“Whoa now, stop that!” Sis Bruner is hollering at her horses. Her silver ponytail sways against her curved shoulders as she loads horses into the trailer for the next ride. “Back up girl, come on, Peach.” An Orick native and the daughter of a dairy farmer, Bruner grew up out by the little red schoolhouse […]
Visitor’s Guide
Posted inEat + Drink
Hum Plate Roundup
Eat America First The standard sub at Z & J Asian Subs (2336 Third St., Eureka) isn’t so much a Vietnamese bánh mì as an American barbecue sandwich that spent a semester abroad and came back with pickled carrots, cucumbers, cilantro and sriracha sauce. Call it inauthentic, make fun of its souvenir beaded necklace, but […]
Posted inPerfect Trips
Perfect Spring Trips
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 […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Cocktail Infusions
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 […]
Posted inStories
Eureka’s Mural Walk
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, […]
Posted inShopping
Thrifted!
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 […]
Posted inShopping
Vintiqueing in Eureka
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 […]
Posted inSpecial Sections
The Ave
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 […]
Posted inStories
Shell Game
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 […]
Posted inStories
Get Aqua Cultured
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 […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Gone Fish’n Chipping
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) […]