A Day in Eureka, CA

Sonny and I decided to spend an extra day in Eureka since, at one time, there was a Finnish population living here. (Sonny is a 2nd generation Finn). There were enough to support a lodge of the United Finnish Kaleva Brothers and Sisters, which we are affiliated with in Seattle. We knew the Lodge had disbanded a few years ago but thought we would find information at the Visitors Center or the Museum.  This area was attractive to Finnish immigrants for the fishing and lumbering activity. The Visitors Center docent helped us locate the Museum and he did find a UFKBS Lodge in Crescent City, #132, that I hadn't heard of. He knew where there was a sauna/hot tub to rent and he told us about a lumberman's museum in Samoa. The Museum registrar had nothing on the Finns except an old pump organ that Finnish sisters had donated.  

Eureka has a very strong Victorian flavor. The Old Town has and is being restored with paint and murals.  There were many old homes with 3 floors, turrets and gingerbread wood work. We drove across the bridge to Samoa to "The Cookhouse" to see the lumberman's museum and further on through the dunes to the breakwater before finding Starbucks for afternoon coffee. "The Cookhouse" claims to be "the last surviving cookhouse in the West", serving food in lumber camp style.  I read that the Samoa got its name from folks who were looking to establish a resort.  Since Samoa was a warm, tropical place, they thought the name would draw people to visit. The idea was abandoned as the weather wasn't so much tropical and the Hammond Lumber Company moved in to build a company town around the mill.

Back at our campsite for dinner.  It's a holiday weekend and we are trying to make a reservation for tomorrow.  However, we are finding that campsites to the south of us are all full.  We got the next to last site for 4 days next week in Morgan Hill but we may be at Walmart tomorrow nite.

Now that we are in California, diesel gas has jumped up from
$1.76 in Oregon.

Pump organ donated to the Clarke  Historical
Museum by Finnish sisters. The music on the
rail is Russian!  Should have been Sibelius. The
Visitor's Center docent asked us if we knew that
Sibelius was now decomposing.    :-)

Old Town, Eureka.  Hard to capture all the Victorian store fronts.  The
building on the left, is under going a $14 million renovation. It
had curved glass windows.

Is it a mural or the side of the building??  (It's a mural)

Can you see through that upper
window?  It's also a mural illusion. 

Another view of the $14 M project.

Formerly the Wave Saloon, a gathering
place for fishermen, stevedores and later,
lumbermen.  The "Bluebird Rooms" on
the second floor were used by evening working
girls. Now, it's a bed and breakfast.

The fishing fleet across the bay from the boardwalk. Is that Big Foot in the
distance? No, it's a fisherman statue with his dory.  

These wooden posts were along
the streets every 30' or so.  No
decoration or explanation.  What
was their purpose?

"The Cookhouse" in Samoa.

Lumbermen's museum. Many chain saws in various sizes.  Pictures of
redwoods that were 13 people wide. 

Company town homes in bright new colors.

This rig came in off the dunes.  It looked like the rig to
have for riding in the sand. We watched a car drive
off up the beach, hoping they wouldn't be needing the
$200 tow off the dunes.

The surf on the jetty was impressive.  Giant waves crashing on the rocks.

Spectacular, powerful action.