subject: An Exploration of Bonny Doon, California [print this page] An Exploration of Bonny Doon, California An Exploration of Bonny Doon, California
Ye banks and braes o' bonie Doon,
How can ye bloom sae fresh and fair? When Robert Burns penned these lines, the first in the song "The Banks O'Doon", he likely had no premonition that they would one day inspire the name of a community half a world away. A native of his country (but not a relative), one John Burns, settled there in 1852, operating a mill and lumber yard. The verdant nature of the country must have made an impression upon him, as he named them after the countryside Burns memorialized in so many of his works.
Bonny Doon was never known for its population of Scotchmen, nor for its lumber. In 1905, 21 parcels of land out of 105 were owned by lime companies or individuals speculating in the lime business mineral, not fruit. Today, it is more likely to be known for the Bonny Doon Vineyard, a winery established in 1983 by Randall Grahm.
Bonny Doon has had its small claims to fame. Robert Heinlein made his home here for over 20 years. 2008 saw the Martin Fire sweep through the Bonny Doon Ecological Reserve and cause Governor Arnold Schwartzenegger to declare a state of emergency for Santa Cruz County. The odd death of a former Bonny Doon resident, Jasmine Fiore, who was murdered, mutilated and identified from the serial number of her breast implants spotlighted the community for a short while in 2009. The same year also saw the Lockheed Fire cause the evacuation of over 2000 residents of Bonny Doon as it spread towards the city from Swanton.
Bonny Doon lies about 8 miles from Santa Cruz as the crow flies, but is approximately 13.5 miles via road. It's within easy commuting distance of both Santa Cruz and the University of California. Bonny Doon doesn't really have a downtown core, but it does have a somewhat eclectic collection of public service buildings and private business. Several wineries besides Bonny Doon Vineyard are in the area. There is an elementary school, two fire stations and a private airport. Also, there's a nude beach.
Built on hillside, Bonny Doon lies in the transition zone between coastal grassland and the redwoods of the higher elevations. Sandstone formations are mute testimony to the ancient sea's presence the occasional fossilized shark's tooth or seashell found at the Bonny Doon Ecological Reserve are additional proof of the community's ancient history.
As one travels throughout the community, forests and terrain that Robert Burns could not have conceived of are on display giant redwoods lining the roads and rich vegetation everywhere are a far cry from wind-swept Scottish moors of heather and bracken. Plants and wildlife that are found in few other places live here. There are also more widespread species calling the forests around Bonny Doon home, including cougars, black bears, coyotes, black-tailed deer and raccoon. The Santa Cruz kangaroo rat makes the sandhills of Bonny Doon its home as well.
The real estate available in Bonny Doon is largely rural in nature. Plenty of equestrian homes can be found here. The area properties are ideal for hobby farms and vineyard cultivation. Santa Cruz is within a half hour of driving and offers all the conveniences of city life. The beauties that led John Burns to name Bonny Doon after the Scottish river poem are still here and charming new generations of Bonny Doon home seekers and visitors.
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