Grave Tidings

My sense of adventure has been working overtime in the last few weeks and I have started something new with my family. Each weekend we travel to a local spot and look for something different, something we haven't done before, a place we have never visited. I try to get the kids involved, but they usually prefer to stay home and play video games, so it invariably ends up being me and Patti going together.

Yesterday we went to the Victorian Village of Ferndale to do some shopping and sight seeing. Some of the scenes for the movies "Outbreak", "The Majestic", and the original "Salem's Lot" were filmed in Ferndale.

We looked around for a little bit and then came the moment I had been looking forward to. Ferndale has a cemetery situated on a hill at the end of town, and through all of the years that we have lived in California, I have never visited it. I did for the first time yesterday and have to say that I was amazed.

The cemetery is situated on a steep hill and goes up to several different levels. Just when you think you have reached the top, there is more up ahead. There are mausoleums, old graves from the 1800s, and enough history to whet the appetite of any adventure seeker.

It was around 11am when Patti and I arrived at the cemetery and the sun was rising over the trees at the top of the hill. A hawk cried and circled overhead and ravens came to rest on some of the tombstones. It was very quiet and peaceful. It seemed that the little town of Ferndale had decided to sleep in on this sunny Saturday morning.

I climbed up a couple of levels higher than Patti, taking stone stairs and admiring the view. From near the top of the cemetery you can see the entire Eel River Valley and can enjoy the view of the farmlands that stretch as far as the eye can see.

The gravestones and stairs were a dull gray, a stark contrast to the bright daffodils that were glowing in the rays of the morning sun. I took several pictures before Patti said that she was ready to head back.



Many people find graveyards to be morbid places, even scary. They are uncomfortable with the dead, and prefer to shut out the voices of the past. I am fascinated with cemeteries and am always respectful and make sure to leave everything the way it was before I came. The dead do not frighten me.

I have seen many graveyards in my lifetime but have to say that the Ferndale Cemetery is one of the most interesting and picturesque grounds I have ever visited. I didn't get to climb all the way to the top on this visit, but plan on visiting again. This time we will have to bring the kids.