iwannagothere.com This is travel, not tourism

Arcata, California is a small college town in Northern California that is perhaps best known for it’s rainy winters and progressive politics. The city sits between a great redwood forest and the Pacific Ocean and within the city limits there’s an impressive bird sanctuary with paths and benches for watching the herons and egrets that make it their home.

The old logging town also has two restored theaters, complete with a funky selection of midnight movies on the weekends.

There’s a handful of cool bars in the plaza, the Alibi is a classic, check out their website for a schedule of live shows. I recommend trying the Wildflower café for a laid back brunch. Arcata lends itself well to use as a base while checking out the natural parks and beaches in the area like: Redwood National Park, Humboldt Redwood State Park, Patrick’s Point, Humboldt Lagoons, or College Cove.

Across the little bay lies the bigger town of Eureka, which is also worth exploring. Downtown Eureka is filled with Victorian houses and lots of antique shops and art galleries. The first Saturday of every month all the galleries have an open house, an opportunity to get to know the art scene of the Humboldt Bay.