Fort Bragg’s Ron Bloomquist, who writes the blog “Walking Fort Bragg” and does that each morning for his health, never seems to run out of local adventures to report. After finding such things as horse-hitching rings still attached to city curbs, he began looking for other oddities along the city streets. That turned into an entire oddities tour brochure and hot-selling t-shirt. Now, he has completed a 40-mile, four-day trek along Fort Bragg’s historic Skunk Train line between Fort Bragg and Willits. It’s a great tale.
Fireworks will light up the sky over the Pacific Ocean on Friday July 3rd to kick off a weekend of Independence Day events. The annual fireworks show attracts hundreds of locals and visitors to see the explosion of light and color over Pomo Bluffs Park (also called Todd Point) in Fort Bragg.
Show up early to get a good parking spot and be sure to bring blankets and snacks - the event is packed. Fireworks can be viewed from the park, the parking lots, College of The Redwoods, Noyo Beach, the Noyo Bridge and other spots on the south end of town.
This favorite annual event is sponsored by the Mendocino Coast Chamber of Commerce and made possible with the support of the Fort Bragg Police Department.
The World’s Largest Salmon BBQ follows on Saturday July 4th. From 11 am-6 pm in South Noyo Harbor, the air will be filled with the aroma of grilled salmon, served with salad and corn on the cob. More than 5,000 pounds of fish, 5,000 ears of corn, 1,000 pounds of salad, and 850 loaves of bread are served!
Parking for the event is available at the College of the Redwoods, and shuttles will be running regularly during the day.
Sometimes you can have fun and do good too. There’s just such an opportunity building up steam and coming down the tracks…
I just heard about this fund raising event for the Rotary Club of Fort Bragg, that all proceeds will be used for the clubs youth projects and scholarships.
The event is a steam train ride on the Skunk Train departing Fort Bragg at 11:00 AM and returning at4:00 PM on Sunday June 28, 2009.
But this is no ordinary historic train ride. The train will be dedicated to the event for this day and has a maximum capacity of 400. There will be a Tri-tip and chicken BBQ at the turn around point in Northspur, 22 miles by rail, about 1-1/4 hours from the Fort Bragg station.
I understand there will be entertainment on the train, and the Steven Bates Band will play at the BBQ. Oh, and a raffle and auction at Northspur too.
Tickets will be $100 per person and can be purchased through the Skunk Train ticking system. That gets you the train ride, BBQ, entertainment and a beer or glass of wine. Additional beer or wine will be available should you so desire… and with our own Pacific Star as the winery sponsor, and North Coast Brewing as the beer sponsor, I’m betting you’ll so desire.
Let’s have fun and do some good - see you on the train.
An oxymoron, perhaps? You’ll have to decide for yourself. A new “specialty” hot dog restaurant recently opened in Downtown Fort Bragg. Named “Relish” and with quaint Americana decor, the shop is totally dedicated to its featured food. This new, colorful addition to the downtown business district offers a quick & easy food option for families, and all lovers of the hot dog.
The menu is made up of different dogs named after local coastal towns, along with some sausage options and a variety of extra toppings for your wiener. We ordered Fort Bragg’s namesake dog (pictured above). In a neighboring booth, we watched a friend attack this drenched chili dog with childlike enjoyment, using both fork and knife, and napkin for the chin.
Relish is straightforward in its commitment to the dog; the simple menu is clearly focused on providing everyone with the perfect dog. Soon they will be offering vegetarian options as well.
The cute booths have chalkboards and chalk hanging on the walls and the bar at the window allows you to look out at the street as you eat – and lets all the passersby watch as you struggle to fit your huge, dripping hot dog into your mouth!
Relish is located at 260 North Main Street, next door to Cowlick’s Ice Cream – where you can get delicious, local handmade ice cream for dessert.
Frolic Interpretive Panel at Point Cabrillo Light Station State Historic Park.
On a walk to the Point Cabrillo Lighthouse yesterday, I discovered that a large interpretive panel, with cement still drying, had been installed on the bluff above Frolic Cove. The sign’s headline is “History Pivots on a Rock.” The story goes like this: Capt. Faucon was guiding the clipper brig Frolic on her final voyage — after years operating as an opium runner between India and China to Gold Rush-frenzied San Francisco — with ale, silks and household goods. Read the rest of this entry »
It is that time of year again! The Old Farmer’s Almanac shows that perfect Kite-Flying weather is on tap for Saturday, June 6th from Noon until 4 pm when Habitat for Humanity will host its 11th Annual Kite Festival at Todds Point in Fort Bragg.
