The 50-year-old independent institution of Northtown Books (957 H St., Arcata, 822-2834), with its flier-filled window, is the oldest bookstore in the county. Along with a curated selection of fiction, nonfiction, children’s books, guides and magazines, the shop has a section dedicated to Humboldt history and culture. Peek at those fliers and you just might…
The North Coast offers much to appreciate in autumn, both indoors and out. Museums, murals and exhibits, both on tribal lands and in civic buildings, feature traditional and modern tribal arts and culture. Meanwhile, prehistoric trails and settlements, along with recreated villages still in ceremonial use, reveal ancient land and waterscapes that date back millennia.…
When you step into Humboldt Chocolate, tucked behind the gazebo in Old Town Eureka, breathe deeply. The air is heavy and sweet in the little shop. That’s because chocolatiers are hand-making each molded, cream-filled, foil-wrapped piece right on the premises. Peek through the window into the kitchen — you may glimpse Ken Buntin at the…
A couple of hours before dinner, Jan Wortman is sitting by a window in the lobby of the Historic Requa Inn, gesturing at the slim road between the hotel and the Klamath River. She recounts how for 50 years she’d drive past the inn on the way to her grandmother Geneva’s house and dream of…
If you ask around about the big Intertribal Elders Gathering, to which thousands of native and non-native people from all over the Pacific Northwest flock every year, you’ll hear again and again, “You should talk to André.” Fifty-two-year-old André Cramblit has long waves of gray hair and an occasional sly smile. And he has had…
Last fall about this time I found myself salivating over social media posts of wild mushroom harvests here on the North Coast. About the only thing I knew about wild mushrooms was that they are delicious and to take extra money to the farmers market when they’re in season. I have a healthy fear (OK,…
Shawgeylut “Sis” Coney, of the Tolowa tribe, Alison Osceola and Vivian McCovey, who are both Yurok, dressed in traditional regalia for a demonstration of the Tolowa Feather Dance, or Nay-dosh, at the Bear River Rancheria in September. The dance, traditionally performed near the winter solstice, gives thanks for food sources, ancestors, children and creation. According…
It seems like there’s a new vodka on the market every other day. Each brand says it’s more pure, or more traditional than the previous one. And all say they are the best “odorless/flavorless” alcohol on the market. Simply put, new vodkas are nothing new. Until they are. Blue Lake Vodka is made by distillers…
When you’re done craning your neck and snapping shots of the beautifully restored Carson Block Building, step inside and peruse the North Coast Indian Development Council Art and Gift Shop. Every piece here is handmade and bought directly from a native artist or a native-owned company. You’ll see work from the North Coast, all over…
