Celebrity Sandwiches and Dinosaur Habitats in Redwood Country

After a long, but scenic drive through the vast forests of Humboldt County, we finally reached Eureka in the late afternoon. This small, seaside town was to be our home base for visiting the Redwoods National and State Parks over the weekend. We arrived with a bit of daylight left, just enough to take a short walk around the downtown area. There were many unique shops selling all sort of odds and ends, from clothes and jewelry to art pieces by local artists.

Unfortunately, most of the stores and galleries closed early there, but we were able to enjoy a nice dinner downtown. We decided on Cafe Nooner, a Cajun-Mediterranean fusion restaurant. To our surprise, as soon as we walked in we saw a picture of the restaurant when it was featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. With high expectations, a few of us ordered the “DDD” Pulled Pork with Appleslaw, the very same dish that Guy Fieri tasted on the show. The sandwich was delicious, with flavorful sauces and meat served in fresh, locally produced bread. My favorite part was the way they finished the pork, making the edges slightly crispy and producing a nice contrast in texture. It was a great meal to reenergize on after a long journey, and I would highly recommend it.

Enthusiastically endorsed by Guy Fieri

The next day we drove about an hour and a half north to hike an abridged version of the James Irvine Loop in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. Instead of beginning the hike at the visitor center, we decided to head towards the Fern Canyon parking lot. On the way there, we stopped to snap a few photos on Davison road just off 101, where a large herd of elk were grazing. Continuing towards the trailhead was a rough dirt road, with many potholes filled with puddles. We finally reached the parking lot next to the beach, and set off on the hike. 

Elk by the road

After about a quarter mile we reached the famous Fern Canyon. A wide creek cut through the gorge, making it an interesting challenge to keep our shoes dry as we scrambled over fallen trees and wobbled across branches acting as make-shift bridges. In the heart of the canyon was the main attraction - thousands of lush, green ferns growing on the towering walls surrounding us, giving the place a sense of timelessness. It’s no wonder that Steven Spielberg opted to film part of Jurassic Park 2 there.

Walking through Fern Canyon

The next segment of the hike provided ample opportunities to see majestic redwoods and more luscious ferns. Slightly past the two mile mark, the Clintonia trail branched off from James Irvine. We chose to turn right onto Clintonia instead of continuing on James Irvine, reducing the hike’s total mileage from 11.6 miles to roughly 8 miles. At the next fork, we turned right, taking the Miner’s Ridge Trail back to the beach. 

Redwoods along the trail

Finishing out the loop was a little more than a mile of beach. Hiking through sand proved to be physically quite tiring, but the sea breeze and ocean scenery provided a nice contrast to the dense forest we just left. The sand was just warm and soft enough to walk in barefoot, giving our feet a welcome respite at the end of a long day of hiking.

Beach at the end of the hike

We thoroughly enjoyed this hike, the definite highlight being Fern Canyon with the beach as a close runner-up. There were also many redwoods along the trail, few of which were note-worthy, but that is what the second day of hiking was reserved for. I would highly recommend this hike for anyone spending more than a day in the redwoods parks.


Extra PSA: Keep your distance when viewing wildlife! On our drive back to Eureka, we saw a man taking pictures just a few meters away from an elk. This is very dangerous - elk behavior is unpredictable, and they can charge at you at 35 miles per hour, way faster than you can run.

Don't do this

- MC 5/26