Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
fascinating insight into the pre-American Wild West. It's a quiet, picturesque place with a
riveting past.
In March 1812, a group of 25 Russians and 80 Alaskans (including members of the Ko-
diak and Aleutian tribes) built a wooden fort here, near a Kashaya Pomo village. The
southernmost outpost of the 19th-century Russian fur trade on America's Pacific coast,
Fort Ross was established as a base for sea-otter hunting operations and trade with Alta
California, and for growing crops for Russian settlements in Alaska. The Russians dedic-
ated the fort in August 1812 and occupied it until 1842, when it was abandoned because
the sea otter population had been decimated and agricultural production had never taken
off.
Fort Ross State Historic Park, an accurate reconstruction of the fort, is 11 miles north of
Jenner on a beautiful point. The original buildings were sold, dismantled and carried off to
Sutter's Fort during the Gold Rush. The visitor center ( 707-847-3437) has a great mu-
seum with historical displays and an excellent bookshop on Californian and Russian his-
tory. Ask about hikes to the Russian cemetery.
On Fort Ross Heritage Day , the last Saturday in July, costumed volunteers bring the
fort's history to life; check the website www.parks.ca.gov or call the visitor center for oth-
er special events.
If you pass by on a weekday when the fort is closed (due to budget cuts), you still may
be able to walk down and have a peek inside if a school group is there.
Sleeping
Stillwater Cove Regional Park CAMPGROUND
( reservations 707-565-2267; www.sonoma-county.org/parks ; 22455 N Hwy 1; tent & RV sites $28)
Two miles north of Timber Cove, this park has hot showers and hiking under Monterey
pines. Sites 1, 2, 4, 6, 9 and 10 have ocean views.
Timber Cove Inn INN
( 800-987-8319, 707-847-3231; www.timbercoveinn.com ; 21780 N Hwy 1; r from $155, ocean-view
from $183)
A dramatic and quirky '60s-modern seaside inn that was once a top-of-the-line luxury
lodge. Though the price remains high, it has slipped a bit. The rustic architectural shell is
Search WWH ::




Custom Search