Ferndale, California
On a “less sad” note, I’ve got a small town for you that will take you back in time! It’s an entire town full of Victorian-era architecture…and when I say full, I mean FULL!
All the buildings, homes, business, even the cemetery makes you feel like you should don a corset, grab a basket, and head over to the mercantile for the week’s provisions!
The location is kind of on the northern tip of California, so you probably wouldn’t think to visit. But we stumbled upon it on our way from Sacramento to Portland, and boy am I glad we did. The picturesque area ended up delighting us so much we stayed a few days to explore.
We took a drive on the Lost Coast, where we made a few stops along the curvy road, taking in the beach and the views…and also where we found a cow in the middle of the road!
We stayed the night because, as I said, we wanted to explore a bit more the next day, and we chose the most Victorian-looking hotel we could find out of sheer curiosity.
It ended up being the Gingerbread Mansion, which is actually a bed and breakfast, and we were not disappointed by the inside. I felt like Queen Victoria herself surrounded by the decor!
The next day, we got up, had a fantastic breakfast, and headed out to see what this small town had to offer.
While there were numerous things, we saw, ill just give you the highlights. The cemetery isn’t something you would pick as a tourist attraction, but it dates back to the mid-1800, and we couldn’t resist taking a walk and reading all the interesting writings on the tombs.
The Golden Gait Mercantile didn’t disappoint either. There was a massive collection of vintage items and an incredible selection of gifts, kitchen items, and fancy foods. We even found a Blacksmith Shop with some of the most interesting pieces of decor I’ve ever seen.
My husband bought me one of the most unique necklaces here. So to sum up, I could talk about this small town all day. It’s definitely one of my favorite destinations. But you should just plan a getaway and see it for yourself. I promise you won’t regret it!
