At the northern most point of the Avenue of the Giants, the 31-mile scenic drive through beautiful redwoods in Northern California, you can visit a little town that feels like you’re taking a trip through time.
The streets of Ferndale, California are lined with beautiful Victorian houses and storefronts. Since we live in a Victorian home ourselves, we are a little partial to old timey homes and couldn’t resist checking out the architecture!
While on a family trip to the Avenue of the Giants, we decided to take a 45 minute drive up to Ferndale to visit the quaint town early in the morning and stop by some redwood groves for a picnic lunch on the way back home.
Take a trip to Ferndale this year and check out these kid-friendly activities:
We respectfully acknowledge that Ferndale is located on the stolen and occupied lands of the Wiyot tribe.
Before you go
- Ferndale is a 5 hour drive from the East Bay Area along HWY 101, just south of the city of Eureka.
- Ferndale is usually considered the northern most point of the Avenue of the Giants.
- Research open days and hours for the places you want to visit. This small town has limited staff and limited hours.
What we packed
- Standard diaper bag essentials
- Stroller and/or baby carrier
- Cooler with snacks, lunch, and water
- Pack layers and playground-friendly attire
Things to do in Ferndale with your kids
Go for a self-guided walking tour of Ferndale. Ferndale is small and most of the beautiful homes and activities are located within a .5 mile radius of Main Street.
1. Walk down Main Street
Start your day off by walking down Main Street and admire the beautiful Victorian-era storefronts. Make sure to stop by Chapman’s Bookery and explore their section of used kid’s books. We stopped in for a short story-time while I nursed my baby inside.
If you have time, wander into Golden Gate Mercantile to find the perfect gift. They sell everything from fancy hats to locally made soaps. Just keep an eye on the kiddos. My 4-year-old loves to shop and keeping her hands from grabbing every little thing was quite the challenge.
2. Stop by the free public restroom
Check out their free public bathroom, which was built in the 1800’s. – It was clean, spacious, and had no line.
3. See the Gingerbread Mansion
Veer off Main Street one block to see the Gingerbread Mansion. Built in 1895, this Victorian mansion-turned-inn is an example of what I later learned are the “Butterfat Palaces” of Ferndale, named after the wealthy owners of the dairy farms in this city.
4. Visit the Ferndale Historic Museum
Visit the Ferndale Historic Museum. This little community-built museum is full of local history dating back to the first European settlement in the 1850’s.
There are photos, old crank telephones, yearbooks, family photo albums, a seismograph, and a functioning blacksmith shop that often has volunteer demonstrations.
5. Play at Fireman's Park
Located at the far end of Main Street is a small park with a playground, picnic tables, bocce ball courts, and tons of parking.
Next time we go to Ferndale I may park here and walk up Main Street from south to north, the opposite of what we did this time, and use the playground as an incentive to keep my kids moving down the street.
Where to Eat
Main Street Coffee Co.
At the very beginning of Main Street you’ll find this cute little coffee shop connected to an art store.
Since it was chilly the morning we visited, we stopped in to grab some hot cocoa for my toddler and a mocha for me. The baristas were kind enough to make a hot cocoa at ‘toddler warmth’ for my little one and even provided some tips on things to see while in town.
Minds Eye Manufactory & Coffee Lounge
About halfway up Main Street, after taking a leisurely stroll through a few stores, we stumbled upon another delicious looking café.
I wanted to take a break from carrying our heavy 6-month-old and decided to grab lunch from Minds Eye Manufactory and Coffee Lounge and enjoy their outdoor benches while my husband ran a few things back to the car. We ordered the Portobello mushroom panini and French dip – both were warm, crispy, and delicious. Their menu also offered delicious looking pastries, muffins, and coffee, and the shop featured beautiful local artwork. Check out their calendar for events and art classes.
As an extra bonus, the Mind’s Eye manufactory staff were so kind to me as I balanced a baby on my hip, searched for money in my diaper bag, and kept an eye on my wandering toddler. She even complimented my baby’s used hand-me-down tiny Patagonia vest. When I mentioned our love for used gear, she recommended some local thrift shops!
Something Sweet
Sweetness and Light
I was surprised not to find a single ice cream shop in this city, which is known for it’s dairy history! Right next to the post office on Main Street, though, is Sweetness and Light—an adorable family-owned confectionary with the most beautiful chocolates made with ingredients from local dairies.
We tried the nut clusters, caramels, and handmade chocolate bars. Make sure to try the Splitters bar – it has smooth caramel, peanuts, nougat, and chocolate.
History to Consider Before You Visit
This city is so proud of its history. Almost every Ferndale-related website or storefront boasts photos and history of the city dating back to its inception in the late 1800’s. What surprised me, though, is that the history never starts before then. What about the people who were there first, on whose land this city was founded by those early European settlers? Why is there no mention of the Wiyot people?
Much like in other cities across California, the Wiyot tribal community was met with violence by European settlers. There are documented massacres by European vigilantes that targeted villages when the men had left, killing many elders, women, and children.
In 1860, The Humboldt Times newspaper featured an editorial that plainly depicts the sentiment for their Indigenous neighbors: “For the past four years we have advocated two—and only two—alternatives for ridding our country of Indians: either remove them to some reservation or kill them. The loss of life and destruction of property by the Indians for ten years past has not failed to convince every sensitive man that the two races cannot live together, and the recent desperate and bloody demonstrations on Indian Island and elsewhere is proof that the time has arrived that either the pale face or the savage must yield the ground.”
I wish the city could look at this history and face the reality of the harm done to the original habitants of the land their immigrant families thrived on. It is possible to both appreciate the history of the first European settlers and the well-preserved Victorian homes and still pay respect, honor, and work to reconcile the injustices that occurred to the tribal communities.
Despite the lack of self-reflection by the city of Ferndale, my family enjoyed our day trip to this little city. My toddler loved walking around, looking at all of the beautiful homes, and assigning each home to a different Disney princess – blue for Elsa, etc. I loved the small-town feel and ease of getting around, and how much it reminded me of our hometown in the Bay Area.
Do you enjoy researching the history of a town before you visit? I am considering adding this to my blog posts to ensure we’re both acknowledging the original inhabitants of the land on which we’re traveling and also to honor the history that occurred. I made a separate section for a “History Corner” as a pilot in this post.
Share in the comments if this is something you appreciated and would like to see more of in future posts.
City of Ferndale – say their name – Wiyot.
This post is part of a series of posts about visiting the Avenue of the Giants with kids. Continue the adventure with us here:
Puerto Rican & Indigenous mama of two. Bay Area native. Salsa dancer. Backpacker. Doula. Angel (she/her/hers) is a co-founding member of the Beautiful Brown Adventures team. She has traveled to over 30 countries and loves to explore the world with her two daughters & partner - one ice cream shop at a time.
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