SHORT TRIPS
GETAWAY EXCURSIONS

Visiting Humboldt Countytakes
you away from crowds into quiet
 

The historic Carson Mansion in Eureka is not open to the public,
but can be admired from the street.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

By Paul Franson
CORRESPONDENT

If you’re tired of crowds and the same old sights, it’s only a five-hour drive to a delightful getaway that avoids them both — and boasts many delightful surprises.

The picturesque port of Eureka lies in northwestern California 100 miles from the Oregon border. Famous for one of the largest collections of Victorian buildings in America, Eureka provides an ideal base to investigate the varied attractions of Humboldt County.

It’s also a perfect stop on the Great Northern Road Trip that eventually lures Californian to Seattle and Victoria up the coast,

Eureka lies on the inside shore of Humboldt Bay, the largest estuary in California north of San Francisco Bay. The shallow bay has long been a center for fishing and lumber, bulwarks that still drive the local economy.

Spanish explorers landed nearby in 1775, but it wasn’t until 1806 that fur traders discovered Humboldt Bay. In 1850, a small settlement was established on Trinidad Bay. Native Americans resisted the settlers, leading the U.S. government to establish Fort Humboldt. By 1856, however, seven sawmills supplied lumber for San Francisco’s gold rush boom.

As the town grew, residents built houses in the then-current Victorian style, and many still exist. The local lumber barons built mansions, including the impressive Carson Mansion on a hill overlooking the harbor. Restored to its glory but not open to the public, it can be viewed from the sidewalk.

Shopping malls and earthquakes through the years almost destroyed Eureka’s downtown, but some magnificent old buildings such as the Eureka Inn remain. Fortunately, a once-seedy area by the harbor escaped destruction and has been reborn as Old Town. It lies almost along the waterfront and boasts restaurants, bars and shops for residents and visitors alike.

Some buildings are only now being restored while others await saviors. There’s not a chain store to be seen.

Among the many interesting stores is the Irish Shop, where I found a cable-knit sweater to replace one I got long ago in Ireland and lost.

There are many antique shops and art galleries in the area, the latter a hint that Humboldt may have more artists per capita than any other county in the state.

One unique Old Town attraction is an unusual winery. Golden Angels Cellars makes tasty plain and fruit-flavored meads or honey wines, sure to confound your wine snob friends.

It also sells conventional grape wines from Humboldt and inland Trinity County, too. An alternative to local mead and wine is found at Lost Coast Brewing in Old Town, a lively local brew pub.

Humboldt accommodations vary from cheap motels to the elegant restored Eureka Inn and the Carter complex, which has four properties clustered around a corner near the Carson Mansion.

The looming Carter House looks like an antique, but it was built in 1982 by Mark Carter, a local carpenter and builder. He used plans for a mansion destroyed in the 1906 earthquake and fire in San Francisco. Carter and his wife Christi once lived in the mansion, but have since moved nearby. The Carter House now contains five suites, most with views of the harbor.

The couple later built the modern luxury Hotel Carter with 32 rooms and a European flair. Its rooms typically cost $150 to $250. Last year, the Carters acquired and restored two Victorian houses next door: One contains three suites.

The other cottage contains a $495-per-night Honeymoon suite with elegant decor and a two-person Jacuzzi. It also includes a professional kitchen used for celebratory functions and culinary events.

Dining in Eureka ranges from egalitarian fast food to elegant fine fare. The best-known restaurant in the area is the colorful Samoa Cookhouse across the bay in the sawmill town of Samoa.

The Cookhouse is a reminder of the times when lumbermen lived in dormitories and took their meals in dining halls. The fare is basic, abundant and reasonable. Most popular is breakfast. The day I visited, the meal featured scrambled eggs, biscuits and white gravy, thick French toast, sausage, coffee and juice — in unlimited quantities for $6.95. Lunch and dinner are comparable.

At the other extreme is Restaurant 301 in the Carter Hotel, which has been highlighted in many gourmet and travel magazines. The food is inspired Californian, with both multi-course prix fixe ($45) gourmet meals and a la carte dining. The restaurant features local fare, including abalone, Humboldt Bay oysters and locally caught salmon. Much of the produce comes from a garden that surrounds the Carters’ nearby home.

If you wonder where hippies went after the ‘70s, head to Arcata. It’s a world filled with tie-dye and long hair, though the hair is turning gray — or gone. Home of Humboldt State University, Arcata reeks of counter culture, though I didn’t smell its most famous crop while visiting the large Saturday farmers market in the town plaza.

Arcata boasts a lively cultural scene and the expected nightlife, thanks to the University, including theater, music and art beyond what you’d expect in a rural area.

Not far north of Arcata is Trinidad, a tiny oceanfront community behind dramatic Trinidad Head, which you can climb for incredible views. The giant rock shelters an open harbor, which contains commercial fishing boats. You can enjoy a snug meal in its almost hidden cove.

All along the coast between Eureka and Trinidad, as well as farther north heading for Crescent City and oregon, are miles of vacant beaches. The treacherous waves and cold temperatures encourage beachcombing rather than swimming. There are, however, sheltered lagoons, rivers and pools that are better for that.

Though there are many urban pleasures in the area, most visitors enjoy the natural wonders. This is redwood territory, and giant trees abound on the trip up 101 and nearer Eureka. You pass giant tree houses, drive-through trees, bears sculptured with chain saws and other tacky attractions supposedly so beloved by tourists.

You also see the unmistakable wounds of lumbering, vast patches of denuded mountainsides. Many lumber mills still operate, though some are as threatened as spotted owls. Pacific Lumber Company in the company town of Scotia features tours and explanations of farming trees.

The many rivers invite fishing, canoeing and rafting, and the mountains attract hikers and campers. The large wetlands, bay and seashore fascinate bird and animal watchers.

Just south of Eureka is the Lost Coast, the only part of California without a highway along the ocean. Nineteen miles south en route there lies the remarkable Victorian village of Ferndale. It seems like a movie set, perhaps for an American version of Brigadoon, the town where time stood still for 100 years.

It’s incredible Ferndale wasn’t changed in the name of "improvement" long ago like thousands of other small towns in America. It’s everyone’s ideal hometown, a peaceful community with elegantly restored houses and a downtown that serves locals as much as tourists. Don’t miss Ferndale, and make sure you stay for lunch or at least an old-fashioned Ice cream cone.
 
 

Paul Franson photos

The popular Samoa Cookhouse is across the bay from Eureka.