Excerpted from “Wish You Were Here: An Insider’s Must-See, Can’t-Miss Guide to Humboldt”
Those accustomed to bright city lights may hesitate when considering remote, rural Humboldt. Just look at the map – it’s waaaay up there, behind the Redwood Curtain. What’s there to do, besides stack wood and gather compost?
It’s true you can’t do half a million things at 3 a.m. here – more like a half dozen. But no matter. You might not even make it past midnight in Humboldt, wiped out from all there is to experience during the day.
What follows is our humble attempt at a Humboldt must-do list – things that any first timer, or alum returning after too many years away, should check out. Full credit is due to an impromptu discussion on Facebook, where alums reminisced about their favorite Humboldt memories.
Did we leave something major off the list? Want to add your own must-do item or reveal a hidden gem? Leave a comment on our website: humboldt.edu/magazine
Arcata Farmers’ Market
In 1979, a handful of farmers decided to sell their fruits and vegetables directly to consumers. A gravel lot at Seventh and F streets was big enough. But not for long.
With demand for fresh, organic vegetables burgeoning, the market soon moved to the more capacious Plaza, and an institution was born. Three decades later, the Arcata Farmer’s Market has evolved into a full-blown weekly festival. On Saturdays from April through November, 50 to 60 farmers head to Arcata from as far as Willow Creek and Weott.
Squeals of children mingle with strains of whatever band might be performing – zydeco, Celtic, reggae or otherwise – next to the food vendors at the Plaza’s center. The market continues to evolve, with homegrown beef, lamb and rabbit meat available this year.
Bonfires on the Beach
Graduation, summer solstice, New Year’s Eve – any celebration seems more grand by the light of a wind-whipped driftwood pyre.
North Coast beaches are often dotted by bonfires. Clam Beach in McKinleyville is usually lit up on weekend nights, but others are also fire-friendly, from Luffenholtz beach in Trinidad to Mad River Beach in Arcata.
Officialdom largely tolerates the phenomenon, though any conversation about beach bonfires invariably moves on to concern and cautions.
“I think they’re wonderful,” says Arcata Fire Chief John McFarland. “But when they make them as big as this room and then walk away, we have a nightmare.” He describes having to bring bulldozers and other firefighting equipment to remote beaches, and urges bonfire-bugs not to burn driftwood that’s connected to larger heaps of washed-up fuel.
Also high on the no-no list are plovers and pallets. Western Snowy Plovers nest from March through September on some beaches, and their habitat is protected. Shipping pallets are the bane of beachgoers for the nails they leave behind.
…
Read the rest of Wish You Were Here: An Insider’s Must-See, Can’t-Miss Guide to Humboldt at magazine.humboldt.edu.