KO and the Turk: Eureka!

The California Gold Rush brought settlers to the Humboldt Bay in the 1850s, and the city was given the name “Eureka” from the Greek word meaning “I have found it.” This influx of immigrants was disasterous however to the resident Wiyot tribe who was essentially eliminated by 1860.

Today, Eureka is the largest city of Humbolt County though is past its heyday of the lumber capital of northern California. The intricate Victorian architecture shows off how Eureka looked in those days. Today, Eureka is the cannibas capital with legal and illegal growers scattered throughout the remote forests.

Looks like a candy house

What a joyous entryway

detail work even with basement windows

Carson Mansion-Queen Anne style

Across street from Carson, wedding gift for Carson's son

one of Old Town stores

We found the Blue Ox Millworks, a true labor of love for the Victorian times. They've brought in original logging camp buildings, a blacksmith shop, letterpress print shop, glass, pottery studios. But the most exciting for us was the woodworking shop where skilled woodworkers, some trained in high school programs, build and renovate Victorian woodwork for buildings around the world. They use original equipment and tools from the 1800-early 1900s. While we were there, we watched work being done on corbals for the renovation of a train station.

another logging camp building and tools

saw to cut intricate pieces

Huge lathe for tall posts. Notice the ones hanging

working on corbels

Detailed work, and over 20 to be made

original kitchen for logging camp

We found two very different exceptional restaurants in the area. Brick & Fire was a few blocks from our AirBnB (itself the carriage house of a Victorian) and the Turk loved that all dishes were cooked in wood fired oven. Delish and fun. We also ventured across the bridge to Samoa (island was named as US claimed the island nation of Samoa) to the Samoa Cookhouse. This original cookhouse was built for the loggers who sat at long tables for meals. They were, as we were, served bowls of food - no real choice of menu. The Turk liked the homemade bread, unlimited servings, and apparently the forks. He ended up with 6 around his plate that night!

start counting forks....

Of course we traveled through redwood forests to get from Crescent City to Eureka. Road work, crossing the Klamath River guarded by golden bears who show their butts if you go north, Elk Meadow where we saw....ELK, Fern Canyon where you hike in a canyon of ferns famous because it was filmed in the movie Jurassic Park.