Avenue of the giants is a great way to drive along the freeway with a more scenic route. It was…read morebeautiful and gorgeous drive and they have stops that you can go to for view points. I suggest you go early to avoid crowds if you want to get to every site and not have toooo much traffic. Also Make sure to get the map at the first stop so you can read about each stop and decide which ones ha wanna go to.

Absolutely wonderful way to experience the Redwoods firsthand. No need to drive the whole avenue;…read moreyou can pop off the 101, drive up Avenue of the Giants for a bit, and then pop back on the 101 to resume your trip. That's exactly what I did and it worked out great. You can slow down and experience the Redwoods close up, rather than whizzing by on the highway. No fee! Don't miss it!

Monument for those buried at sea [Trinidad CA]…read more I wasn't sure if this Yelp page was for the concrete memorial lighthouse (or is it a replica) or of the one off of Edwards Street. Either way both are remembering those who perished at sea. The memorial on Edward's Street is a pyramid shaped marble slab engraved with sea gulls and the words "Lost At Sea," with names listed on the plaques. As more names were added through the years additional plaques were placed along the adjacent cement retaining wall. There were so many names it was sad to see and reminded me of the movie "the Perfect Storm" [2000] with George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg. The movie was based on a true story where the boat of the crew of six was caught in a storm and disappeared with no survivors. In 2012, we saw the memorial in Gloucester, Massachusetts inscribed with the names of those men. So sad. The memorials in Trinidad are free to visit. It looks like the lighthouse has moved a couple of times but it was at the harbor area where we saw the lighthouse and fog bell which served as a permanent location for the monument. Both memorial locations were adorned with wreaths during the Memorial Day weekend. The Axel Lindgren Memorial Trail on Edwards Street was currently not available due to erosion. Review #3777

This memorial that overlooks Trinidad Bay is a few steps down some stairs near the parking lot. It…read moreis a four-sided monument that has plaques with inscribed names of those that were lost or buried at sea. Additional plaques were placed along the adjacent wall as names soon outgrew the smaller monument. There used to be a replica of the 1871 Trinidad Head Lighthouse here. It housed the original Fresnel lens and the bronze fog bell from 1898. But it was moved to Trinidad Rancheria Harbor a few years ago due to erosion. I was moved by the memorial when I passed it on a walk one early morning. Each year on the last Sunday in May, this community gathers to remember the names of the people recorded on the plaques.

It would be nice if the county come up state, or whoever would tell you that the lighthouse isn't…read moreopen every day. The signs don't really tell you where to go, and the whole thing is a very confusing affair. We walked all the way to the top, went around a few times, and we never got to see the lighthouse until we were able to see that it's only open once a month. We feel let down if you want to get some exercise, go ahead, but don't expect to see the lighthouse.

Even though I didn't see the actual lighthouse (it only opens the first Saturday of every month),…read morethe loop trail around Trinidad Head is amazing and still worth doing. It is just under 2 miles to hike the entire loop and is a pretty easy trail to walk on. This hike provides some of the best viewpoints of the Pacific Coast. The trailhead starts off in the parking lot. The Trinidad Head Memorial Lighthouse (replica of the original) was recently moved near the parking lot and you are able to walk up and see it. It was a beautiful morning when I hiked this trail. I loved the picturesque view of the harbor with all of its sea stacks. During certain seasons, you can spot migrating grey whales. Trinidad Head Trail Loop has a few benches along the way if you want to sit and relax and enjoy the view. There is also a stone cross on the trail that commemorates the Spanish explorers that landed here in 1775. In addition to the views, I enjoyed going through the little greenery tunnels and seeing all the pretty flowers on this hike. The lighthouse was commissioned in 1871 and is still currently active.

