Sights in North Coast
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Blue Ox Millworks & Historic Park
Don't miss Blue Ox Millworks & Historic Park. One of only seven of its kind left in America, the millworks uses antique tools and mills to produce authentic gingerbread trim and decoration for Victorian buildings. One-hour self-guided tours take you through the mill and surrounding historical buildings, including a blacksmith shop and recreated 19th-century skid camp. Kids love the oxen.
Master craftsman Eric Hollenbeck does everything by hand, and even manufactures his own stains. (When colleagues laughed, saying, 'Why waste time making stain when you can buy if for around US$10?,' Eric replied, 'The hidden cost of convenience is knowledge.' Indeed.) If you spend Saturda…
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Humboldt State University
On the northeastern side of town, Humboldt State University is Arcata's raison d'être. The Campus Center for Appropriate Technology (CCAT) is a world-leader in sustainable technologies. The center is based in CCAT House, which is a converted residence that uses only 4% of the energy of a comparably sized dwelling. Dig the pedal-powered TV! You can take a self-guided tour at 14:00 on Fridays.
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Humboldt Redwoods State Park
Along Hwy 101, 80-sq-mile Humboldt Redwoods State Park protects some of the world's oldest redwoods and has three-quarters of the world's tallest 100 trees. Even if you don't have time to hike in, drive (vehicle entry $8) the park's awe-inspiring Avenue of the Giants, a 32-mile, two-lane road parallel to Hwy 101.
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Fort Humboldt State Historic Park
South of downtown via Hwy 101 to Highland Ave, the 1853 Fort Humboldt State Historic Park overlooks Humboldt Bay. Only one structure remains, the tiny hospital, now a museum, but cool outdoor exhibits show the old equipment used to fell redwoods. The park fires up the machinery on the 3rd Saturday of the month, May through September.
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Clear Lake State Park
Six miles from Lakeport, Clear Lake State Park , on the lake's western shore, is everything a state park should be - idyllic and gorgeous - with hiking trails, fishing, boating and camping. The bird-watching is extraordinary. The visitors center has geological and historical exhibits.
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Carson Mansion
The most famous of Eureka's impressive Victorians is the ornate Carson Mansion, 1880s home of lumber baron William Carson, designed by Samuel and Joseph Newsom, the famous 19th-century architects. It took 100 men a full year to build. Today it's a private club.
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Arcata Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary
On the shores of Humboldt Bay lies Arcata Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary. The sanctuary has 5 miles of walking trails and outstanding birding - and it doubles as the city's (nearly) odor-free wastewater treatment facility (ya gotta love this town's ingenuity).
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Carter House
Who says they don't build houses like that anymore? The Carter House, was built in the 1980s by bon vivant Mark Carter, using 19th-century blueprints he'd found in an antique store. He's a local celeb; you can meet him at the Hotel Carter, across the street.
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Morris Graves Museum of Art
The Morris Graves Museum of Art is Eureka's cultural hub and has rotating exhibitions of California artists inside a 1904 Carnegie library, the state's first public library. It hosts weekend jazz, dance and spoken-word performances (September to May).
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Redwood Park
Redwood Park has beautiful redwoods and picnic areas. Adjoining the park is the Arcata Community Forest, a 575-acre old-growth forest crisscrossed by 10 miles of trails, with dirt paths and paved roads good for hikers and mountain-bikers.
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Triangle Tattoo & Museum
Literally and figuratively on the other side of the street from the 1982 Guest House Museum, the Triangle Tattoo & Museum is flanked by galleries that unveil new shows and stay open till 20:00 on the second Saturday of each month.
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Phillips House Museum
The 1854 Phillips House Museum is a living museum that shows what the life of Arcata residents and farmers was like in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The historical exhibits and tours provide insights into the character of the town.
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Romano Gabriel Wooden Sculpture Garden
The Romano Gabriel Wooden Sculpture Garden is enclosed by glass, between D and E Sts. For 30 years the brightly painted folk art in Gabriel's front yard delighted locals. After he died in 1977, the city moved the collection here.
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Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens
The jaw-droppingly stunning Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens displays native flora year-round along serpentine paths on 47 seafront acres south of town. Primary trails are wheelchair-accessible.
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Wedding Mansion
The pink house opposite the Carson Mansion is the Wedding Mansion. It's an 1884 Queen Anne Victorian by the same architects, built as a wedding gift for Carson's son.
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Sequoia Park
Sequoia Park, boasts not only a 77-acre old-growth redwood grove, but it also has biking and hiking trails, a children's playground and picnic areas, and a small zoo.
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Old County Courthouse
In Lakeport, the 1871 Old County Courthouse is a state historic landmark. Inside, so-so Lake County Museum has Pomo Native American artifacts and historical exhibits.
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St George Reef Lighthouse
Situated six miles offshore, the St George Reef Lighthouse will be visible on a clear day. The only way to get there is via helicopter (around US$170; book ahead).
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North Coast Marine Mammal Center
Drop into the feel-good North Coast Marine Mammal Center, just east of Battery Point, where injured seals, sea lions and dolphins recuperate after being rescued.
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HSU Natural History Museum
The HSU Natural History Museum has kid-friendly interactive exhibits of fossils, live animals, a beehive, tidepool tank, and cool tsunami and seismic displays.
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Beachfront Park
Beachfront Park, is situated between B & H Sts. It has a great harborside beach for little ones - with no waves - and picnic tables and a bicycle trail.
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Azalea State Reserve
Northeast of Arcata, 2 miles east of Hwy 101, Azalea State Reserve bursts into bloom late April to late May; otherwise it's just a pretty wood.
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Lower Lake Historical Schoolhouse Museum
The Lower Lake Historical Schoolhouse Museum is infested with bats, but the restored 19th-century classroom is worth checking out.
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Ceago Vinegarden
Ceago (cee-ay-go) occupies a spectacular spot on the north shore, and pours bio-dynamic, fruit-forward wines.
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Redbud Audubon Society
In Lower Lake there's the conservation group Redbud Audubon Society, but birding is better at Clear Lake State Park.
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