News

If you're old enough to have traipsed around unfamiliar turf hauling a hefty Lonely Planet guidebook, this win will taste even sweeter: The go-to travel guide/app publisher has named California's Redwood Coast the No. 1 domestic travel destination on its 2018 list.

Lonely Planet picks its top 10 with the help of editors, contributors, researchers and locals — in this case, those locals include the Eureka-Humboldt Visitors Bureau. In a press release, the bureau's Tony Smithers says, “This is a huge endorsement from one of the world’s top travel brands ... We've always known that the Redwood Coast is one of the most special places on Earth. We’re honored and glad to see that Lonely Planet and others are starting to see it, too.”


The Lonely Planet website describes our region like so: "Lose all track of time (and cell signal) along California's Redwood Coast. Movie buffs might recognize the region’s scene-stealing backdrops from Hollywood blockbusters like Jurassic Park, E.T. and Star Wars." And don't forget the weed, folks. "In 2018, another kind of greenery has been making headlines as California introduces the state-wide legalization of marijuana. But the draws of the Redwood Coast far surpass changes in this industry, inviting travelers to achieve the ultimate California mellow with its quirky shops, brewpubs, coffee roasters and oyster happy hours." Hear that? We're beautiful and quirky. Read the full glowing write-up here.

The accompanying video, which you can see below, is focused on Humboldt for the most part, with views of our forests, Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse (everybody please explain that gently to the tourists), the Lost Coast, Oyster Fest, a street view of Eureka (Aladdin Bail Bonds, though?), Lost Coast beer, coffee roasting, a pod of gray whales and our Dungeness crab. Lonely Planet is also giving away a five-night trip to the Redwood Coast so readers can enjoy the place we call home.


Let us revel in this victory not only by appreciating all those fine attributes, Humboldt, but by gloating over all the places we beat out. (You mad, Boise?) From the press release:

Lonely Planet’s Best in the US 2018

1. California’s Redwood Coast – “Lose all track of time (and cell signal)”
2. Boise, Idaho – “What cool looks like before the rest of the world has figured it out”
3. Chattanooga, Tennessee – “Meet the New South!”
4. Florida’s Space Coast – “Get a taste of outer space on earth”
5. Cincinnati, Ohio – “A new chapter for the city’s artistic icons”
6. Midcoast, Maine – “One word says it all: ‘Ayuh’”
7. Richmond, Virginia – “Flipped from humdrum to happening”
8. Kentucky Bourbon Country – “The state’s distilling heritage runs deep”
9. Minneapolis, Minnesota – “In the spotlight for this year’s Super Bowl”
10. Southeastern Utah – “Quintessential Americana road-trip country”