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2 0 1 5 T R A V E L G U I D E T O C A L I F O R N I A 145 » Swing from the Rafters Part clown, part mime, part acrobat, part juggler, the actors of the Dell'Arte Company perform in a uniquely physical style. A third of all the clowns in Cirque du Soleil shows are graduates of this school in the tiny town of Blue Lake. Drop by to catch a performance or even enroll in the School of Physical Theatre. › dellarte.com » Big Footin' The Bigfoot Collection is the big attraction at the Willow Creek-China Flat Museum in the mountain community of Willow Creek. Plaster footprint casts, photos and pop culture artifacts tell the story of the mysterious beast. › bigfootcountry.net » 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 » 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, old-growth redwoods. The route takes you through the heart of Humboldt Redwoods State Park, which is sunnier and drier than redwood parks farther north. › avenueofthegiants.net » 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 MUST DO SEE, » SPECIAL EVENTS 2015 » 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. It's called "the triathalon of the art world." May 23-25. 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. Sept. 5 bigfootcountry.net HUMBOLDT BEER WEEK is a county-wide celebration of the vibrant and innovative local craft brewing scene. Sept. 27-Oct. 5 humboldtbeerweek.com BIG RIVER STATE BEACH, Mendocino, opposite; Humboldt Redwoods State Park, bellow.