Downtown Eureka

It was a dreary overcast day today and we weren't that enthused to get out and about, but finally we decided to check out the downtown area of Eureka.  The town is much larger than I imagined and has an interesting "old town" that borders the water.  Since we had a late start, we decided to have lunch at a seafood restaurant.  

We settled on the Cafe Waterfront that was in a very old building but had a nice interior.  It had a very high ceiling and there was a great mural behind the bar.  Gerry ordered a shrimp cocktail and I had a red snapper and chips (french fries).  We both enjoyed our meals very much and the red snapper was fantastic. 

As can be imagined, the building has served many different clients over the years since it was built in 1892.  It is located on the waterfront has a checkered past as shown below.

 

Cafe Waterfront

 If you have wondered what happens to old diesel locomotives when they have outlasted their useful life, I think I found out the answer.  These were in a scrap yard and were being dismantled, but not before some local artist had a chance to decorate them.  There were two more locomotives a few feet from these, but I couldn't get them all in the picture.

Humboldt Bay is the only deep-water port on California's North Coast, serving as a major transportation link between the Pacific Northwest and the entire world. As California's second largest natural bay, Humboldt Bay also overflows with a wide range of natural resources, recreational activities, commercial fishing opportunities, and conservation programs.

 Tourism is important to the area and this horse drawn coach was sitting along side of a small park waiting for customers.  In the hour or so we were in the area we never saw it move.  Slow day for the horse and driver to say the least.

Rates per trip - 20-25 minutes $28.00. 40-45 minutes $47.00 4 people to a ride.

Jim Dunn's Cosmopolitan bar founded in 1882 has seen better days and was closed when we were there.  There is a lot of renewal going on by the waterfront and maybe one of these days it will reopen.  

 The crime rate in the area must be very low since the police station is smaller than our RV.  In fairness, it is only a substation.

 Lumbering is a major industry in the area and there are a number of sawmills along the road into Eureka.  These logs were sitting in an area near the wharf and most likely were going to be shipped overseas.  Think China.

We didn't get to see everything in the area, but we will be here for a week and intend to explore in the town and surrounding area.  Redwood forests are all around the town and we plan on going out to one and get some nice photos of the trees.  They are beautiful and I can't imagine anyone cutting them down, but it's a business and provides employment to the area.

Gerry made some home made chili to cap off the day and it really hit the spot due to the dampness and cold weather in the area.  Quite a change from Tucson but we like variety so it is fine with us.

BTW:  Baskets of fresh Bing Cherries  are for sale for $2 a basket and we intend to eat our share of them while we are here.

That was our day, how was yours?