After checking out of our campground, we were drawn to these unique totems.
The ceremonial posts in the meadow at Gualala Point Regional Park were created by wood carvers from the Sakha Republic in far northeastern Russia. The intricately designed poles are known as serge (pronounced sayrgay) and were carved at the park during the Days of Sakha cultural festival in 2014.The festival brought a delegation from Yakutsk, the Sakha capital, to the Sonoma Coast to pay tribute to their heritage in the area. (The Sakha people first arrived in Sonoma County in the early 19th Century as part of the Russian settlement of Fort Ross.)For the festival, Sakha craftsmen created the serges from a 40-foot Douglas fir over two weeks. The serges were dedicated on the summer solstice with traditional Sakha blessings, dancing, and shamanic rituals. In Sakha tradition, serges are hitching posts placed near homes, and their designs symbolize the human desire for survival.What an interesting way to learn about the people who came before us.We paused briefly to admire the visual history at Stewarts Point, a hamlet perched on a bluff overlooking the rugged Sonoma Coast. The Richardson family has owned much of the oceanfront property in the Stewarts Point area for generations, since Herbert Archer Richardson first arrived from New Hampshire, in 1876, with a new bride and 40 cents in his pocket.H.A. Richardson amassed over 50,000 acres along the Sonoma Coast that included eight miles of shoreline and the town of Stewarts Point. His descendants grew up working in the Stewarts Point Store.The Stewarts Point Hotel, adjacent to the present day Stewarts Point Store, was the second hotel built in the Salt Point Township. John and Andrew Fisk, built the hotel between 1870 and 1872. This is the only hotel that was built on the Sonoma Coast, in the 1800s, that is still standing today. The hotel closed in 1925, and has remained a private residence for the Richardson family.Wanting to experience a little local history, we headed inland to Duncans Mills. Beverages and YUM was found at Gold Coast Coffee and Bakery before we strolled through the picturesque village.Starting in the 1870s, the narrow-gauge North Pacific Coast Railroad ran through Duncans Mills. After being sold several times, the railroad ceased operation in the 1930s.The town slowly faded, until a 1976 restoration project, associated with the celebration of the U.S. Bicentennial, brought about a period of building restoration and business re-vitalization. Today, Duncans Mills resembles the way it was originally built. It has an authentic Northwestern Pacific Railroad Depot and several original cars from the old railroad line. We enjoyed this step back in time.
Above, I mentioned that the park had recently reopened. In August of 2020, the Walbridge Fire began after a rare summer thunderstorm that was responsible for several large wildfires in the state. A year after the Walbridge Fire made its way down Austin Creek and into parts of the forest floor of Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve, the forest is showing healthy signs of regrowth. With decades worth of overgrown brush and dry fuel buildup, the fire wasn’t contained for weeks and it made its way down drainage basins and through the crowns of redwood forests, burning a total of 55,209 acres.
As the fire made its way into Armstrong Woods, fire crews were stationed in and around the park and near the 308-foot Colonel Armstrong tree in an effort to protect the old tree and its neighbors. We appreciated the heroic efforts as we delighted in being amongst these great giants.
After three days on the road (and only about 150 miles), we are back with family. This Sonoma Coast Sojourn was the ideal pause in life as we currently know it.
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