Inside and Out — Well, like many in Humboldt and beyond, all of us at the Insider had more than a year inside. The pandemic had us home alone or with our families, relying on essential workers keeping things going in the world outside. Without the festivals and live music, the restaurant dining and winding through little shops, the impromptu drinks with friends, we had to think hard about what makes Humboldt County a community and rediscover some of what we love about living here. We found some new ways to enjoy and support the small businesses we love, too.
The natural beauty of our local landscape has been a refuge. Taking a break from our worries with a walk through the redwoods or along the river is always a balm to the soul, but we’ve never been more grateful for them. And seeing as we’re not out of the metaphorical woods yet, we may be spending more time in the literal ones. For a different perspective on the big trees, you can stroll the newly built Redwood Sky Walk at the Sequoia Park Zoo, featured in this issue’s Adventure. Read about the ADA accessible feat of engineering and then go see it for yourself.
Our Perfect Trips include some excellent options for enjoying the outdoors, too, whether it’s zipping along the Eureka Waterfront on an electric bike or traversing the otherworldly Samoa Dunes. There’s plenty of outdoor art to enjoy between the recently added sculptures in the Creamery District and a fresh crop of murals from the Eureka Street Art Festival. Grab-and-go goodies from some of the restaurants that have adapted to takeout should keep you well fueled — a cone from Cat Shack while you tour Ferndale’s Victorians or a Cocina Mariposa burrito to get you through all 18 holes at the Municipal Golf Course? You’ve got options.
When you’re ready to put your feet up, a glass of wine on the patio at Septentrio Winery (and maybe some apps from the on-site truck The Nosh) is a fine way to unwind. We’ll introduce you to the folks who make its wines and kept it on track as a place to connect, even with social distancing. And for homey Southern cooking, we’ll take you to Fat Anne’s Bistro for a plate of fried chicken, a hunk of carrot cake and memories of the owner/chef’s grandmother cooking and laughing, cocktail in hand.
After so long restricting our shopping to targeted missions for essentials, it’s with renewed joy that we once again wind our way through independent shops to browse and discover. For this issue, we returned to Just My Type Letterpress and Paperie in its new spot full of work by local artists. Listen, Zoom calls have lost their novelty — writing letters with stationery printed on 200-year-old presses feels like a refreshing change.
In the back of the magazine, as usual, you’ll see our calendar. This time, it extends to the end of the year, based on what we know so far. Conditions and safety recommendations from Public Health may change, so you’ll want to check the updated calendar online at www.northcoastjournal.com. Not so usual is the list of restaurants, delis, food trucks, markets, bars, wineries and breweries that normally fills the annual Menu of Menus guide. It’s been a tough year for food and drink businesses and so we’ve rolled the listings into this installment of the Insider to get it in more hands and make it easier to peruse local offerings and check them out. Flip through and we bet you’ll find a few places you haven’t thought of in a while that you might like to sample and support.
Meanwhile, as we’re enjoying the people and places of Humboldt, we’ll be masking up and observing the safety guidelines at local shops and restaurants to show our appreciation for how they’ve gotten us through all this. And when those events in the calendar happen, we’ll be thrilled to see you there.
— Jennifer Fumiko Cahill