Fort Ross is still open –– visit, please

With the looming specter of scores of state parks around California being permanently closed in 2012, I was shocked on Saturday to witness so few visitors at Fort Ross State Historic Park, on the Sonoma County coastline. It was a gorgeous day, warm and without wind (in fact, the weather was better coastside than 30 miles inland), and yet the parking lot had only a handful of cars at any one time, though it has space for more than 100. 

I can only assume that the local population was Christmas shopping, spending their leisure hours cooped up inside malls and discount stores. What a pity. Perhaps they think Fort Ross has already closed. Well, it hasn't. The days and hours of operation have been cut drastically, but it's still open weekends and some holidays, and for special events and educational sleepovers for groups of schoolchildren.

We had the park's ranger, Hank, almost to ourselves, as he conducted a short program about the Russian history of the fort and let us handle otter furs and other relics. He was not allowed to shoot off a cannon on this particular day, but at other times of the year the boom of the cannons is part of the experience.

Hank told us that the Russian Consulate in San Francisco is working on securing funding from benefactors in Russia that would help keep the park open more days. After all, it's part of Russia's rich history as well as our own.

Please visit Fort Ross soon and allow a couple of hours to enjoy the grounds and the visitors' center. Bring a lunch to eat at one of the many picnic tables. Time your visit to include a look inside the Call house museum, which represents one of the only "coastal ranch era" homes still standing. The wealthy Call family lived on the property for more than a century.