Eureka

The lively seaport town of Eureka—the largest coastal city between San Francisco and Portland, Oregon—has split-personality charm. There’s a sense of history in the handsomely restored Victorian-era Old Town district, along with a still-working seaport where crusty fishing boats chug in and out of a protected harbor, and logging trucks that rumble through town. Eureka also has an eco-conscious and highly artistic college-town vibe, thanks to its position between The College of the Redwoods and Cal Poly Humboldt located in Arcata.

Hundreds of ornate 19th-century homes reflect the prosperity of Eureka’s formative years, when lumber was king. One example: the Carson Mansion, a paragon of elaborate Queen Anne architecture, is now home to a private club at the end of Second Street. The entire city is a state historic landmark, a captivating mix of nature and culture with a small-town feel.

Start your visit along the waterfront, where a pretty esplanade provides nice views of the harbor and adjacent Humboldt Bay. Check out the small maritime museum, then board the MV Madaket, a snug ferryboat plying the bay since 1910, for a one-hour guided cruise. In adjacent Old Town, beeline to the outstanding Eureka Visitors Center, where you can ask for tips on nearby galleries, gift shops, and eateries, and book guided tours and adventures.

Kids love the Discovery Museum, where hands-on exhibits explore art, technology, and science. Five blocks east from there you’ll find the Morris Graves Museum of Art. Housed in the gorgeously appointed former Carnegie Free Library, the first free library in the state, the museum features exhibitions from artists both local and from around the world; about a seven-minute walk south on F Street from there, you’ll find the Clark Museum, which showcases the history of Northwestern California through exhibits and events. Blue Ox Millworks, which is featured in the TV series, The Craftsman, is a fully functioning Victorian wood shop that produces custom architectural millwork for historic homes and new construction projects. Blue Ox also functions as a school, historic park, and haven for craftsmen.

To get a closer look at one of the town’s defining industries in action, take a drive across the bridge to Woodley Island, home of the largest working marina in the area. Pay a visit to The Fisherman statue at the far western tip of the island, then stop in for a meal at Café Marina, where you can watch the boats come in with their catches of salmon, crab, and tuna while you dine on the same.

The city is also home to Sequoia Park Zoo, the oldest AZA-accredited community zoo in the state. The red pandas, river otters, bears, gibbons, and birds of prey are crowd favorites, and the barnyard petting zoo experience is perfect for young children. It’s an attraction that can be fully experienced in an hour or two (you can view a map of the zoo here). Don’t miss the Redwood Sky Walk, an internationally acclaimed network of suspended bridges that connect a stand of redwood trees deep inside Sequoia Parks' old- and new-growth redwood grove.  While most of the Skywalk stands about 60 feet above ground, or less than 1/3 of the way up these record-setting trees, one bridge measures 100 feet from the forest floor as the ravine below drops down. Visitors of all abilities can experience the wonder of nature as the ADA accessible offering starts at ground level and does not have any stairs.

Before visiting, be sure to check out the town’s busy events calendar. Of all the goings-on throughout the year, the city is most famous for the annual Kinetic Grand Championship sculpture race, which pits engineering-minded artists against each other in a 50-mile race over land, sand, water, and mud in strictly human-powered, homemade vehicles. Other popular celebrations include the Humboldt Marble Weekend, the Forest Moon Festival, Friday Night Markets, the Redwood Coast Music Festival, and the Eureka Street Art Festival just to name a few. For more inspiration to visit Eureka, check out visiteureka.com.