North Coast 101

Insider's Guide - Locals share their favorite places & activities in Humboldt County

Brought to you by thetimes-standard | sponsored byB. King Photography

Welcome to the North Coast

  to the Times-Standard's seventh annual North Coast 101, our 2008-2009 regional almanac and business guide.

Humboldt and Del Norte counties are wonderful places to visit, pitting the natural beauty of the landscape opposite the cultural and architectural charm of the area's many communities.

Here can be found the breathtaking beauty of the rugged California coast, of watersheds teeming with diversity and the steady grandeur of a climax forest, as well as the simple charm of a well-preserved Victorian business district complete with candy stores and gift shops.

With so many attractions, and so much to do in such a short stretch of highway, it can be hard for visitors and even locals to find just the right activity for a given weekend excursion.

That's where this year's North Coast 101 comes in. We take the guesswork out of planning the weekend trip by rounding up a broad list of everyone's favorite places, everyone's favorite things to do on the North Coast, as a kind of vacation primer.

Want to see where the mighty Klamath River meets the sea? Or where nature has carved a natural path to rival Europe's most dazzling botanical gardens, at Fern Canyon? It's in the visitor's guide.

For the new visitor, North Coast 101 offers an easy itinerary for unfamiliar ground. It helps to ensure that your valuable time in Humboldt and Del Norte counties won't be wasted by wandering the highways, looking for something to do. All you need is at your fingertips.

For the long-time local, North Coast 101 offers a way to crack open what may have seemed like familiar territory. Suddenly, the local weekend trips are bursting with activity with his compendium of excursion ideas at your disposal.

So crack open the book and set about planning your next adventure -- the beauty of California's North Coast awaits.