Hundreds of kite-fliers including lots of kids with their families in tow, will get their faces painted, eat good food, enjoy the music and the ambiance. Then they will make their kites soar! And…. the unique, small kites - handmade and decorated by kids (under the expert tutelage of Pat Dunbar and her crew of “kite helpers”) - will be among the highest flying kites in the sky. Lots of folks will just come, eat, enjoy the fun and the beautiful day, listen to good music and just kick back in the comfort of the hay bales provided by Fort Bragg Feed & Pet. (Many wise folks bring their folding beach chairs!)
And it is all FREE (except for the food)!
Dozens of kites donated by The Village Toy Store will be given to the smallest kids and a big variety of dazzling kites will be available for purchase at discounted prices. All proceeds go to support Habitat’s mission of…….. Building Homes! Building Lives!
The Kite Festival is held at Todds Point in Fort Bragg, just off of Hwy. 1, west of the miniature golf course. Parking is free and plentiful. See you there!!!
For more information, call Chet Anderson at 937-2263.
Cammie King Conlon is a well known Fort Bragg, California resident and a wonderfully positive human being with a ready smile and a good sense of humor. To people in the South — as in the Deep South — Cammie is a heroine of massive big screen proportions. When she was just 5, she starred as Bonnie Blue Butler, daughter of Rhett Butler, in the 1939 classic movie, Gone With The Wind. She is among those enshrined in four museums dedicated to the movie and has many times been celebrated in parades in Marietta, Georgia, a hot bed of movie fans, and other towns around the country. All that and more is in her new book just published. She will be autographing “Bonnie Blue Butler - A Gone With The Wind Memoir” at 4:30 pm June 5 (First Friday) at Cheshire Books on Franklin Street.
Each year Cammie attends memorabilia shows where a long line forms to get her photo and autograph.
A few years back, Hallmark created a GWTW Christmas ornament with a picture of her with her movie dad, Clark Gable, walking on their plantation. Although most of the cast is long deceased (only a handful remain), the movie’s fans never seem to tire of the film, it’s stars and all the lore surrounding it.
Cammie is self-effacing about all this movie star fuss. She jokes, “I peaked in show business at age 5.” It was her first and only movie — a role she won when her older sister, Diane, got sick just before filming ( Cammie has doubts about her mother’s explanation of how she was chosen). Read the rest of this entry »
I came across a post about someone leaving this handmade toy at the Skunk Train. It turns out there’s a group called The Toy Society that spreads love throughout the world by leaving handmade toys for people to find and give a good home.
Apparently it started as a small street art project in Australia and is spreading to countries around the world. Their blog has postings from Scotland, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain and Switzerland, and that’s just the countries starting with S… in all there were postings for over 1100 toy drops.
The one at the Skunk Train was dropped by calquiltr, who I’m guessing was in town for our annual Quilt Show.
If you’d like to make someone happy by making a toy and leaving it where you live or visit, their blog tells you how to go about it.
Like communities across America, Fort Bragg honored veterans today at Rose Memorial Park, a small cemetery on the edge of downtown Fort Bragg. The event was attended by about 50 people. A prayer, a reading, a 21-gun salute and playing of taps were all part of the event. The cemetery itself was ablaze with small American flags on servicemen’s graves.
Quilters and quilt lovers will gather downtown on Memorial Day Weekend for the annual Quilt Show, hosted by Soroptomist International of Fort Bragg. The show, themed “Mendocino Tuscan,” opens on Friday May 22 with a preview and meet the artist party, and continues through the weekend. All are invited to come celebrate the art of quilting.
The show will be exhibited in the heart of the quaint downtown business district, in Town Hall and the Recreation center, within walking distance of a number of restaurants and galleries.
The event will also feature a vintage quilt display, a silent auction and vendor fair. A variety of workshops for beginners and advanced quilters will be offered the week prior to the show and throughout the weekend. The renowned featured artist “Mr. Quilt,” Don Linn, will be hosting two workshops on machine quilting. For more info on workshops, visit the show website.
The World’s Largest Salmon BBQ follows on Saturday July 4th. From 11 am-6 pm in South Noyo Harbor, the air will be filled with the aroma of grilled salmon, served with salad and corn on the cob. More than 5,000 pounds of fish, 5,000 ears of corn, 1,000 pounds of salad, and 850 loaves of bread are served!
An oxymoron, perhaps? You’ll have to decide for yourself. A new “specialty” hot dog restaurant recently opened in Downtown Fort Bragg. Named “Relish” and with quaint Americana decor, the shop is totally dedicated to its featured food. This new, colorful addition to the downtown business district offers a quick & easy food option for families, and all lovers of the hot dog.
I came across a post about someone leaving this handmade toy at the Skunk Train. It turns out there’s a group called 
Quilters and quilt lovers will gather downtown on Memorial Day Weekend for the annual Quilt Show, hosted by Soroptomist International of Fort Bragg. The show, themed “Mendocino Tuscan,” opens on Friday May 22 with a preview and meet the artist party, and continues through the weekend. All are invited to come celebrate the art of quilting.