Happy Hippies in Eureka, California

One happenstance in particular sparked my intrigue about Eureka the most. My travel partner and I decided one night that we’d test the waters of Eureka’s nightlife, so we made our way downtown. We began our night at a local billiards joint called Rose’s Billiards, thinking we would just walk in and play a few games. To our surprise, there were some serious billiards players in there, so we rented our gear from a truly Eurekan resident working behind the bar and made our way into the back room, as far from the pros as we could get.

After failing to have any idea what we were doing and being kindly embarrassed by our neighbors at the nearest table, we took our party closer to the waterfront. We ended up landing at a cozy bar called The Speakeasy, nestled on Opera Alley, an alley street running through downtown. We were treated to some amazingly talented Jazz musicians and had some fine tequila to get the night going.

Feeling a little happy, as some would put it, we exited the Jazz bar and must have put off an out-of-towner scent, because as we discussed our next options, a lady walked up to us and essentially gave us a handful of choices where we could experience some true Eureka.

We ended up trying a few more bars along 2^nd and 3^rd street before calling it a night, but the magic that I remembered as a kid traveling to Eureka was still alive. Everyone moves at an island pace and no matter who you are, you can expect to not be judged. People are in Eureka for a reason, to live their lives in a manner that was once associated with being a real hippy.

So for all those who yearn to see and feel what it’s like to be transported back into the 1970s hippy revolution, Eureka still has it.

JP Smith / Own Work