Now, friends, is not the time to lock in. Now is the season of drifting along with the current, at least for the weekend. Make waves while the sun shines.
This issue of the Insider has a slew of slowed-down activities to enjoy at your leisure. Flip through our Perfect Trips and plan (or don’t plan) your meanderings. Pick up a few words in Soulatluk, the language of Wiyot people, for the flora and fauna you encounter strolling the trails and beaches. Stop for low-pressure snacks from dumplings to waffle cones, then dip your toes in the local poetry and arts scene.
Should gazing out onto the water give you the urge to paddle out, we’ve got the lowdown on all the Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center has to offer in the way of kayak rentals, tours and lessons. The best view of the bay, Wigi in Soulatluk, is from the middle of it.
Keep the mellow mood going at mealtime, too. Shelter Cove’s seaside Gyppo Ale Mill has pitchers and scratch-made pub fare to enjoy on the deck with a view of the rocky coast and breezes off the Pacific Ocean. Or come as you are — as long as you show up hungry — to the Redwood Palace for perfect, unfussy steaks and homemade carrot cake. Speaking of unfussy, a shot and a PBR await you at Ernie’s, a welcoming dive bar perfect for letting down your hair and letting a few darts fly.
If you’re looking for something to soak your cares away, you’ll want to stop into Bubbles, a local institution for house-formulated soaps, body care and fragrance oils. We’ve also got a primer on calming cannabis in the form of hash oil and rosins for those who are new to them.
In the back of the issue, you’ll find our seasonal calendar of events with entertainment and activities for everyone (see more here), as well as our Menu of Menus restaurant guide.
Go forth and go with the flow.
— Jennifer Fumiko Cahill
This article appears in Humboldt Insider Spring/Summer 2026.
