Where to
Stay
Arcata
In 1850, Union Town (now Arcata) was
founded on the north shore of Humboldt Bay to service the
lumber industry, in addition to the gold miners and
prospectors heading for the Trinity Alps gold fields.
The downtown plaza features historic
buildings facing a statue of President McKinley. The most
notable is the old Jacoby's Storehouse, built of
stone and brick with decorative ironwork and shutters,
lovingly restored and decorated by several local artists
and crafts people. There are several worthwhile natural
attractions in the area.
What to See & Do
Redwood Park and the Arcata
Community Forest provide a living museum of some 600
acres of second-growth redwood including ten miles of
walking trails. The historic logging trail takes visitors
on a walk from the west side of the parking lot. Mad
River Beach offers sunning and gazing at the crashing
surf. The Lamphere-Christensen Dune Preserve
contains some of the most impressive dune plant life on
the California coast. Tours are available from the
Friends of the Dunes Society.
Another fine place to view wildlife is the
Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary at the south
end of I Street. This is a sewage treatment plant which
shows how a municipality can take care of its waste --
and birds as well -- through marsh restoration. It's an
important stopping place for egrets, loons, great blue
herons and marsh wrens. Woodchip trails lead to several
blinds. Arcata is home to Humboldt State
University, which has an historical museum full of
natural history displays, at 13th and G streets.
Inns
The North Coast Inn is a
full-service hotel at 4975 Valley West Blvd.
(707-822-4861) with all the amenities ($$).
The Plough and the Stars
(707-822-8236), a bed and breakfast inn, has 5 rooms (3
with shared baths). This is an 1852 farmhouse with
gardens, antique furnishings and fireplaces. It's closed
from late Decembeand until the end of January ($$).
The Lady Anne (707-822-2797) is another bed and
breakfast home, in a turreted 1888 building at 902-14th
Street ($$).
