During a large part of the 20th century, Eureka, California, was a logging boom town. Redwood trees were cut, transported to town and then shipped off from the local docks. Today, tourists come to walk among the oversized trees and discover the scenic beauty of Humboldt Bay. Roughly a 280-mile drive north of the San Francisco Bay Area, Eureka is also home to some interesting roadside attractions. Some are of historical importance; others score well on the quirkiness scale.
Gabriel’s Garden -- Quirkiness Personified
- Romano Gabriel was a lovable but quirky old character who lived in downtown Eureka. He was a carpenter by trade, but had the creative drive of an artist. Gabriel turned his home into one giant art showcase filled with wooden figures, religious symbols, carved trees and plants. The locals started calling it the Sculpture Garden. When Gabriel died in 1977, the town brought all the artwork downtown, encased it in glass and turned it into a rather odd tourist attraction. That same year, Gabriel’s Garden was named a cultural landmark by the California Arts Council. No admission is charged; just walk up and take a look through the glass.
Samoa Cookhouse -- Dining in Historic Digs
- Just south of downtown Eureka you’ll find a vintage red building with a distinctive green door. This is the Samoa Cookhouse, a throwback to the times when logging was the primary industry in Eureka. Inside you’ll find long tables with red and white checked cloths welcoming diners to enjoy their meal family style. As in the old logging days, the menu is left to the cook, but the food is good and you'll find plenty of it. Everything is served on oversized communal platters and bowls. On one end of the cookhouse is the Historic Logging Museum with exhibits that tell the tale of how these cookhouses operated. The Samoa Cookhouse has been serving up meals since 1890. It is one roadside attraction where you can learn a little local history and leave with a full belly.
The Carson Mansion -- Victorian Style in Overdrive
- If there was ever a building that seemed to leap out of an old horror film, the Carson Mansion is it. Not because it’s creepy and spooky, but because it is the most gingerbreaded Victorian in town and delightfully photogenic. William Carson spared no expense in adding all the frills. In addition to local redwoods, Carson went to Central America in search of white mahogany, and to Asia in search of onyx and other hardwoods. You won't find a flat surface on the home unless you count the paned glass windows and select sections of the roof. Even today architects can’t agree on whether the home is a true Victorian, or whether it has bits of Gothic, Italian and Queen Anne styles mixed in. After two years of painstaking work, the mansion was finished in 1885. Today the 3-story, 18-room mansion belongs to the Ingomar Club, a society devoted to the home’s preservation. The inside of the home is off-limits except by invitation, but the outside is well worth a look.
Redwood Highway –- From Eureka to the Avenue of the Giants
- The Redwood Highway starts in Eureka and winds its way north through Arcata on the way to Crescent City. On the Eureka end, the roadway leads past Fort Humboldt State Historic Park, dating back to 1853. The then Captain Ulysses S. Grant served here, helping to settle disputes between settlers, gold miners and Native Americans. The re-created site includes a Fort & Logging Museum. Just north of the park you’ll pass the exit for the Samoa Cookhouse, through the town of Arcata and past a string of beaches that will evoke a need to pull out that camera. Just south of Humboldt, you’ll find yourself in the Avenue of the Giants. This 31-mile drive takes you deep into the land of the giant redwoods. These virgin growth trees are roadside attractions that have been around for centuries.
