Humboldt Insider + Menu of Menus 

Back in the Sunshine

First things first: Just because it’s Humboldt County, sheltered under redwood canopies and the occasional morning fog (we don’t call the eighth month Fogust for nothing) doesn’t mean you can’t get a burn. So grab your shades, slather on some SPF and get ready for the return of sunny weather.

Take a gander at the season’s Perfect Trips and you’ll see where locals will be basking: on trails with wildlife and boat decks with beverages, rafting on the river and flying kites. Don’t even get us started on festivals. Actually, do — our story on summer festivals is packed with live music, food vendors, performances and more in our county’s fields, fairgrounds, streets, stages, campgrounds and lawns. Peruse some highlights from kinetic sculpture racing to apple harvest time and all the plays and parties in between to plan your weekends.

Did you forget to pack your sunglasses? We’ll take you to vintage boutique Shipwreck’s big sister store in Arcata in our Just Browsing section for a rummage through the racks. You need something to wear to dinner, after all. But will it be a cosmopolitan crepe in the little jewel box that is Renata’s Creperie or the ’80s video game and menu nostalgia at Arcada? We’ll hit them both for a little escapism.

More rays are waiting to be caught on the patio overlooking Humboldt Bay at Café Marina, where we’re sampling cocktails and apps. (Watch out for those hungry gulls.) Still peckish? A trio of food trucks are rolling in with summer treats like smashburgers, agua frescas, dripping quesabirria tacos and — what’s that music coming down the block? — an ice cream truck stocked with your childhood favorites.

Our annual Menu of Menus, a complete listing of local eateries and watering holes, awaits you in the back of the issue, along with our extensive calendar of local fun running through October. (Everybody knows Humboldt summer doesn’t end Sept. 1.) Check for updates online at northcoastjournal.com.

We’ll be here all summer.