This amazing race if you will - is truly just that. Once a year, on Memorial weekend, folks from…read moreall over Humboldt county and beyond gather together to bare witness to the awesomeness that is the Kinetic Sculpture Grand Championship Race. This decades long, monumental event requires not only weeks and months or years of preparation on the part of the contestants and their machines. Fans line the route for miles and miles just to catch a glimpse of what is about to unfold. The Kinetic Grand Championship is a 3-day, 42-mile bicycle race over land, sand, mud and water. Many refer to the Kinetic Grand Championship as the "Triathlon of the Art World." Day 1 of the Kinetic Grand Championship starts on the Plaza in Arcata, California at the noon whistle every Memorial Day weekend. The racers take off to the Manila dunes, where they race through miles of sand to the great and inevitable "Deadman's Drop." Then on to Eureka's downtown gazebo. Day 2 starts in Eureka at the waterfront on the Humboldt Bay, where brave Kinetic Pilots race their crafts through the water (most float). Then back on land where kinetic sculptures go up Hookton Hill, a 1 mile-7% incline and decline. Day 2 ends with a private campout for racers and volunteers only. Day 3 starts from the mouth of the Eel River, through Morgan slough and onto dry land. Racers cross the finish line on Ferndale's historic Mainstreet, where racers park and head up to the Final Awards Dinner at Ferndale's Fireman's Hall. This weekend long, three day event draws fans, followers and media far and wide - just for the moment when these amazing machines and their crews and occupants roll by - many fans following their favorites for miles. What is a Kinetic Sculpture? Kinetic Sculptures are all-terrain human-powered art sculptures that are engineered to race over road, water, mud and sand. Kinetic sculptures are amazing works of art; many are animated with moving parts like blinking eyes, opening mouths, heads that move side to side and up and down. Kinetic Sculptures are usually made from what some people consider "junk". But one man's junk is another racer's raw material. Each Kinetic Sculpture is a work of art and each racing team has its own theme. The teams consist of pilots, pit crew and pee-ons. Kinetic Pilots pedal the sculpture and steer, the pit crew assists the pilots in transforming the vehicle for the various elements and fixing mechanical issues, and pee-ons, well, they do whatever is needed for the team to get glory. The teams give out "bribes" to their adoring spectators, judges and Rutabaga Royalty. Spectators are encouraged to follow the race on their bikes (obeying all traffic laws that apply please). Seeing these marvels of art and engineering turns many people on to bike culture and reminds people how much fun riding your bike can be! This event is not to be missed! If you are ever find yourself in Arcata on Memorial weekend, or you just feel the need to see it for yourself. And just one more thing that makes Arcata and coastal northern California such a cool and wonderful place to live. A 5 STAR Festival & Community Event. 00125

Very fun spectator sport, and I am inspired to someday compete! This is a three day activity where…read morewe can observe the contestants self power their vehicles over land, sand (Deadman's Drop where having your vehicle tumble down a very steep sand dune qualifies as part of the event), and sea! There are festivities each day, both bore and after the daily competition, which are fun for all.

We love donating to our local Dream Quest. We live in a very small town and one mans junk is…read moreanother mans treasure! You just never know what you are going to find . The best thing is that Dream Quest promotes healthy lifestyles to the teens in our community. Dream Quest almost always has some type of youth activity going on to keep the younger folks busy, rumor has it that there may be a skate park in the future! There are super friendly folks that welcome you in and you are almost automatically relaxed and just taking your time to browse up and down the isles. It was interesting to find out there is a man in town who buys all the puzzles, puts them together and then redonates them with a note stating all the pieces are there! I found 2 Craftsman screwdrivers for 50 cents a piece, that's a deal. There are boxes of free books and miscellaneous outside the store and reduced price clothing outside. Support your local community by supporting your local shops a specially the ones with a great mission. Highly recommended

A true asset to this community a high quality Thrift store with courteous awesome employees and…read moresupports our teens with amazing activities and opportunities for growth.

