Welcome to redwood burl country, where artisans and craftspeople are turning knotty local wood to create wild and wonderful things. Korbly Wood Products Since the early ’70s, Bernie Korbly’s been turning out gorgeous wooden bowls on a vintage lathe. You’ll recognize him — he’s the guy in the San Francisco Giants ball cap sprinkled with […]
Visitor’s Guide
Posted inStories
Back to the Blueprints
The Benbow Historic Inn, a circa 1926 landmark on the Redwood Highway in Southern Humboldt County, is kicking off an ambitious expansion this summer, one that will draw creatively on its past and complete the original plans of its designers. Over its 90 years, the Tudor-style luxury inn has hosted the likes of Clark Gable, […]
Posted inPerfect Trips
Perfect Summer Trips
This is the time of year about which English poet John Keats waxed romantic, describing, “Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness/ Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun.” Keats not your thing? OK. Hip-hop duo Twiztid, bosom friends from Detroit, rapped thus: “Seasons change and summer turns to fall/ Every minute of my life, I remember […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Roadside Attractions
Humboldt has classic summer road food well worth pulling over for. Nothin’ fancy, just favorites from the grill and the fryer that will take you back. Don’t forget napkins. Lots of napkins. Chili dog aficionados around here are devoted to Bob’s Footlongs (505 12th St., Fortuna). Feed your nostalgia with an order of piping hot […]
Posted inStories
Home Track
“Here you go, darlin.” The waitress sets a BLT and fries in front of Rod Kausen and returns to the kitchen for a bottle of ketchup. Bacon hangs lackadaisically from neat bread triangles. “You don’t mind if I eat?” Kausen asks. We’re meeting on what Kausen calls his “busy day off.” He wears a lot […]
Posted inStories
Blazing Trails
The bed of the black pick-up truck is loaded with mountain bikes. Front wheels draped over the tailgate, back wheels buried in helmets, shoes and riding gear. The riders load into the cab and head up Fickle Hill to start their day. The group is eager to push their limits and enjoy a fun day […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Dive Right In
Once upon a time, to refer to a drinking establishment as a “dive” was to insult it, to declare its dark corners unwelcoming places populated by seedy people who’d as soon stab you as clink a pint. And then the ’90s happened. Grunge went beyond a music genre — it was a lifestyle best acted […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Pints on the Patio
Summer stretches well into fall in terms of fine, mellow weather in Humboldt. Revel in the sunshine and eat with your sunglasses on. Bittersweet Honestly, we are struggling to find the bitter here. This tag-team venture with Slice of Humboldt Pie and The Local Cider Bar is a very sweet deal. Stake out a couple […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Sweet Eats
Don’t wait until after dinner for your dessert — head into Humboldt Sweets (614 Main St., Ferndale) for breakfast. The cinnamon rolls ($5) and massive caramel pecan cinnamon rolls fresh from the oven are a hot mess in the best possible way ($6). You might also see for yourself just how naughty the cream cheese […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Surf & Turf
Why choose just one? Here are a couple of places to get something from land and something from the sea. Double D Steak & Seafood Every town has an old, by-gone restaurant that makes locals misty and hungry recalling it. In Fortuna, that place is the un-fussy, family-run steak and pasta joint Parlato’s. But right […]
Posted inFood & Drink
The Palace Saloon
With its red and white classic two-story Victorian exterior, its 40-foot bar, original woodwork and trophy-antlered walls, the Palace Saloon has been a community institution since 1890. Back in the day, local merchants, cattlemen, dairymen and townsfolk, all made the Palace their go-to for news, gossip, drinks and good company. These days, most folks stop […]