Old Town Eureka

Jill's Journal: Yesterday the girls and I explored Old Town Eureka, one of the last remaining intact downtowns in California and most of it on the National Register of Historic Places. What a cool place and a wonderful change from most of the rest of Eureka as seen from Highway 101, which is industrial-looking and not overly attractive.

With a population just shy of 30,000, Eureka is not a big city, by any means, but it is the largest town on the “North Coast” of California above San Francisco. With great old architecture, brick-lined streets, super-friendly people, and eclectic shops, all of it right on the Humboldt Bay, Old Town has a great vibe.

Interestingly (and this has nothing to do with the pictures), we’ve also noticed an unusually big homeless population here. In talking to a local parent at a park, he even brought it up, asking if I’ve noticed how prevalent the homeless population is and saying it’s the bane of Eureka. He told me the local laws are very favorable for the homeless and include free meals and money to spend as they please. Add in a mild climate and easy access to drugs (more on that in a minute) and no wonder even the girls noticed something was a little different here.

The Romano Gabriel Garden, which is a wall of windows showcasing whimsical folk art. One man spent three decades carving hundreds of trees, flowers, faces, and other objects out of vegetable crates and displayed them in his front yard. Eventually the wooden “garden” obscured his house, became a tourist attraction, and was featured in magazines around the world. After his death, it was moved to Old Town for all to enjoy.

Carson Mansion, the most famous building in Old Town. Pictures don’t do it justice.

The Pink Lady, just one of many lovely homes in Eureka’s Old Town.

Eureka is the heart of Humboldt County, known worldwide for its biggest crop: marijuana. There have been many documentaries done on the area and it’s well-advertised that one should never wander off the beaten path here because people guard their crops with gusto (and lots of firepower). The policemen that waited by the side of the road with us on Sunday told us that few law enforcement on the Humboldt beat dare live in the area; most commute an hour or more to keep themselves and their families safe.

We are simply amazed at the incredible amount of “garden supply” stores and other businesses that sell marijuana-growing paraphernalia, such as the water tanks shown above. Crazy. When we started this adventure, we said we'd do our best to partake in each region's highlight...however, Humboldt County's may be outside our realm! :)