As promised here is California Northern Coast Part II, Ferndale, Trinidad and Eureka. This area is jam packed with quaint towns, gorgeous scenery, coastal views and fabulous farms.

Ferndale

Welcome to Ferndale CA

We passed this gorgeous farm as we drove out of Ferndale

After our glorious afternoon spent exploring the Avenue of the Giants, we headed to Ferndale. We had heard through the grapevine that Ferndale was a quaint Victorian town and we really wanted to see it for ourselves.

Main Street, Ferndale CA

Victorian shops and barrels of flowers

Deep purple flowers entice you to shop all along Main Street

Driving down Main Street made us feel like we had just stepped out of a time capsule that took us back to the 1800s. One building after another boasted colorful embellishments. All were beautiful and evoked simpler times. Shopkeepers welcomed us like old friends.

The gorgeous Victorian Inn and Restaurant

Another of Ferndale’s fabulous Victorian buildings houses Chapman’s Bookery

Abraxas may be a hat store, but it’s also the name of one of my favorite Santana albums!

A Ferndale dairy farm

Meet sweet 9085, or as I like to call her, Elsie

It became obvious to us why Hollywood keeps coming to film in Ferndale, near the California Northern Coast. This is an idyllic American small town that has never lost its character. There is plenty to explore there, including artist galleries, old fashioned shops, classic restaurants and the Ferndale Museum. It’s a great place for window shopping the vintage storefronts, hiking, taking photos of the Gingerbread Mansion B and B, or even spending the day at Centerville Beach.

Trinidad

Welcome to Trinidad Beach CA

Homes atop the mountains in Trinidad have a birds eye view of the Pacific

Rocks pop out of the ocean willy nilly, making navigation treacherous

Speaking of beaches, if you are looking for a beautiful northern California beach, head straight to Trinidad from Eureka. Even the drive was gorgeous.

Home with a view!

It’s views like this that make Trinidad so beautiful!

One last look at Trinidad CA

Trinidad is a charming town in Humboldt County with a long history of fishing the coastal waters. Each day the boats that dot the small harbor’s moorings, search the Pacific among dramatic rocks that pop up out of the ocean willy nilly. There is plenty to do in Trinidad. For the area’s history you can visit the Trinidad Museum, or stroll to the replica 1949 Memorial Lighthouse honoring those lost at sea. If you go in the summertime there are two annual festivals to enjoy. The Fish Festival and the Blackberry Festival draw visitors from all over.

Elk Country

Eureka

When we returned to Eureka we took a drive along the harbor and beyond. We found more of those beautiful old Victorian buildings like the ones we saw in Ferndale.

This stunning Victorian mansion houses the Ingomar Club

The most spectacular of them was the Ingomar Club which is one of the most photographed sites in the world. Though we couldn’t see the interior because we aren’t members, their website shows photos that made Steve and I want to become members.

The Carter House Inn, Eureka CA

The building was completed in 1885 but lumberman William Carson at a cost of $80,000. This historic landmark was thought to be unique even by the high standards of Victorian architecture.

The property was unoccupied from the late 1940s, after the last remaining heirs moved to San Francisco. By 1949 there was still no buyer and the property was at risk of being torn down. Even the City of Eureka felt that it wasn’t a good investment because of the high cost of maintaining it.

In 1950 the members of the newly formed Ingomar Club bought the Mansion to use it for their clubhouse. They paid a mere $35,000! To honor the pioneer builder, the name of the club was derived  from the fabulous old Ingomar Theatre on the third floor of the Carson Block Building in Eureka,

I just love this incredible mural of the facade of the Arkley Center for the Performing Arts in Eureka CA

The California Northern Coast is so rich with history, beautiful architecture and amazing coastal vistas, that these Traveling Locavores can’t wait to return.