Eureka! We Found It

Eight Hours of Fog

Thank Goodness for Radar and AIS

Beautiful Humboldt Coast Guard Station

We had calm seas when we departed Crescent City but we were shrouded in fog - 8 hours of looking at fog all the way to Eureka!  Interestingly, Eureka is a Greek word meaning “I have found it!”  Yes, we found our way through the fog into Humboldt Bay.  Thank goodness for radar and AIS which enabled us to safely go around two boats.  The most challenging was avoiding a large ship that was going in and out of the channel dredging the Humboldt River Bar.  Our AIS (Automatic Identification System) gave us an early detection that this large ship was approaching our path.  After we took the appropriate evasive action, we continued into Humboldt Bay, passing the beautiful Coast Guard Station and docked at the Eureka City guest dock.  We were greeted by Brown Pelicans swooping overhead, and Sea Lions that occupied the dock along with Great Blue Herons.  In the morning we bicycled to “Old Town,” the restored district of mid-1800’s buildings that house various shops, pubs, and cafes.  Beautiful Victorian homes can be seen in this historic district, including the famous Carson Mansion constructed 1884-1885.  William Carson came from Canada looking for gold after it had been discovered in 1848 in nearby Trinity River.  This venture proved unsuccessful and William turned to the abundant Redwood forests; by 1854 he was operating a mill.  In 1863 he formed the Dolbeer and Carson Lumber Co. in partnership with John Dolbeer, who later invented the Steam Donkey Engine in 1881 which revolutionized logging.  The beautiful Carson Mansion is a mix of every major style of Victorian architecture, primarily Queen Anne, and is considered the grandest Victorian home in America.  Until 1950, the mansion was owned by the descendants of William Carson after which it was sold to the Ingomar Club, an exclusive member’s only club.  Located across the street is “The Pink Lady,” a house built in 1889 for William’s son, John Carson, as a wedding present.  Other lovely Victorian and early American homes in the area include Carson’s first Eureka home, a simple but most beloved home of Sara, William’s wife.  On our way back to the boat, we biked along the boardwalk overlooking Eureka Channel.

"Old Town" Eureka

Carson Mansion

The Pink Lady

Riverfront Boardwalk