Touring * Slalom *

Approaching Arcata on U.S. 101, exit at Samoa Boulevard (nine miles north of Eureka) and head west on Samoa. Turn right on G Street and proceed four blocks to Eighth Street. The Arcata Plaza occupies the block on the left at G and Eighth. Park on a side street.

Arcata is a small town with a decidedly rustic and slightly retro character. It's home to Humboldt State University, and many of the students look as if they're from the 1960s, with their long hair and tie-dyed T-shirts. The town has only one or two stoplights and a similar number of cutesy tourist attractions. Since the village is so compact, you can tour downtown, the college, and the east-side hills in one afternoon. Starting in the tiny square at the center of town, you may be forced to compete with skateboarders on the pavement in the middle of the plaza. Sidewalks radiate out to each of its corners and encircle the grassy block. The plaza is too small to stay for long, so follow G Street north to 11th Street and turn right to cross over the highway. Just beyond the overpass, D Street slopes down on the right to a cul-de-sac. This street's fine pavement, great views of the town and coast to the west, and lack of traffic have made it a favorite hill for local skaters. You'll see an asphalt trail leading further south from the cul-de-sac, but it's only a short connector path that's better suited to bikes and foot traffic. Dedicated slalom skaters will find one or two other streets in the hilly neighborhood with suitable surfaces and terrain for fun linked turning. In-liners with good uphill skills should make the climb up B Street to reach the campus of Humboldt State. From B, turn left onto Laurel Drive to find sidewalks on the right that allow you to enter the relatively flat heart of the campus. Alternatively, from B at 14th Street, you can cross back to the west side of the highway to cruise Arcata neighborhoods that date back to the town's beginnings as a lumber town in the late 19th century. Follow the smooth pavement of 14th and 15th Streets, where several stately Victorian homes still stand in all their original glory. Use I or J Streets to descend the hill with the least amount of traffic on the return to the plaza.