Tucked away behind the Trinidad Library and next to the native plant garden is a small art gallery…read moreand office of the land trust. It has limited hours and is mostly open to the public during events in Saunders Park or in the summer for Trinidad Art Night. If you are lucky enough to find their doors open you can find all kinds of information, maps and brochures. Also you will likely meet one of their friendly volunteers or staff. If you are feeling generous, become a member! It's a great local non-profit doing good work.

This museum is such a wonderful little stop along the coast. It's clearly well loved and…read moremaintained, and has several rooms full of the colorful history of Trinidad. Patty, the sweet woman who welcomed us in, was easily my favorite. She is the definition of someone who loves her job. She loved to answer our questions, while giving fascinating descriptions of events and history. This place was wonderful, and a perfect place to stop, especially in the rain!!! Thanks Patty:)

This review is for the botanical gardens at the library and museum. When we arrived, the museum and…read morelibrary were not open because they didnt open until 12pm. We ended up walking and touring the botanical gardens instead. This is a perfect place to sit down for lunch of read a book. Taking a moment to yourself in a peaceful and quiet setting. The botanical gardens is a short yet well maintained path. The decomposed granite path curves through beautiful blooming native plants. Native plants full of blossoms and happy bees working hard to pollinate. The paths are short and small but loop around a little pond. It's very nice. If you have the time, stop by and appreciate this botanical garden.

My son went here from 14 months until almost 3. We loved it! The older teachers who have been…read morearound have a lot of love, comfort and wisdom to share--and a good mix of younger, newer teachers brings enthusiasm. I always felt like my little one was safe and well cared for. Merrilee is a great director, and the place is quite organized.

So, in addition to having the coolest bathrooms in NoHum, the Humboldt Coastal Nature Center, where…read moreFriends of the Dunes call home, is well worth the visit. Trails leave right from the HCNC. Friendly and knowledgable volunteer staff greet you and can help you plan your trip. Stop by after your walk and report what you saw on the whiteboard. Take a load off and use the binocs to capture a 'life' bird siting. The gift shop has ultra cool stamps, stickers, tshirts and hats. Along with local natural history guides. The architecture itself is something to behold. Do not miss this!

A place of wonderment and exploration. Awesome volunteers meet you at the front to help you make…read morethe most of your visit. There are microscopes with trays of interesting items. There's a super fun matching game that's a hoot and managed to stump two marine biologists. There a quaint little gift shop with cool t-shirts, hats, stickers and notecard plus a selection of guides and interp books. You must check out their state of the art restrooms. Definitely be sure you go for a hike in the dunes, they have heaps of markers so you can find your way back. The wildflower are beautiful and you can see lots of wildlife especially if you're quiet. Plus there's a lovely beach and if it warm.....jump in!! Anyway, it's a must visit, great for kids and it's free unless you want to make a donation.

Old Town Art Gallery is a beautiful building as a showcase for a cooperative of local artists. It…read morealso features guest artists keeping the work rotating and fresh. There is so many different styles and kinds of art. I bought a mug with bunnies hiding behind trees and an art print for gifts for my niece and a friend! Very affordable. It's fun to stop in and just look too

I love Old town! I just wish this place was open 24/7 though because I wanna come here with my…read morefriends at night sometime.

It was an amazing adventure into Humboldt past! Don was our tour guide so to speak and he was a…read morewealth of knowledge, loves his subject and made it a truly lovely experience.

The Humboldt Bay Maritime Museum is a small local museum - located to the left of the Samoa…read moreCookhouse. As I entered, I made a $10.00 donation to support their operation and signed into their guest book. The museum is stuffed full of interesting nautical, naval, maritime stuff and exhibits. There is so much in here - I think they could benefit from a large building! I spent about 40 minutes or so reading through and perusing the various exhibits. Very enjoyable! Very cool and interesting museum! #HumboldtBayMaritimeMuseum