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Driving from SF to Humboldt: Spots? (food/rr)

hogginthefogghogginthefogg 6,098 Posts
edited August 2007 in Strut Central
The Hyphy Wifey and I are driving from SF to Humboldt County Friday ( ) and I was wondering if there are any must-see spots along the way. I've never been that far north. Awesome eateries would be especially appreciated. Thanks.

  Comments

  • JimBeamJimBeam Seattle. 2,012 Posts
    i imagine you're taking the 101 up?
    there's really not much up past the santa rosa/sonoma area. you might want to take the 1 up the coast just for the scenery, which is awesome, especially around the Bodega Bay area. The trip would take twice as long going that route though.
  • JimBeamJimBeam Seattle. 2,012 Posts
    hit up an oldie but a goodie in Santa Rosa: The Last Record Store. You wont find anything super raer, but they are some good folks.
    http://www.the-last-record-store.com/
  • rootlesscosmorootlesscosmo 12,848 Posts
    driving from SF to Humboldt County Friday

    make sure to stay a couple days lest you arouse suspicion on the way back.
  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
    The Fort Bragg Grille has the best seafood gumbo I've ever had on the West Coast not made by my mom.

    Seriously, it's really good. Don't miss it.
  • hogginthefogghogginthefogg 6,098 Posts
    The Fort Bragg Grille has the best seafood gumbo I've ever had on the West Coast not made by my mom.

    Seriously, it's really good. Don't miss it.

    How dare you include the word "seriously" in your reply!

    Seafood gumbo is not something I outsource. Come on, now.


    And thanks, JimBeam.
  • peacefulrotationpeacefulrotation 3,481 Posts
    a few things:

    Hopland Brewery (first brewpub since prohibition)
    http://www.mendobrew.com/home.html


    Confusion Hill (tourist )

    http://www.confusionhill.com/

    Roadside Stands- a you'll probably see a lot of fresh fruit and produce spots, they are cheap and good


    Drive the Avenue of the Giants! - only adds a half hour or so to the drive, and is one of the most beautiful detours you'll ever take in a car. Plus, you migt see some llamas

    "Location: The state park begins 228 miles north of San Francisco and lies astride US 101, mostly on the west side. The main road passes many big trees, but the only way to properly appreciate the beauty of the forest is to drive the Avenue of the Giants, a narrow, much less travelled route that parallels US 101, about one mile away - far enough to escape the noise of traffic. It was built around 1880 as a stagecoach route, and has been popular with tourists ever since. The whole avenue is 32 miles long, starting a little south of Phillipsville and rejoining the highway at Stafford in the north, of which the central section is through the park and encounters the most impressive trees. Over the years a fair amount of the original redwoods have been felled for timber, but about one third of the trees in the park are original, old-growth woodland on average 500 years old, sustained by the summer fogs and heavy rainfall that exceeds 50 inches each year. The surroundings are not entirely forested as the road runs through meadows and clearings, and not all the trees are redwoods - they grow in dense but short patches in which the silence and stillness seem noticeably more intense. This is certainly a place for hiking, if only for half an hour or so, to experience the true nature of the woods. "


    http://www.americansouthwest.net/california/humboldt_redwoods/state_park.html

    etc etc

    Oh yeah and when you approach Eureka (around Field's Landing) look to your right to see a Nuclear Plant built right on a faultline
  • peacefulrotationpeacefulrotation 3,481 Posts
    PS- I've hitch-hiked that stretch (round trip) more than a handful of times. Once I slept in Laytonville under a picnic table and was awoken by the nearby stomping of a very large horse, very startling. I have some stories about that road.
  • peacefulrotationpeacefulrotation 3,481 Posts
    You just blew Crink's spot up.
  • hcrinkhcrink 8,729 Posts
    You just blew Crink's spot up.

    Sorry, we don't have any of that black man music you guys are so big on up here.
  • hcrinkhcrink 8,729 Posts
    Anyhow, to answer your question Ross, once you pass Santa Rosa there is very little in terms of any kind of "culture" whatsoever basically until you get to where you're going. It is scenic, but there is very little to stop and do. I don't think you really want put in the legwork finding records takes in the north bay if you're on a vacation type deal. Last Record store is good unless you're expecting to find S.O.U.L. or whatever. I go weekly and am able to buy stuff. Lytton Springs is hardly the great "spot" I've read people on here make it out to be. It is 90% of the time depressing and a wasted drive into the middle of nowhere. There is a good seafood place off the hwy at Bodega. There are decent places to lunch in downtown SR and the surrounding area. Have fun, dude!
  • hogginthefogghogginthefogg 6,098 Posts
    OK, I don't really care about hitting up record stores, but I thought I'd make this thread a little more Strut-friendly and potentially enlightening for others. I was just thinking about the 6-hour drive and realizing that we're gonna get really hungry at some point.