As a local I really enjoy shopping at the Humboldt Hometown Store. I Love that it's the old bank (…read moreearly 1900's), still has the original teller windows & bank fault! Fun fact: Guy Fieri owns the building and you can even buy autographed Guy merch there. What I truly like about this shop, It's a great place to buy locally made, unique affordable items. The variety of hand-crafted things to buy is amazing, I can truly gift shop for my whole family in one spot! There's also a great selection of locally made food items, one my favorite tea blends (wildn'wise) is at Humboldt Hometown store. We recently tried The new Escape Room while our friends were visiting. Everyone (4 adults, 3 teens) had a blast trying to escape, we made it out with 2mins to spare! I definitely recommend checking this place out if your just visiting Ferndale, for unique one of a kind items or a totally fun indoor experience! :)

I love all the locally made crafts! I never leave this store without buying a handful of beautiful…read morewares.

City of Fernadale, I heart you! Craftsman/Victorian homes are my weakness!…read more This town has been on my radar for years & finally the Victorian gods blessed me with a visit. BTW this is Guy Fieri's hometown too! There isn't much to do here but there is a lot to see in 20 mins lol. Definitely try to stay at a bed and breakfast to get the full experience. Simple life, simple living, shops close early and kids riding their bikes to the local market for candy! Ohhh the good ole days!

Took a short excursion off highway 101 to visit this super cute Victorian village. It was founded…read morein 1852. Most current population recorded 1,377 (per 2019 census). The Victorian architecture is gorgeous! So intricate. The storefronts on the main street are kept up nicely. Such a beautiful walk on both sides of the street. There are clean public restroom available near the automotive shop. People were friendly and welcoming. If you get a chance, check out the cemetery, down and around the corner from the main street. Super cool looking...part of it is up on a beautiful hillside. There are a bunch of above ground headstones too...many dating back to 1800s. Highly recommend!

This is a beautiful home, one of the most photographed homes in the country. It's a beautiful…read moreexample of Queen Anne Victorian architecture. The home was finished in 1889, and was built for lumber baron William Carson. He and his family lived in the home for many years. It was in danger of demolition, as maintaining such large historic homes became costly. A group of local businessmen bought the home in 1950, and turned it into a private club. They have since spent millions and millions of dollars to restore and maintain the home. While it is absolutely beautiful from the outside, unfortunately, it is not open for tours. However, if you happen to know a member of the club, or if you are invited to an event such as a wedding, office party, etc. at the mansion, you can get a tour. It's a very nice home on the inside, and the highlight is the cupola at the very top, which Mr. Carson used to observe his business interests. If you would like to see what the inside looks like, you can Google the phrase , "Carson mansion interior."

Beautiful Victorian architecture!…read more Went up north for the Memorial Day weekend for the redwoods but had to make a stop to check out the famous Carson Mansion. Love the green tones of the home and varying rooflines. At first I was surprised that there was no placard with a summary of the place but then I noticed a small sign. It was fun to see the sign at the front of the gate that had a QR code to scan and it'll take you to a Spotify listening to learn about the history of the place. Very cool, because this way you can listen to the history of it via your phone at either the site at that moment or even play it on the drive back. It was unique and something I haven't seen before! We took our time and appreciated the view because if you turn to the left you can also observe the water and pedestrian walkway corridors in town. If you're in Eureka and even only have 5-10 minutes to spare, I recommend swinging by the Carson Mansion to get a taste of high quality architecture, unique views, and a lil history moment!

What a stunning state park! I was headed up to Eureka and had actually never heard of this park…read more(being an Angeleno) when I decided to stop in. There is so much to see and do here! First of all, the scencery is absolutely stunning. It's pretty easy to drive through the park and pop out at scenic spots for a view of the ocean (such as Wedding Rock, so named as a beautiful spot for a wedding). There's also wonderful hiking, including the Rim Trail and the path down to Agate Beach. Also... beachcombing camping learning about the history of the area at the Visitor Center biking nature photography and much more! There is an entrance fee; however, if you avail yourself of the California State Park Library Pass, it's free! Either way, definitely worth a vist.

Spectacular view for a girl from LA…read more I planned a roadtrip to visit all the gloomy coastal cities up north and this park beach truly delivered. It is nothing like the beaches in SoCal which is everything that I wanted to experience. I enjoyed how cool the weather was and the smells of the clean, crisp air. It was just under $10 to visit for the day and we spent about an hour solely taking in the views. Overall, highly recommend if you are in this neck of the woods.