Fort Bragg’s Beach - Trash to Treasure
Hannah Francis and Sister Quinn - matching Fort Bragg sweatshirts.
There is a charming seaside town in our mission by the name of Fort Bragg, not to be confused with the military base in North Carolina. From Santa Rosa, Fort Bragg is a beautiful drive winding through a canyon full of redwood trees down to the coast. We take our family members there when they come to visit us. The twists and turns of the car ride can get a little intense and I recommend taking Dramamine before you embark on the two and a half-hour drive. Halfway to Fort Bragg, I begin to wonder if it is worth the drive, yet once there I am glad we did it. We always have a wonderful time.
President Quinn and I love meeting our missionaries that live in Fort Bragg at the town’s “Cowlick’s Ice Cream Shop.” The handmade ice cream is extra creamy and extra good. They offer 20 different flavors, yet the black raspberry chocolate chunk is worth the drive alone. We enjoy getting the yummy clam chowder in a bread bowl at the Wharf on Harbor Drive. It is also fun to window shop along the streets in the center of town.
Sister Breshears and Sister Niedens, our two awesome missionaries in Fort Bragg
What Fort Bragg is best known for, and draws tourists to, is its Glass Beach. People love seeing the abundance of sea glass and collecting some of the pieces for jewelry, wind chimes, and artwork.
The sea glass exists because there were three sites along the California coasts that were used as landfills and were called “the dumps” from 1906 to 1967. Much of the junk in the land fills was biodegradable, while the metal and other large items were removed and sold as scrap. The bottles, pottery, dishes, and other glass items were affected by “the pounding waves which broke down the articles from the dumps and tumbled those pieces into small, smooth, colored particles that often become jewelry-quality, which now covers Glass Beach and the other two glass beaches in Fort Bragg.” Wikipedia
You have to climb down a small cliff to get to the glass beach. Along with collecting some of the sea glass, you will see large, beautiful rock formations in the water with seals swimming about 150 feet from where you are. Just sitting and listening to the waves come in is relaxing and nice.
Glass Beach in Fort Bragg
For me, seeing all the sea glass is a testimony that God is good to us. It is an amazing phenomenon that Heavenly Father has provided a way that this trash can be formed by the wind, waves, salt water, and time into treasures that people use to make lovely things out of. It helps me to also understand that in life the winds and salty waves that come our way may knock us down and turn us about, but these trials and difficulties can also smooth out our rough edges and make our very beings beautiful.
Sea glass art by Sister Quinn
I look forward to talking to our missionaries about sea glass and God’s miracle of turning trash into treasure.
This past week we had the Boswells family with us which includes our daughter Natalie, her husband Johnny, and their three children Hailey, Margo, and Clayton. They all enjoyed collecting some sea glass and making art. Here are some photos of the artwork.
Hailey Boswell with her tree and flower pots sea glass art.
Margo Boswell with her dolphin and sea turtle sea glass art
Clayton Boswell’s sea glass dinosaur by Natalie Boswell
Lydia Black with her sea horse/seaweed - sea glass art
Sea glass jelly fish by the Chase Quinn family
A few of the more interesting pieces of sea glass that we collected. It is all very smooth
Here is the ward building in Fort Bragg.
Sister Niedens, a missionary there, says this about Fort Bragg. “The Fort Bragg ward is small but mighty in spirit. The numbers go up during the summer because there are so many visitors! The members work really hard in their callings and do their best to strengthen each other. Many members have multiple callings and callings for a second time. The Primary consists of a recent converts family and there is only one young woman, no young men in the congregation. There are many retirees in this area. Over the years there have been families that come and go but the members who have been here a long time are strong! “
It has been a fun week having the Boswells here. I am glad we were able to have such beautiful weather and could enjoy sightseeing in our mission.
I hope you have a wonderful week. Thanks for reading.
President and Sister Quinn (Grammy and Grammy) with Clayton, Hailey, Margo, and Natalie Boswell
Clayton, Natalie, Margo, Hailey and Johnny Boswell
Grammy and Grampy with the Boswell Family - Cowlick Ice Cream, Fort Bragg, CA
