Eureka !!!

Eureka California I mean. Set along the banks of Humboldt Bay, the center of Humboldt County and the Redwood National Park’s system. This Victorian seaport, Eureka will be a great place to start or finish your north coast vacation.

With hundreds or restaurants, shopping and outdoor activities galore, you also, will be saying.....Eureka!!!

The town was born and prospered because of the timber industry, and commercial fishing which were the main two sources of income to this north coast community.

Eureka is one of many north coast towns frequented by Hollywood writers and film crews. One such writer was Jack London who came here in search of real life tough guys which he based characters on. There are still people talking about the Oberon Saloon where in 1912 he got on the wrong side of a local lumberman.

Things are quiet these days, but history lurks everywhere. Redwood constructed houses, just magnificent, line the orderly streets. The most recognized and obvious one of them, the Carson Mansion at 2nd & M Streets, has been called the most photographed Victorian in America. The Pink Lady, across the street is another well-known Victorian. Visit the remarkable Blue Ox Millworks at the foot of X Street to find out how these architectural treasures were built and restored.

You also, will be saying.....Eureka!!!
Old Town, or Downtown district it is called is one of Eureka’s most popular destinations. Blocks of vintage commercial buildings lovingly restored, now contain; galleries, bookstores, a variety of unusual boutiques, restaurants, coffee houses, and museums.

Eureka’s Old Town is truly a delightful place to shop, stroll and dine--or take a ride in a horse-drawn carriage retaining its Victorian character. The streets of Old Town are where many of Eureka’s frequent fairs and festivals take place.

A great place to stroll, (from the Adorni Center east) The Waterfront along Humboldt Bay is to watch the wateralong the new boardwalk. Eureka’s colorful fishing boats and pleasure craft can be seen coming and going from the Woodley Island Marina and the new Small Boat Basin, still very much a working port.

The relocated Table Bluff Lighthouse and “The Fisherman,” a striking memorial statue on Woodley Island is worth a visit to see. Choose a restaurant at the marina to sit and watch the bay. Woodley Island is accessible by way of the Samoa Bridge. The Humboldt Bay Harbor Cruise on board the Madaket, an original 1910 passenger ferry is another great way to view Eureka.
Sequoia Park & Zoo, tucked away on the south side of town is another gem. This 77-acre tract of old-growth redwoods contains a charming small zoo, a duck pond, two playgrounds, and nature trails, perfect for spending an hour or two with the children and work out their jitters. The zoo is a great place to stop and unwind (it’s closed on Mondays)even if you’re just passing through Eureka. Sequoia Park can be reached off Harris St. at W and Glatt Streets.

Another city treasure that is often overlooked is Fort Humboldt State Historic Park, on Highland Ave. off Broadway. Reconstructed army buildings from the mid-1800s, an excellent museum in one of them, and an expansive outdoor museum of early logging equipment. Eureka is already known as America’s Best Small Arts Town, Check out the new Morris Graves Museum of Art, 636 F St., which anchors Eureka’s growing Cultural Arts District.

The beautifully-restored Carnegie Library building houses the new museum. The newest addition to Eureka’s growing cultural presence isn the Humboldt Botanical Gardens just south of Eureka,ground breaking this year to create this soon to be, world-class park of over 45 acres.

The new Humboldt County Library (right next to the Carson Mansion) which offers art exhibits and magnificent bay views as well as fantastic research and media collections.

Golfers will really enjoy the Eureka Municipal Golf Course (707/443-4808), an 18-hole, par 70 course nestled in the redwoods.

Eureka is an ideal place from which to branch out with its central location and proximity to numerous attractions, your adventures could soon begin here.

Staying here is easy with classic hotels to quaint B&Bs and familiar national chains available offering a broad range of accommodations. There is ample shopping for everything, numerous great places to eat, plus special gifts straight from nature, the redwoods and the sea

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