Page 147 - 2015 Travel Guide to California

BIG RIVER STATE BEACH,
Mendocino, opposite; Humboldt
Redwoods State Park, bellow.
SPECIAL
»
EVENTS 2015
KINETIC SCULPTURE RACE Peripatetic artists of genius or possibly borderline insanity
gather each Memorial Day weekend to race giant, whimsical, people-powered sculptures
from Arcata to Ferndale along a 40-mile course that includes a crossing of Humboldt Bay.
It’s called “the triathalon of the art world.” May 23-25. kineticgrandchampionship.com
BIGFOOT DAYS The earliest and most persistent sightings of that elusive creature known
as Bigfoot have happened around the Siskiyou Mountain town of Willow Creek. Each year
on Labor Day weekend, the community fetes its furry friend with Bigfoot Days. Don’t expect
to see the big guy himself, but you’ll encounter a number of people who claim to have met
him. Sept. 5 bigfootcountry.net
HUMBOLDT BEER WEEK is a county-wide celebration of the vibrant and innovative local
craft brewing scene. Sept. 27-Oct. 5 humboldtbeerweek.com
»
MUST
SEE,
DO
» Swing from the Rafters Part clown, part
mime, part acrobat, part juggler, the actors of the
Dell’Arte Company perform in a uniquely physical
style. A third of all the clowns in Cirque du Soleil
shows are graduates of this school in the tiny town
of Blue Lake. Drop by to catch a performance or
even enroll in the School of Physical Theatre.
› dellarte.com
» Big Footin’ The Bigfoot Collection is the big
attraction at the Willow Creek-China Flat Museum
in the mountain community of Willow Creek.
Plaster footprint casts, photos and pop culture
artifacts tell the story of the mysterious beast.
› bigfootcountry.net
» Forest Tracks Built in 1885 to haul
redwood logs from the tangled backcountry to
coastal sawmills, the iconic Skunk Train now
carries passengers on the 40-mile run through
redwood groves between Fort Bragg and the
inland town of Willits.
› skunktrain.com
» Boulevard of Big Trees Some of the most
magnificent redwoods on the North Coast are also
the easiest to see. At Garberville, turn off Highway
101 onto the Avenue of the Giants, a 31-mile stretch
of the old highway that weaves like a slalom course
between vertiginous, old-growth redwoods. The
route takes you through the heart of Humboldt
Redwoods State Park, which is sunnier and drier
than redwood parks farther north.
› avenueofthegiants.net
» Victorian Hamlet Gaily painted Victorian
mansions line the streets of Ferndale, an idyllic
hamlet on the Eel River delta in southern
Humboldt County. Lovingly preserved, they give
the town a turn-of-the-last-century look that has
proven irresistible to Hollywood. More than a
dozen movies have been filmed here. Main
Street’s shops keep the Victorian theme going,
with old-fashioned mercantiles and even a
blacksmith shop. Cradled between two redwood
forests, the entire town is listed on the National
Register of Historic Places.
› victorianferndale.com
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