Every day brings more daylight. Make the most of it by exploring some of Humboldt’s best places. The Outdoorsy Type Everyone loves Fern Canyon (Gold Bluffs Beach Road, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, Orick). So much so that you might think the place can’t possibly live up to the hype. And yet, it does. The walls rise…
Gemini Vintiques This charming Old Town Eureka shop is a great place for vintage finds including “fancy lady” bags, shoes and jewelry, old toys, globes, tropical Pacific barkcloth fabrics and drapes, mid-century housewares, linens, antique dishes and glassware. There are even pieces of Humboldt history in the form of cookbooks, ashtrays and ephemera from the…
We are skidding through the water of Humboldt Bay, the dock of Coast Seafoods receding behind us as we head toward the oyster fields. It’s a crisp morning, with the gray-blue water and navy sky colluding to form a rim of bright silver at the horizon. “Everyone should know what a good oyster looks and…
Whether you’re in town for a few days or have lived here 30 years, a Humboldt Bay oyster tour must be put at the top of your adventuring bucket list. It offers a perspective of Humboldt County and the oyster industry you just can’t get from land. With the mountains in the distance and salt-spiked…
Just a vinegar bottle’s throw from the waterfront in Eureka, Gallagher’s Irish Pub in the old Victorian Eagle House (139 Second St.) is frying up old-fashioned, beer-battered slabs of firm cod or salmon ($13-$14). Wash it down with a cold Harp and stroll the boardwalk after. Mad River Brewing Company (101 Taylor Way, Blue Lake)…
Moonstone Grill (100 Moonstone Beach Road, Trinidad, 677-1616) is not a bad place to propose. The intimate dining room looks out onto Moonstone Beach for breathtaking sunsets. The seasonal local ingredients shine on a menu that’s upscale but not fussy — worth the drive out even when the fog rolls in. Well-done classics, like the…
On an unassuming corner in Arcata, behind a bank of frosted glass, and through an ornate, heavy, wooden door, is something bohemian and modestly bacchanalian. In the cozy and hip-but-not-pompous confines of Richard’s Goat Tavern and Tea Room (401 I St.), afternoon light falls in muted colors through the high stained glass windows. That’s a…
Working on a walking guide to Humboldt County over the past year led me to the far corners of our region, but some of the best discoveries turned out to be incredibly close to home. For example, the walk that visits the murals dotting Eureka’s Old Town is a perfect way to get some exercise,…
One of the most memorable “souvenirs” I ever purchased on a vacation came from a charity thrift store — a $2 cookbook signed by Julia Child. As a regular thrift store patron, I often run into out-of-towners who are thrilled to find Humboldt County’s wealth of thrift and vintage clothing stores — along with their…
Whether it’s a gorgeous summer weekend or a wet, socked-in Tuesday afternoon, Humboldt County’s Avenue of the Giants doesn’t disappoint. It can be undertaken as a whirlwind tour with windshield views of the world’s tallest trees or an all-day destination for a romantic duo. Known by locals as “the Ave,” this 31-mile stretch was formerly…
