The Victorian Village of Ferndale, CA [Trip Planner]

You won’t find hotel chains or restaurants in Ferndale. Accommodations include historic hotels and Victorian homes. We stayed at the Hotel Ivanhoe, an Old West-style hotel that was once a stagecoach stop that has a popular restaurant & bar.

Other noteworthy hotels include the Gingerbread house, a Victorian mansion that was once the home of the town doctor and the Victorian Inn, a large Victorian-era hotel that is exquisitely maintained.

For dinner, we thoroughly enjoyed the Hotel Ivanhoe Restaurant. They are well-known throughout the region for their gourmet renditions of traditional Italian cuisine. After dinner we ended up in the adjacent bar where some very friendly locals suggested all the things to see and do in the area.

On their suggestion, we headed to Humboldt Sweets the next morning where we found irresistible cinnamon rolls, scones, lemon bars and plenty of other sinful delights.

Although we didn’t give it a try on this visit, word on Main Street was that the Ferndale Meat Co. made some of the best deli sandwiches to be had.

Also on Main Street is the Golden Gait Mercantile, a traditional dry goods store that carries unique souvenirs and goodies like local jams, packaged soups, old-time candy, homemade soaps and much more. The floor has a prominent buckle and wires strung across the shelves to keep stock from falling… a reminder that Ferndale resides in active earthquake territory. A few doors down, the Ferndale Repertory Theatre presents theatrical plays and dance on weekends. Other than that, the juke box and occasional live music at the Hotel Ivanhoe Bar is about it for nighttime entertainment in town.

The Victorian Village of Ferndale is located 5-hours north of San Francisco at the northern edge of the Lost Coast, one of the least visited regions of California.

Although few take the time to make it this far up the California coast, this region has plenty of beauty and interesting sites. Take a stroll down Main Street through the brightly colored Victorian storefronts, enjoy a good meal and pick up a locally-made gift.

Visit the Pioneer Cemetery where Portuguese, Italian, Danish and other early immigrants are buried.

Tour the Loleta Cheese Factory to see how cheese is produced from the sweet milk to the final packaging.

Savor fresh squeezed cider as it’s been made since 1916 at Clendenen’s roadside cider works.

Snap a sunrise shot of the picturesque Centerville Bridge and follow it up with a sunset at Centerville Beach.