fort ross/california

A bit more of Fort Ross today. I know I don't have to explain why it is so good! Isn't it obvious from these images? I am one of those people that is a bit obsessed with "house" museums. (I know...what a revelation...) In my experience, there are different levels of house museum, or I guess history museum, in this case. The best of them are transporting and that is what some of the rooms at Fort Ross do for me. I cannot stop my brain from imagining what life would have been like when this fort was bustling. It remains relatively remote, which helps. The tool rooms are my favorites, though. Just beautiful.
Have a lovely and relaxing weekend friends!

fort ross/california

I returned to one of my very favorite places on my little road trip this past Sunday. Fort Ross, the old Russian Fort near Sea Ranch. I love the way the legs of the chairs turn out. They are invariably happy, don't you think? No idea what is going on with the teeth on the underside of the table but I am fascinated. I thought it was expandable, but can find no evidence where you would put another leaf in, so I don't think that is the case. does anyone know?

fort ross/pioneer interiors

I have found myself repeatedly thinking about this shot I took while at Fort Ross a week ago, so I am posting it today.

Fort Ross was an old Russian Fort on the California Coast and it is now open to the public with some of the rooms in the fort recreated. Lots of animal hides and rustic log cabins with little Russian flourishes like hand carved cabinetry and chairs and hand painted strawberries on some of the beds. But this room is the one I keep coming back to. A bearskin on the wall and cabbage roses on the bed...there is something so brilliant about this juxtaposition. It reminds me of a book I ran across at William Stout book years ago on Alaskan pioneer interiors (yes, I bought it right away...it is completely amazing). But what is it about this rusticity that I respond to? What do you think of this? I am still figuring it out.

fort ross/

Back in California and to celebrate that fact, I took a little day trip yesterday up the California coast. The drive along Hwy 1 always make me feel so damn fortunate to live here! I stopped into the old Russian settlement (est. 1812) Fort Ross to look around.  I hadn't been there since I was about 9 or 10 years old, so it was fun to walk around and have errant childhood memories flood back. I found myself rather in love with the interiors they had set up...surprise, surprise...the light was really beautiful.