Fall and All — There are those of us who smile through spring and summer but secretly count the days until fall, when we can feel a little snap in the wind, pull on something wooly and sip cocoa. Congratulations, sweater people, your time has come. And in Humboldt, it lingers since we don’t have harsh winters that demand warming up the car or shoveling snow. If you’re used to colder climes, our winter feels a bit like an extended (if sometimes rainy) fall.
Throw on an extra layer and explore. In Perfect Trips, you’ll find out about a hike to an idyllic waterfall and a nighttime redwood walk lit by luminaries. Sleeping in? We’ll let you in on all-day mimosas in Old Town Eureka and introduce you to jazzy evenings at the cozy, eclectic Larrupin’ Café. It’s not officially fall until you wander through a pumpkin patch, and once winter arrives, you’ll want to take a turn around the sweetest little indoor ice skating rink down in Ferndale.
If, while strolling through Eureka, you happen to pass a mural of a guy building a ship in a bottle, that’s Sonny Wong (the artist and the model), Humboldt’s favorite artist (yes, we vote on that kind of thing). Meet him in our profile and find out how he came to his street art/Saturday morning cartoon style. Keep an eye out — you’ll probably see more of his work around the county.
Looking to pick up a new skill? Nothing could be more Humboldt than the lumberjack sport of ax throwing. Come along with us and check out Hatchet House, the indoor ax throwing spot right in Arcata, where the staff will have you throwing at targets two at a time in no time. I mean, when in the redwoods …
If throwing back cocktails is more your speed, no worries. We’ll save you a seat at Eureka’s Phatsy Kline’s Parlor Lounge, the bar with historic cred, platters that raise the bar for bar food and an Old Fashioned to write home about. Back in Arcata, if you ask somebody where to have dinner, they’ll probably tell you Tomo. So we’ll take you to the 35-year-old Japanese restaurant and sushi bar to see how it earned its loyal multi-generational following. (Spoiler: It’s at least partly the salmon.)
Don’t go into the holiday entertaining season empty handed. Peruse our Browsing section and you’ll find host/hostess gifts that outshine the same old bottle of wine. Are those hemp CBD lotions? Truffle salts and butters? Why yes, yes they are. And the little tykes needn’t miss out on goodies — we’ve rounded up charming, old-fashioned gifts, like tea sets and redwood forest picture books.
— Jennifer Fumiko Cahill