North Coast & Redwoods - Coastal California - page 549

went belly up in 2006, sold the mill to another redwood company and, though the town
still has a creepy Twilight Zone vibe, you no longer have to operate by the company's pos-
ted 'Code of Conduct.'
A history of the town awaits at the Scotia Museum & Visitor Center
( www.townofscotia.com ; cnr Main & Bridge Sts; 8am-4:30pm Mon-Fri Jun-Sep) , at the town's
south end. The museum's fisheries center (admission free) is remarkably informative -
ironic, considering that logging destroys fish habitats - and houses the largest freshwater
aquarium on the North Coast.
There are dingy motels and diners in Rio Dell (aka 'Real Dull'), across the river but the
best place to stay is Scotia itself at the historic but rather plain Scotia Inn (
707-764-5338; www.thescotiainn.com ; 100 Main St; r $75-150; ) with rooms that look like
Grandma's house, with lace curtains and flowery wallpaper. Back in the day, Rio Dell is
where the debauchery happened: because it wasn't a company town, Rio Dell had bars and
hookers. In 1969, the freeway bypassed the town and it withered.
As you drive along Hwy 101 and see what appears to be a never-ending redwood forest,
understand that this 'forest' sometimes consists of trees only a few rows deep - called a
'beauty strip' - a carefully crafted illusion for tourists. Most old-growth trees have been
cut. Bay Area Coalition for Headwaters Forest ( www.headwaterspreserve.org ) helped
preserve over 7000 acres of land with public funds through provisions in a long-negotiated
agreement between the Pacific Lumber Company and state and federal agencies.
Up Hwy 101 there's a great pit stop at Eel River Brewing ( www.eelriverbrewing.com ; 1777
Alamar Way; 11am-11pm Mon-Sun) where a breezy beer garden and excellent burgers ac-
company all-organic brews.
Ferndale
The North Coast's most charming town is stuffed with impeccable Victorians - known loc-
ally as 'butterfat palaces' because of the dairy wealth that built them. There are so many,
in fact, that the entire place is a state and federal historical landmark. Dairy farmers built
the town in the 19th century and it's still run by the 'milk mafia': you're not a local till
you've lived here 40 years. A stroll down Main St offers a taste of super wholesome,
small-town America from galleries to old-world emporiums and soda fountains. Although