Ah, my faithful readers ... if you've hung in this long, than you shall be rewarded with pictures.
First, that fateful drive up the Pacific Coast Highway to Ft. Ross (a Russian settlement of the early 19th century). Here is a view of what the road was like for miles. Notice that there are cow grates across the road. Yes, we did see cattle munching very close to the road. In this picture we are "looking" north.
(click the pictures to enlarge)
Looking south, back towards Jenner. That yellow sign in the middle is a picture of a cow. I wonder how many cows end up down below:
I have not figured out how the trailer ended upright, below, but there it is. In reality it looked a lot worse than it does in this picture. Well, all in all, you get the idea how our road was traveled. It was a long and winding road that led to a clothing disaster for one 9 year old and her backseat.So, we finally ended up at Ft. Ross. It has changed quite a bit since my last visit in 1979, after a chilly and rocky scuba dive off the coast nearby. The Park Service has done a whole lot of restoration and constructed a wonderful visitor center. (That was where we bought Megan a new T-shirt... she needed it.) Kandy took most of the pictures at the fort. There are so many good ones, I don't know where to begin...
There is only one original structure left of the settlement - the Russian Orthodox Church. All the others are re-creations. The church, in the long shot to the left, is on the right. The alter was a very simple one, every thing crudely but lovingly carved.
There are two gates into the settlement. One on the side, and one that leads towards the sea. History says that Alaskan Indians who were brought by the Russian settlers had their own settlement on a small jutting peninsula just behind the fort and over the ocean.
Here is a shot of the sea out the fort gate, and the other is looking back toward the fort.
There are so many pictures... Here's one of a woman weaving a 1) basket?, 2) hat? by the bunkhouse:
Oh, and here are some native peoples with silly grins for the camera (Megan is taking the picture).
And, lastly, here is one that Kandy took from one of the fort's corner defending turrets (or whatever they're called...):
Quite a pretty little place to put a fort. But, history tells the story that it was hard to sustain over the years. Where they put down roots was unfortunately a scrabble existance. Had they been north or south a bit, they might have made a better go of it. All that is left today is a reconstructed fort for visitors like my family to visit and learn.
Still - worth the trip!
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