Hitchcock horror town voted California’s hottest Labor Day getaway

A sleepy fishing village north of San Francisco that was made famous by one of Hollywood’s most unsettling movies is suddenly the state’s hottest Labor Day getaway. Bodega Bay — the Sonoma County seaside town forever linked to Alfred Hitchcock’s horror movie “The Birds” — has landed among the fastest-rising vacation destinations in America for the upcoming holiday weekend, according to a popular vacation rental marketplace. The coastal escape ranked number 10 nationwide in HomeToGo’s 2026 Labor Day travel report, with searches for stays soaring a whopping 139% compared to last year. It was the highest-ranked California destination. The road to Bodega Bay in Northern California. Getty Images Director Alfred Hitchcock poses for a publicity shot for “The Birds” in 1963. Courtesy Everett Colle