EUREKA!!

 It is hard somehow to write the name of the California City we visited last month without using explanation marks!!  Besides being the name of the County seat and largest city in Humboldt County, Eureka!! is also the motto of the State of California.  It is a Greek word meaning "I have found it" and in this State refers to the discovery of gold in 1849.

 

  

We stayed in Arcata, a smaller city right next to Eureka.  Here is another shot of some of  the  wading birds we saw on our two visits to the Marsh during our stay.  (More bird photos from the Marsh in this previous post.)  Also a couple more bird photos at the end of this post.

   

 

 This is the Carson Mansion in Oldtown Eureka.  It's probably against some rule to visit the City without taking a picture of it.  Seriously -- you see paintings and photos of it everywhere in the area -- (supposedly it is one of the most photographed structures in the country) -- but if you're there you've just gotta photograph it yourself.    William Carson was one of the many who came to the area in 1849 for the gold, but he  got rich by dealing in lumber.   He had the home built in 1884 .  (There's another slightly smaller mansion nearby built as a wedding gift for his son.)   According to Wiki,  this mansion is a mix of every style of Victorian architecture.    (Here is a link to the Wikipedia Article.  

    

The Mansion is now owned   by the Ingomar Club which was  formed in the early 1950s by a group of Eureka businessmen.  The original purpose of the club was   to save the mansion from being demolished.  It had become rundown and the City was financially unable to buy and restore it.  The Club has had it restored it to original status and also done extensive  repairs after an earthquake damaged it.    Although the building is eligible to become part of  the National Registration of Historic Places, Ingomar members have  chosen not to do so, because  they do not want  to allow public tours (which would be required with that designation).     The Club does deign to let the rest of look inside virtually -- here is a link to that tour.

 

 

 The Mosaic just below is made of pictures taken from the upper deck of the Ferry Boat Madaket during our Harbor Cruise on Humboldt Bay.  (This is the same picture as in last week's post, but I wanted to tie it into the scenery we saw from it.) 

 

Our Captain (and tour narrator)  said that the rundown building on the top left was a church at one time.  It and the home in the center picture are on the opposite shore of the Bay from the City Harbor and can be reached only by water.  The top panel shows a lighthouse on the harbor side and a distant view of the Carson Mansion.  The ferry passed by pretty scenery, but also  working examples of the area's main industries..... fishing and lumber.   

 

 

 

This is another photo icon of Eureka.  The very large statue of a Fisherman reeling in his nets was placed at the Harbor by the Fisherman's Wives Association, in honor of Humboldt Bay fishermen who have lost their lives at sea.  It is a dangerous occupation.

 

 

In fact, Humboldt Bay is one of the most dangerous harbor areas in the country because of the reefs.   We visited the Maritime Museum, which now owns the Madaket Ferry.  There were many pictures, articles, and artifacts from shipping disasters in the area.  Although safety measures are more advanced these days, the United States Coast Guard is still an important presence in the area.  

 

 

Brown Pelicans 

Here are a couple more pictures from Arcata Marsh.   

The whole Eureka-Arcata area is so rich with things to do and photographic opportunities.  We  always enjoyed visiting the area back when we   lived  in Oregon (the first time)  and are grateful that we were able to go there again this season.

 

Snowy Egret

 

 

LINKING THIS WEEK to the following:   Thank you to all of the hosts for providing these sharing opportunities.

NATURE NOTES; ALL SEASONS; OUR WORLD on Tuesday;   MOSAIC MONDAY;  GOOD  RANDOM  FUN;  THROUGH MY LENS; TRAVEL PHOTO SOUVENIRS;    TUESDAY TREASURES ;   WILD BIRD Wednesday;  SIGNS SIGNS;  Wednesday AROUND THE WORLD;  THANKFUL THURSDAY; SKYWATCH FRIDAY;    SATURDAY CRITTERS; and RATHER B' BIRDING 

 

 

Comments

[craftygreenpoet]

Carson mansion is an amazing looking building, I can see why it is so frequently photographed

[Joe Todd]

Linda and I are going to have to visit that part of the country

[Jean]

Beautiful photos and interesting post. I really like those brown pelicans :)

[Adam Jones]

Lovely looking waders. Are they Lesser Yellow Legs?

[Anni @ I'd Rather B Birdin']

Thanks for coming over to I'd Rather B Birdin' this weekend to share your post. Love the pelicans! And, that castle?...I wanna live there.

[Annie]

I just have a look to the mansion tour. Stunning !

[Annie]

I like a lot your trip, Sallie : the birds, the mansion, the old church, the fishermen. Here in the moutain I miss sometimes ocean...

[Hildred Finch]

A great post, Sallie, - thank you for taking us to Eureka - it truly deserves an exclamation mark or two, - or three, or more!!!