    Thanks for the points, Jeff and Josh! All that stuff sounds cool and/or disturbing, like animatronic singing bears at pizza places.
  • hcrinkhcrink 8,729 Posts
    I honestly wasn't trying to be discouraging or anything, it's just that you are going to be going through towns like Willits and shit... which is fairly scary. I guess Fort Bragg is the "big city" past that... there is a quaint downtown worth walking around, but you'll mostly be thanking god you don't live there.

    hahaha!
  • hogginthefogghogginthefogg 6,098 Posts
    I guess Fort Bragg is the "big city" past that... there is a quaint downtown worth walking around, but you'll mostly be thanking god you don't live there.

    hahaha!


    Indeed. I actually spent a few New Year's Eves in CASPER, which were really fun, but yeah...I wasn't itching to ditch city life for a "quaint downtown."
  • Jonny_PaycheckJonny_Paycheck 17,825 Posts
    CLEARLY SOMEONE HAS NEVER RIDDEN THE SKUNK RAILROAD.
  • hcrinkhcrink 8,729 Posts
    There is a Windsong books in FB that has a small record section... there is also one in either Willits of Ukiah that had a slightly bigger record section. I didn't find much, but if you need to stretch your legs or whatever... they are right downtown and hard to miss.
  • hcrinkhcrink 8,729 Posts
    CLEARLY SOMEONE HAS NEVER RIDDEN THE SKUNK RAILROAD.

    hahahaha!
  • JimBeamJimBeam Seattle. 2,012 Posts
    CLEARLY SOMEONE HAS NEVER RIDDEN THE SKUNK RAILROAD.

    haven't heard anyone mention that in a looooooooooooong time.
  • Jonny_PaycheckJonny_Paycheck 17,825 Posts
    CLEARLY SOMEONE HAS NEVER RIDDEN THE SKUNK RAILROAD.

    hahahaha!

    dude here's the thing: so you're in Willits, right? And you need to get to Ft. Bragg. While it's a pretty drive, wouldn't it be awesome if you could take a open-air train through the woods? And wouldn't it be EVEN MORE AWESOME THAN THAT if the train served beer, at like 11am???

    I rest my case.
  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
    STANDISH-HICKEY RULES!!!
  • kidinquisitivekidinquisitive 1,627 Posts
    I recommend the Wild Flour Bread bakery in Freestone, near Occidental. It would be a detour off the 101 though. They've got a beautiful flower and vegetable garden you can walk around in too.

  • hcrinkhcrink 8,729 Posts
    CLEARLY SOMEONE HAS NEVER RIDDEN THE SKUNK RAILROAD.

    hahahaha!

    dude here's the thing: so you're in Willits, right? And you need to get to Ft. Bragg. While it's a pretty drive, wouldn't it be awesome if you could take a open-air train through the woods? And wouldn't it be EVEN MORE AWESOME THAN THAT if the train served beer, at like 11am???

    I rest my case.

    wow, this exists? I thought you meant that tired railroad in ft. bragg that I didn't even think worked... haha!
  • Jonny_PaycheckJonny_Paycheck 17,825 Posts
    CLEARLY SOMEONE HAS NEVER RIDDEN THE SKUNK RAILROAD.

    hahahaha!

    dude here's the thing: so you're in Willits, right? And you need to get to Ft. Bragg. While it's a pretty drive, wouldn't it be awesome if you could take a open-air train through the woods? And wouldn't it be EVEN MORE AWESOME THAN THAT if the train served beer, at like 11am???

    I rest my case.

    wow, this exists? I thought you meant that tired railroad in ft. bragg that I didn't even think worked... haha!

    We are talking about the same railroad, only it does work. However, having ridden it many times as a youngster I didn't realize they served beer until I went on it with my girlfriend on a trip we took last year.
  • hcrinkhcrink 8,729 Posts
    CLEARLY SOMEONE HAS NEVER RIDDEN THE SKUNK RAILROAD.

    hahahaha!

    dude here's the thing: so you're in Willits, right? And you need to get to Ft. Bragg. While it's a pretty drive, wouldn't it be awesome if you could take a open-air train through the woods? And wouldn't it be EVEN MORE AWESOME THAN THAT if the train served beer, at like 11am???

    I rest my case.

    wow, this exists? I thought you meant that tired railroad in ft. bragg that I didn't even think worked... haha!

    We are talking about the same railroad, only it does work. However, having ridden it many times as a youngster I didn't realize they served beer until I went on it with my girlfriend on a trip we took last year.

    Radical. I know what my big '08 trip will be now.
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