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5 » MUST SEE , DO » North Coast in a Nutshell Perched on coastal bluffs above a driftwood-tossed beach and encircled by ancient redwoods, the tiny hamlet of Trinidad is a microcosm of the North Coast's best features. You can, among other things, go sport fishing, crabbing or sea kayaking; hike through a timeless forest; tour eclectic art galleries; taste local wines; or dine on salmon smoked according to an ancient Yurok Indian recipe. › trinidadcalif.com Elk & Dinosaurs In addition to a stately stand of old-growth redwoods, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park boasts a herd of enormous Roosevelt elk and a hike through an enchanted canyon of ferns. You can usually find the elk grazing at Elk Meadow, just off Highway 101, and at Elk Prairie, off the Drury Parkway. The mile-long Fern Canyon hike takes you through a mossy, dripping, 60-foot-deep gorge festooned with—you guessed it—ferns. If it looks familiar, it's because part of Jurassic Park II was filmed there. › parks.ca.gov/?page_id=415 » » Forest Tracks Built in 1885 to haul redwood logs from the tangled backcountry to coastal sawmills, the iconic Skunk Train now carries passengers on the 40-mile run through redwood groves between Fort Bragg and the inland town of Willits. › skunktrain.com » EVENTS 2013 KINETIC SCULPTURE RACE Peripatetic artists of genius or possibly borderline insanity gather each Memorial Day weekend to race giant, whimsical, people-powered sculptures from Arcata to Ferndale along a 40-mile course that includes a crossing of Humboldt Bay. Cheating is encouraged. May 25-27 kineticgrandchampionship.com BIGFOOT DAYS The earliest and most persistent sightings of that elusive creature known as Bigfoot have happened around the Siskiyou Mountain town of Willow Creek. Each year on Labor Day weekend, the community fetes its furry friend with Bigfoot Days. Don't expect to see the big guy himself, but you'll encounter a number of people who claim to have met him. Aug. 31-Sep. 1 willowcreekchamber.com STORYTELLING BY THE SEA The North Coast Storytellers perpetuate the ageold art of spinning a yarn that's witty, memorable and full of wisdom. Lend them your ears at the annual Storytelling Festival by the Sea, held in the handsome fishing hamlet of Trinidad. Sep. 13-14 northcoaststorytellers.inkpeople.org 142 2013 travel guide to c al ifo r n i a » Victorian Hamlet Gaily painted Victorian mansions line the streets of Ferndale, an idyllic hamlet on the Eel River delta in southern Humboldt County. Lovingly preserved, they give the town a turn-of-the-last-century look that has proven irresistible to Hollywood. More than a dozen movies have been filmed here. Main Street's shops keep the Victorian theme going, with old-fashioned mercantiles and even a blacksmith shop. Cradled between two redwood forests, the entire town is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. › victorianferndale.com JORG HACKEMANN; JOE SWALLIA SPECIAL Boulevard of Big Trees Some of the most magnificent redwoods on the North Coast are also the easiest to see. At Garberville, turn off Highway 101 onto the Avenue of the Giants, a 31-mile stretch of the old highway that weaves like a slalom course between vertiginous, oldgrowth redwoods. The route takes you through the heart of Humboldt Redwoods State Park: Sunnier and drier than redwood parks farther north. › avenueofthegiants.net