[carver]

Hi Sallie,
Thank your so much for your comment on my blog. I did feel lucky although the day after I posted to my blog, I drove to work in Durham and couldn't believe that the roads were flooding (not the ones I drove on) and the neon highway signs said we were under a tornado. Crazy but I got to work OK and the storm was moving northeast by the time I went home. I love this post. Eureka looks like someplace I'd enjoy visiting. My brother lives in Mill Valley and before that lived in San Francisco and I've been there a few times but haven't explored California beyond visits with him. I've been to Muir Woods and explored San Francisco but I'd like to see more of the state. I had no idea Eureka was the California motto. I always learn something when I visit your blog. Carver

[Mary Howell Cromer]

Hi Sallie...I have been missing you and I am so happy to have heard from you on my blog posts...thank you so much.
You are in the land of my birth, California now. Brown Pelicans, don't you just love them! I love seeing them down in Florida and can stand and observe them for way too long...everyone starts adjusting their watch to see when I am going to turn and begin our venture forward.
It looks like another lovely adventure for you and your hubby~

[Sharon Wagner]

It is a word full of hope - Eureka! I love the mansion and architecture. A tour would be right up my alley. (or hallway in this case)

[Eileen Wise]

Hello, Sallie! The birding in Eureka looks wonderful. I loved seeing the shorebirds, waders and the pelicans. That is a cool looking house. I like the fisherman statue. Great tour! Thanks for linking up and sharing your post. Happy Saturday, enjoy your weekend.

[Ratty]

The picture of Carson Mansion stood out to me this time. That's because there used to be so many houses like this in Detroit where I grew up. They were all so beautiful. I don't think most were quite this big, but they were all pretty huge. These houses were in just normal neighborhoods among the rest of the houses. Unfortunately, they were all mostly abandoned and left to rot. I'm not sure many are left. So because I liked these so much, I'm always happy to see another one with the same design.

[Debbie]

yes eureka, such a fun name!! great captures, i enjoyed the snowy and the pelicans, i sure do wish we had them here!!

that is one beautiful mansion and yes, it is probably shameful to visit and not take a picture of it!!!

[Michelle Banks]

Lots of history..You go and do such interesting things..I am not up to a lot of walking usually, well never really and I should try to get out and see some of the things we have here..Michelle

[Colleen LOOSELEAFNOTES]

The fisherman statue looks like the one in Gloucester MA, where The Perfect Storm was filmed. Only that one has a yellow raincoat on. I think pelicans are like cartoon characters.

[Kathy]

I love your skies...visiting via Skywatch Friday. The house...I can see why it is one of the most-photographed sites. It's amazing. I live on the East Coast...don't know if I'll make it to Eureka, but is good to see it in photos.

[Tanza Erlambang]

wow...wonderful sceneries and great buildings.
Have a great day

[diane]

Eureka!! That was a good read. Love the brown Pelicans so different to our Pelicans. Love the statue of the fisherman. Sounds like a fun cruise.

[Jim, Sydney, Australia]

Great architecture.

[Angie]

I can see why people like to take pictures of the Mansion - it is an impressive edifice. Thank goodness an organization stepped in to save it! I also like the Fisherman statue - I am not a big fish eater, but I am always impressed when I see large and small fishing boats and think about the hard work that goes into this occupation!

[nancy chan]

If this place had been nearer, I would love to visit it after looking at all the nice pictures. Very impressive mansion and I like the fisherman with his net icon.

[Michelle]

This looks like a great city to explore and one I haven't been to yet. That mansion is just crazy beautiful and huge! Thank you for linking up today and hope to see you back again.

[Jeanna]

I forget, did you drag an RV along or could you rent one there? I really don't know how those things work but love the idea of staying in one. On the other hand, it would be all fancy hotels and swimming pools if I had the cash. Maybe. Anyway, I remember getting some wild and exciting vibes from that whole area and bet you could stay there for days without getting bored. I still can't remember why Eureka is so familiar to me. That area of the ocean or maybe it's the Pacific seems pretty unforgiving and I remember lots of volcanic looking rocks everywhere making it hard to wade in the water. A far cry from Devil's Lake. Someone into Victorian architecture must go nuts when they see that mansion. They must have something going on inside after putting all that money into it? Something fishy perhaps.

[Peter B.]

I'm a native Californian but have never been to Eureka!! or Arcata. It's an area I would love to visit, and yes, I would probably take a bunch of photos of that cool mansion!!

[LeeAnna Paylor]

oh what fun. I just adore CA in general. That mansion reminds me of the ones in Newport RI

[Linda in Virginia]

Great shots! That's quite a mansion!

[betty - NZ]

Definitely !!!!! What a great place to visit with so much to see! Your photos make me feel like I'm there!

[Sami]

I like the towns name! Love the statue of the fisherman, great tribute.
I had never seen brown pelicans, here we have white pelicans :)

[Al]

It looks like a pretty city, and that mansion is amazing. You could set a horror movie there! Regarding the Japanese on my blog, adding characters from other languages (including, for example, accented letters) are easy with a simple cut-and-paste, in this case from an article about the gardens...

[RedPat]

Like everyone else I am blown away by the Carson Mansion, Sallie! Eureka looks like a great place to visit!

[Judy Biggerstaff]

What a nice trip to Eureka. Love your pics from the boat. I've been to California a few times and your post inspires me to visit again.

