Named after the popular gold-mining expression “Eureka!” (Greek for “I have found it”), the heart of Eureka is Old Town, a 13-block stretch of shops, restaurants, and hotels, most of them housed in painstakingly preserved Victorian structures. It’s bordered by First and Third streets, between C and M streets. One of the finest Victorian architectural masterpieces is the multigabled-and-turreted Carson Mansion (on the corner of 2nd and M sts), built of redwood in 1886 for lumber baron William Carson, who initiated the construction to keep mill workers occupied during a lull in the lumber business. Although the three-story, money-green mansion is closed to the public (it’s now a snooty men’s club), you can stand on the sidewalk and click your Kodak at one of the state’s most-photographed houses.

For more Old Town history, stroll through the Clarke Memorial Museum (240 E St at 3rd St; 707/443-1947), which has one of the top Native American art displays in the state, showcasing more than 1,200 examples of Hupa, Yurok, and Karok basketry, dance regalia, and stonework. A block away, there’s more Native American artwork, including quality silver jewelry, at the Indian Art & Gift Shop (241 F St at 3rd St; 707/445-8451 or 800/566-2381), which sells many of its treasures at reasonable prices.

If you need a good book at a great price, stop by the Booklegger (402 2nd St at E St; 707/445-1344), a marvelous bookstore in Old Town with thousands of used paperbacks (especially mysteries, Westerns, and science fiction) as well as children’s books and cookbooks. If purple potatoes, cylindra beets, and other fancy foods are on your shopping list, you’re in luck, because you’ll find them at the Farmers Markets held weekly in Eureka and Arcata. Most of the produce is grown along the local Eel and Trinity rivers and is sold at bargain prices. For more information call the North Coast Growers Association (707/441-9999). Afterward, stroll over to the Lost Coast Brewery (617 4th St, between G and H sts; 707/445-4480; www.lostcoast.com) for a fresh pint of Alleycat Amber Ale and an order of buffalo wings.