Gingerbread swirls and flourishes adorn the houses and businesses of Ferndale, Northern California's capital of Victoriana. On many buildings, decorative corner joints called "quoin moldings" add a note of 19th-century exuberance. But the moldings were once also highly practical, fending off scrapes from passing carriages.
These charming yet functional details sum up Ferndale 's appeal. In this small gateway town to the Lost Coast, 265 miles north of San Francisco, civic pride is of utmost importance, and its byproducts -- lovely old buildings, picturesque streets with cheerfully lit shops -- are almost incidental.
Carriage rides take you past decorated Victorians such as the Shaw House Inn,
whose white lights spell welcome.
During the holidays, the town's decorated buildings and general good cheer are almost too quaint to be believed, and yet they
are the real thing. Carriage-tour guide George Enos will tell you so.
Enos grew up here, taking up the guide business after a career in dairy farming-the industry that sparked Ferndale's settlement and continues to fuel its economy.
His tours are punctuated with reminiscences about Ferndale's 100-year-old buildings:
There's the house where he celebrated eighth-grade graduation with the five other students in his class, the Catholic church he attended weekly, and the building where he used to get a 5-cent bag of peanuts after Mass.
"I wouldn't want to do this anywhere else," Enos says of his horse-drawn-carriage tours. "I like the
slow pace and that there are no stoplights."
Ferndale hasn't changed much since Enos's childhood, only spiffing up as tourism has grown here.
Everybody turns out for the lighting of what's billed as the country's largest living Christmas tree . . .
(hyperbole maybe, but the 165-foot Sitka spruce is still impressive). A couple of weeks later, the Christmas Lighted Tractor Parade rolls through town, with dozens of gussied-up farm vehicles pulling floats. Celebrating the holidays, it seems, is a community effort: Boutiques are open late, and the trees along Main Street are decorated with ornaments made by local schoolchildren.
Location has been the boon and the bane of Ferndale's existence. Back in the 1800s, the town was a commercial hub due to its proximity to the ocean (it lies west of U.S. 101, sandwiched between the Eel River and the Pacific). But when the river silted in, development
moved to Humboldt Bay and the railroad and highway skirted Ferndale, cutting it off
Fernbridge, built in 1911, leads visitors to Ferndale today. But the fact that the town is a few miles off the highway has helped preserve its character.
Along Main Street, you can visit an old-fashioned mercantile, find locally made arts and crafts, and watch chocolates being dipped by hand.
After shopping you may want to take the 5-mile drive west past dairy farms to view Centerville Beach, a 9-mile stretch of generally empty beach with rough and exhilarating surf. You might see migrating gray whales or glimpse tundra swans which congregate north of the beach for the winter.
Or wander over to the Ferndale Cemetery on the east side of town: the hillside here offers a view of the business district. The stores' Christmas lights might be the only reminder that you're looking at a 21st-century town.
Lodging:
Shaw House Inn Bed & Breakfast. The oldest building in town (and the oldest B&B in California) has eight rooms in a carpenter Gothic building. From $85. 703 Main St.; (800) 557-7429 or stay@shawhouse.com.
Directions to Shaw House Inn
Attractions:
Centerville Beach. Impressive waves along 9 miles of beach. Five miles west of town at the end of Centerville Rd.; park at the concrete barriers.
Ferndale Carriage Company. Carriage rides led by Barnaby the horse loop around town. From $8 for 10 minutes, reservations recommended. (877) 879-1423.
Ferndale Cemetery. Headstones dating to the mid-1800s. From Main, turn left (east) on Ocean and go two blocks.
Shopping:
Blacksmith Shop.Wrought-iron hooks, wine racks, and weathervanes, plus knives, bowls, and jewelry. 9-6 daily. 455 Main; 786-4216 Ferndale Emporium. Gifts and afternoon tea (reservations required). 10-6 Mon-Sat, 10-5 Sun. 344 Main; 786-9877.
Gazebo of Ferndale. A large variety of Christmas ornaments and gifts. 10-5 daily. 475 Main; 786-9853.
Golden Gait Mercantile. Wonderful old medicines, hair creams, and antiques. Plus baskets, candies, jams, teas, and kitchenware. 10-5 daily. 421 Main; 786-4891.
Sweetness & Light.Handmade chocolates, candies, and gift baskets. 10-6 Mon-Fri, 11-6 Sat-Sun. 554 Main; 786-4403 or (800) 547-8180.