[MaryBeth Schwartz]

I must get to eureka---Take lots of photos and oh yes visit my grandson
MB

[Penny]

Oh, how I would love to visit the Eureka/Arcata area. Thank you for taking me on the tour with you!

[Jennifer Jilks]

A lovely tour, both flora and fauna!
That building, wow.

[DeniseinVA]

We stayed the night in Eureka years ago but as we were on a tight schedule we only passed through. I am happy to see the area through these super photographs. The building is extraordinary and thank you for the link so that we could look inside. I enjoyed looking at it and imagining what it must have been like to live there. Great post Sallie :) Enjoy the rest of your week.

[martha z]

We've been to the marsh but didn't see as many birds as you did, must have been the wrong time of year.

[David Gascoigne]

You are right, Sallie, the name Eureka invites, demands even, exclamation points. Looks like you had a great visit and you even took pictures of a few birds. Eureka!

[A ShutterBug Explores]

Oh what a glorious time for you and photos for us! Love the statue of the fisherman ~ ^_^

Happy Day to you,
A ShutterBug Explores

[Lois]

Wow! That is one gorgeous mansion. I would love to see inside.

[Lorrie]

It's fun to read how Eureka!! got its name! Those lumber and coal barons built very interesting castles for themselves! Great views of the birds in the area.

[Kelly Anne Rothaermel]

My childhood stomping grounds! I grew up near Eureka. Have a great week.

[Stewart M]

Very nice pictures - love those waders and the tumble down shack.

Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

[bill burke]

Wow, the Carson Mansion is absolutely beautiful. Looks like Eureka ia a great place to visit. Your photos show the beauty of it well. Enjoy your day!

[Bob Bushell]

A beautiful day out at the marshes, lovely water shore birds, and the houses, a bit of dishevelled.

[Su-sieee! Mac]

Drats, I didn't take a photo of the Carson mansion. I went and looked to see if I had, I didn't. Looks like the Husband and I need to get back there. I also want to take the bay tour on account of you, Sallie. :-)

[mick]

Great photos and you always find such interesting things to see on your travels. This time of course the shorebirds are the best for me - and I think those are pelicans in one of the last photos - but their brown color makes them look so different from the ones we see around here. Thanks for sharing.

[Gaelyn]

I haven't been on that coastline in way too long and didn't see any of this. Thank you for sharing and putting this higher on the list.

[Carol]

I want to wander in the mansion!

[junieper/Jesh StG]

What a fun photo of all these birds in Arcata, Sallie! I have seen the mansion on the internet, but I didn't know it was in California! The stained glass scenes in the Carson Mansion are phenomenal (it takes great skill to do those tiny pieces!) Love the grand stair case and the hallway floor - amazing! Thanks so mcuch for bringing All Seasons and me personally up to speed what to look for in Northern California!!

[William Kendall]

That mansion is a show stopper!

[Diane]

Interesting post. Have a good week, Diane

[Photo Cache]

Oh my what beautiful coverage of this charming northern city. I loved my visit here a few years ago.

[Sondra]

Lots to see and take in some of the history of the area too. Sure glad the mansion was saved, there's nothing like that being built today! Love the birds of course! I use !!! all the time, and lots of .......too!

[Lady Fi]

That mansion - wow! And such pretty scenery and buildings.

[// Heidrun]

Compliments - It’s interesting to read.

I enjoyed this post for Mosaic Monday - wish you a very good week.

[Snap]

Eureka! Fun post. I always enjoy the history of an area, the buildings and wildlife. I'm especially fond of the brown pelicans. You've made me want to visit Eureka!

[Penelope Puddlisms]

I looked inside the mansion … the crescent archways are stunning, a movie set in the making. I liked the bedroom just big enough to squeeze in a glamorous bed. The entire building inside and out is uniquely woodsy, somewhat odd, yet sophisticated. The Ingomar Club did good to rescue this historic site. The valuable work of its members contrast starkly with the risks fishermen took and still take to put food on our tables. Glad you shared these parts of our world.

[Maggie]

What a fascinating history Eureka has, I hope you won't be offended but I'm afraid I think the Carson Mansion is an example of all the worst aspects of Victorian architecture. There were an awful lot of monstrosities built during Queen Victoria's reign, I grew up close to Manchester, England a city that boasted more than a few of them.
The statue of the fisherman on the other hand is fabulous and a fitting tribute to the men who ply that hazardous trade.
Thanks for sharing all that Eureka has to offer with the MM crowd this week.

[Little Wandering Wren]

I'm not that adverse to a few exclamations marks myself, especially when referring to Eureka and gold Sallie! There is something endlessly fascinating about gold rush places the world over isn't there? Thank you for the wonderful tour.
Wren x

[Pat]

You have made me want to visit Eureka!!, Sallie! That Carson Mansion is so magnificent. I'd love to take a sail in the bay and see all the sea-fowl and other sights. I imagine you are also enjoying some good seafood. Continue to enjoy it all!

[Sarah]

Well, it has been years since we visited Eureka, so thanks for the photo journey. Happy Mosaic Monday!

[riitta k]

Well, The Carson Mansion is sure worth of photographing! Its architecture is so complex that it is like some movie setting. Great bird photos as well. Happy MM.