A few miles north, the more charming town of Arcata has a town square where you’ll find the Hotel Arcata (708 9th St.; hotelarcata.com). Listed in the National Record of Historical Places, its rooms run just over $100 a night and it’s a short walk to a redwood-filled park across the highway. An even shorter walk for dinner, hit Folie Douce (1551 G St.; holyfolie.com). Try one of the wood-fired pizzas that giddily fall under California cuisine (one is topped with local chanterelle mushrooms, gruyere and white truffle oil; another features salami, brie and apricot jam).
Redwood Curtain (550 G St., #6; redwoodcurtainbrewing.com) is the area’s newest brewery, which opened in December 2009. Rather than focus on traditional California hop bombs, the brewers proffer malt-forward Belgian and British styles. Incidentally, in case you leave their tasting room still sober―and shaggy―note that at Skidmore’s Barber Shop just blocks away (211 G St., 707-822-5234), Dena offers free beer with a haircut. She keeps a case of Mad River Steelhead Imperial IPA and some other locals in the minifridge. Mad River Brewing (101 Taylor Way, Blue Lake; madriverbrewing.com) is a short jaunt to the east and they operate a tasting room where you can sample their GABF-award winning beers that collectively earned them Small Brewery of the Year in 2010.
While in Arcata, don’t miss the opportunity to visit one of the world’s finest meaderies, Heidrun (55 Ericson Ct. #4; heidrunmeadery.com). Meadmaker Gordon Hull makes sparkling meads out of single-source honeys, mostly from California such as Avocado Blossom and Eucalyptus Blossom. Since 1998, Hull has been brewing these drier meads that are great substitutes for champagne and would be happy to show you around if you set up an appointment in advance. Hurry, since he’s planning on moving south to Marin County by the end of 2011.
Finally, a few exits north on Highway 101 puts you in McKinleyville. It’s not very well known, but Six Rivers Brewing (1300 Central Ave.; sixriversbrewery.com) is a mellow brewpub with more locals than beer pilgrims. In addition to standard offerings like IPA and pilsner, order a sampler flight to taste Kona Moon Porter (it’s one of the few coffee beers where the character of the coveted Kona beans shine through), Chile Pepper Ale (likely only for fans of hot beers who don’t think Cave Creek Chili is a beer), and Raspberry Lambic (a good gateway for those looking to cross over from sweeter wheat beers with fruit). It doesn’t hurt that its pints can be quaffed while overlooking Humboldt Bay.
