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Free Traveling Guides » States » California » Northern California
Eureka
Eureka is on Highway 101, 300 miles (480 km) north of San Francisco, and 100 miles (160 km) south of the Oregon border.
In the early days, the town’s economy was primarily from the timber industry. However, being on the Redwood Coast, fishing was also an industry to a certain extent. During those days, Eureka has a wild reputation.
One of most famous Victorian houses in America is located in Eureka at 2nd and M Streets. The house, Carson Mansion (shown above), is believed to be the most photographed house in the country. The Blue Ox Millworks located at the foot of X Street will give you an insight as to how the Victorian houses in Eureka were built and restored to their former glory.
Eureka is famous for its old town and downtown district. The old and vintage buildings in these areas have been restored and now house bookstores, coffee houses, restaurants, museums, and a number of unusual boutiques and galleries. Eureka’s old town has held on to its Victorian atmosphere, and many fairs and festivals are held on the streets of this part of Eureka.
Eureka’s waterfront is a delight, and one can see many fishing boats and pleasure crafts coming and going from the Woodley Island Marina and the Small Boat Basin. Woodley Island is worth a visit just to see the Table Bluff Lighthouse and the memorial statue of The Fisherman. When in Eureka, the other must-do is a Humboldt Bay Harbor cruise on an original 1910 passenger ferry, the Madaket.
On the south side of Eureka is the Sequoia Park and Zoo. This is a 77-acre (31 ha) stretch of redwoods with natural trails, two playgrounds, a duck pond and a small zoo. On Highland Avenue off Broadway, you can find the reconstructed army buildings from the mid-1880s. This is the Fort Humboldt State Historic Park, and many visitors to Eureka tend to overlook this treasure. One of the buildings houses a lovely museum along with an outdoor section displaying the logging equipment that was first used in Eureka.
For golfing enthusiasts, Eureka offers the Eureka Municipal Golf Course with its 18 hole, par-70 golf course which is situated right in the heart of the redwoods.
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