Sebastopol Living - Best Version Media

In July's issue of Sebastopol Living, we celebrate Melissa and Melinda Freeman, Bodega Bay natives whose family roots run as deep as the harbor itself.

Long before Alfred Hitchcock transformed Bodega Bay into the setting for the movie The Birds, their parents, Donna and Clarence Freeman, appeared as extras in the iconic 1963 film.

Decades later, the sisters would carry their family story forward through the Birds Café on Highway 1 in Bodega Bay, inspired by a coastal road trip Melissa and her mother took together, stopping at fish-and-chip shacks from California to Washington in search of the perfect fish recipe. Although Donna passed away in 2009, the dream she and Melissa began came to life when Melinda joined her sister.

Their story is a reminder that the things we build with love become part of the people we leave behind.

The Birds Cafe

Photos by Studio J Photography
Story by Catherine Hughes

They did it again! That’s three in a row for the 11U All-Stars!