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 inShopping
Hands Down
There’s something about clothing and objects designed by a singular imagination and made by an actual person’s hands. This pair of Humboldt shops rounds up quirky and beautiful things with personality and soul, like the people who made them. The Bodega H.A. Pearson, the vivacious owner of The Bodega, is known for her super soft, […]
Posted inStories
Grand Dame
Joan Schirle leaves her shoes at the door of the classroom and travels across the airy, cool studio in a pair of black sweatpants. Her MFA students are settled along the east wall. The sun shines on their backs through the tall windows of the 100-year-old building. Schirle situates herself in the center of the […]