Welcome to the Victorian Village of Ferndale! Ferndale is a small town in the middle of big Humboldt County. The historic Main Street has barely changed in over one hundred years since the town was established as a thriving agricultural town notorious for its dairy industry. The ornate Victorians are known as the Butterfat Palaces, and the residents pride themselves on living in a real “cow town.” Mooooo!
My parents retired in Ferndale, so I have had a lot of exposure to this quaint country community. One of the joys of Ferndale is that it is a walking town. I urge visitors to take a brisk walk through the pasture land, or as locals call the “bottoms”. The vast green bottoms stretch from the redwood tree line out to sea like green velvet.
Here you will see cows, of course, but also a wide variety of farm animals as well as wildlife including goats, chickens, horses, mules, buffalo, geese, deer, quail, and even moose. (Oh, and I looked up the plural for moose, and it is still moose, not meese or mooses.)
Check out these little guys. They were as curious about me as I was about them. “Excuse me, would you happen to have any alfalfa?”
On Main Street, you can’t help but enjoy the Victorian architecture as well as the darling shops. There are tons of artists in Ferndale, so you are sure to see something unique. Don’t miss the blacksmith shop, The Ferndale Arts and Cultural Center, the bounty of antique shops, and be sure to get tickets for the Theater! The Ferndale Reparatory Theater hosts a fun ensemble of productions and was featured in the Jim Carrey Movie, The Majestic!
For the best view of town, head up to the picturesque Ferndale Cemetery. From this hillside on a clear day you can see all the way to the pacific. The grounds are a patchwork of neat old headstones and tombs covered with moss. Tours and reenactment events are catching on and can be a lot of fun for those interested in local history. Getting to the top takes a little exercise, but it is definitely worth the outlook.
Speaking of local events, Ferndale is the finish line of one of Humboldt County’s most acclaimed events, the Kinetic Sculpture Race. In this 3 day race on Memorial Day weekend, artists and athletes build and then ride sculptures from Arcata to Ferndale.
The hitch is that these sculptures must be human powered and also must float! The route of the race takes the teams through the Humboldt Bay! Many of these kinetic sculptures can be seen at the Kinetic Sculpture Museum on Main Street, Ferndale.
For Christmas, Main Street lights up from end to end, finishing with the United State’s largest living Christmas tree, a redwood, who’s lights can be seen from miles away at night. Also, every class at the elementary school decorates a small Christmas tree for each business on Main Street, bringing together the community during the holidays. Although there is no snow, Ferndale transports each resident and visitor to an old-time country Christmas.
Ferndale is a great jumping off point to many Humboldt County locations. You can visit the beautiful Humboldt outdoors such as the rivers, forests, beaches, state parks, and wildlife preserves. Ferndale is an easy day trip to Eureka, Arcata, Trinidad, and Garberville.
And have you ever heard of The Lost Coast? It’s the rugged shoreline that has been kept more secluded than any other portion of California’s coast since it is not on a major highway. You can also backpack the Lost Coast, but bring a tide chart so you don’t get washed out to sea! The road to the Lost Coast begins at the end of Ferndale’s Main Street.
Don’t miss quirky, quaint, and beautiful Ferndale on your next trip to Califonia’s Northern Coast. Any time of year will be green and lush.
The Cali Travelista 