After a more than year-long hiatus, one morning in early August, I loaded my stand-up paddleboard (SUP) in the car and drove to Chah-pekw O’ Ket’-toh (Stone Lagoon, Humboldt Lagoons State Park), located on Yurok’s ancestral territory. Fog hovered over the water, but I could see ahead and around me far enough to safely set […]
Get Out
Posted inGet Out
Redwood Coast Music Festival 2026
The 34th Redwood Coast Music Festival last weekend in Eureka attracted another huge crowd of attendees who faced the pleasant challenge of picking and choosing among 130 sets by amazing talent over four days at different venues. The event began back in 1990 with a traditional Dixieland jazz music genre targeting a somewhat aging audience. […]
Posted inGet Out
North Country Fair at 52
Overcast skies and even a few early in the day sprinkles served as a gentle reminder the change of seasons is underway for the large crowds attending the 52nd annual North Country Fair last weekend in Arcata. Alex Ozaki-McNeill, director of the fair, said this year’s theme of “Stronger Together” was selected because, in these […]
Posted inGet Out
Get Lost in Greig-French-Bell Grove
Lost! Again! Glints of sunlight streaked the trail and the old-growth trees on either side stood as silent as snow. As I wandered deeper and deeper into the forest along tiny threadlike paths, surrounded by more sorrel than I’d ever seen in my life, I felt as if I was in a fairy tale and […]
Posted inGet Out
Corkscrew Trees and a Crooked Trail
Perfect weather on Aug. 1 and a desire to be among the first to walk the newly opened Crooked Trail brought my wife and me to the adjacent and newly open-to-the-public ‘O Rew Redwoods Gateway — a 125-acre Yurok Tribe-owned and managed preserve just north of Orick. The new entry gate read, “Welcome to ‘O […]
Posted inGet Out, Life + Outdoors
Coming Together for Obon
A large crowd showed up under lightly smokey skies from wildfires on Sunday afternoon at Arcata’s Creamery District to celebrate Obon. The Japanese Buddhist festival honoring the spirits of one’s ancestors is a recent tradition in Humboldt, having begun locally in 2022. After opening shakuhachi (Japanese flute) music by Rick Kruse, emcee Marylyn Paik-Nicely welcomed […]
Posted inGet Out
My Very Own Sit Spot
I’m lying on a bench underneath an arbor, looking up at the wisteria on the trellis. Sun peeks through the cracks of the bench. I sit up and look at the tree to my left, my eyes following the fractal beauty of the branches, watching how they replicate themselves in ever-smaller degrees of scale. I’m […]
Posted inGet Out
Annie and Mary and Ladies and Crows
The Mad River Old Crows (aka the Old Crows), a Blue Lake men’s group/social club “with no hierarchy, agenda or rules,” emerged on the scene 13 years ago to enjoy each other’s company and to donate their skills, money and energy to community projects. In recognition of their many contributions, the Blue Lake Chamber of […]
Posted inGet Out
Best of Crabs Season 2026
The 82nd Humboldt Crabs season is in the book, and as the sun sets on another amazing summer, it is time to give out my annual team awards as part of the Best of Humboldt issue. The Crabbies gave fans one last week to show up and cheer for their boys, going undefeated, highlighted by […]
Posted inGet Out
Crabs Play Spoiler
After a tough loss to end last week, our resilient Crabs entered this week mathematically still in contention to make the Pacific Empire Conference’s Championship series. They needed some help as they welcomed the Medford Rogues to town for a pivotal weekend series. First, on Tuesday night, the Crabs got a much-needed reprieve from the […]
Posted inGet Out
Crabs on the Brink
Baseball can be fickle, exhilarating and heartbreaking. When we last left our beloved Crabs, they were on a roll and onto top of the conference, with a daunting and trying road trip in front of them. That road trip would be the worst-case scenario for the hometown heroes. Facing two of their toughest opponents in […]
Posted inGet Out
A Wild and Wooly Night at the Rodeo
The Fortuna Rodeo’s Full Throttle Friday, as photographer Mark Larson discovered this week, is a very different vibe from old-fashioned riding and roping. Things start off low to the ground with Mutton Busting, in which youngsters take a traditional one-handed rodeo ride on a sheep. The introduction of motors and wheels amps things up significantly, […]