book, or sit and savor a bowl of piping hot clam chowder. Or get physical and blow off some steam: Ride a horse across the sand from Chanslor Ranch, fly a kite at Doran Beach, or join a day-long sport fishing expedition. You'll feel worlds away from the daily grind -- and you won't break the bank getting there.

NEED TO KNOW

Miles from Santa Rosa: 23

Cost in gas there and back:

$15.75. To and from Santa Rosa, with a few jaunts to nearby beaches and back, will amount to about 70 miles total trip. At 20 miles per gallon, you'll burn 3½ gallons or about $15.75 at $4.50

a gallon.

What makes it feel like a vacation: The smell of ocean air and the sound and sight of crashing surf on sand is a universal recipe for the quintessential summer holiday.

Insider tip: Find a slice of heaven at the Compass Rose Gardens, situated at the corner of Eastshore and Bay Flat roads on the way to Bodega Head and the marina. This is a private venue for weddings and events, but owner Donna Freeman doesn't mind welcoming casual visitors into her little paradise if the gate is open and no event is taking place.

GOOD EATING

Price is right: Clam chowder, fish and chips will fill you. Locals every year declare the Spud Point Crab Company's thick garlicky chowder the best in town. Locals are loyal to The Boat House for fish and chips and calamari.

Middle ground: Claudio's Trattoria in the Pelican Plaza for good Italian food and a patio with water views.

The splurge: Locals have discovered a new dining love with the Bluewater Bistro at Bodega Harbour. There is also the venerable Duck Club Restaurant at Bodega Bay Lodge and Spa.

HOME BASE

Price is right: Camping. The state maintains campgrounds at Bodega Dunes and Wright's Beach ($25 a night; $35 for ocean views at Wright's Beach) or the more rustic Pomo Canyon and Willow Creek campgrounds slightly inland. Sonoma County has facilities at Doran Park and Westside Park ($19 a night).

Middle ground: The Bodega Harbour Inn and the small, artsy Bodega Bay Inn both have rooms under $100. Also, sharing a small vacation rental house can save you the cost of dining out.

The splurge: The Bodega Bay Lodge and Spa if you want to be pampered or book one of the hundreds of more expensive vacation rental homes in the area with friends or family.

KILLING TIME

Price is right: Tidepooling at Shell Beach, hiking the Pomo or Kortum trails or catching the free tour of the Bodega Marine Lab at 2 p.m. every Friday afternoon. Plenty of acquaria and a "touching tank."

Middle ground: Renting a kayak will set you back $45 for four hours of serenity. Take a half-hour horseback ride through the wetlands for $30.

The splurge: Book passage on a sport fishing boat. Even the most inexperienced anglers will be taught the ropes and coaxed to their limit. And it gets you out on the ocean to view sea life like porpoises and blue whales. $85 for a full day.

ONLINE RESOURCES

Sonoma Coast State Beach: www.parks.ca.gov.

Sonoma County Regional Parks: www.sonoma-county.org.

Surfboard and kayak rentals: www.bodegabaysurf.com.

Sonoma Coast Visitors Center: www.bodegabay.com.

Horseback riding, Chanslor Ranch: www.chanslorranch.com