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Location
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Dell’Arte is in Blue Lake, California, a very small town of 1,300 on the banks of the Mad River. Founded by French Pioneer, Clement Chartin, Blue Lake was incorporated as a city in 1910. Originally Blue Lake was a resort community with people visiting from Arcata and Eureka on the foggy coast for a day of sun and boating on the lake. The Chartin Hotel was located on the shores of the lake. The lake was short lived and never more than a large pond, created by a record flood in the early 1800’s. Construction of the Mad River levee in the early 1900’s doomed the lake to it’s current low profile, hidden by willows and rushes, as it is fed only by two small streams, one of which runs behind Dell’Arte. The winter rains bring a smaller version of the lake back on occasion to the great enjoyment of migrating waterfowl.
Blue Lake has a remarkable history that traces the rise and fall of the timber industry. The town was a staging area for pack trains into the Trinity Alps during the Gold Rush. Later it burgeoned as a mill town, then withered as the local timber was used up, and the thirteen mills in the valley closed down in the 50’s and 60’s. Blue Lake remains a tight knit community with multi-generational families and a pride in civic engagement. All three of the civic buildings, the City Hall, Fire Station and Prasch Hall were built by community volunteers. Dell’Arte came to town in 1974, attracted by the vacant Odd Fellows Hall, which we purchased and renovated.
The Blue Lake Fire Station is located in the center of town and operated by a volunteer fire department. There is a beautiful vintage fire truck displayed in the front window of the station. Every once in a while, you may hear a siren. This is not reason to be alarmed! (Pun intended.) The siren is a call to our volunteer fire fighters.
Situated in rural, northern California near the Pacific Ocean, in the heart of redwood country, this intimate community offers the opportunity to work in a natural setting, free from urban distractions. The extraordinary beauty and abundant nature of the surrounding area are a source of inspiration to students, who are only minutes from walks along the river, forest hikes, and some of the world’s most stunning beaches.
Blue Lake has few services. There are two restaurants, a gas station, a laundromat, a casino, a brewery, a small industrial park and a video rental place, but no market. We recommend that students bring cars if they have the option. Seven miles southwest of Blue Lake, on the north end of Humboldt Bay, is the college town of Arcata (pop 16,000); home of Humboldt State University. It is a healthy, vibrant, liberal town with grocery stores, restaurants, shopping, movie theatres, hospitals, banks, a great farmers market, etc. Ten miles south of Arcata is Eureka, the county seat. It has a population of about 24,000 and a mall. McKinleyville is another mid sized town about eight miles north of Blue Lake. Arcata, Eureka and McKinleyville offer a full range of services and students carpool into these towns regularly.
How to Reach Blue Lake
Blue Lake is located about 290 miles north of San Francisco; six miles inland from the Pacific Ocean on Highway 299.
Driving From San Francisco to Dell’Arte:
It takes about five and a half hours to drive here from San Francisco. Take highway 101 north for about 270 miles. Just north of Arcata you will see signs for Highway 299 East. Take 299 East for about 5 miles. You will see the exit for Blue Lake. Exit to the right and stay to the right. Go straight through the roundabout and take the next right which is Greenwood. Greenwood runs in front of the elementary school. Once on Greenwood, follow the road as it curves to the left. Turn left at the second (2nd) stop sign. Dell’Arte is the large yellow and red building on your left.
Driving from Portland or Seattle to Dell’Arte:
It is about eight hours from Portland to Blue Lake. Take Interstate 5 South. At Grant’s Pass, OR, you will get on Highway199 West. This ends at Highway 101 in Crescent City, CA. Take Highway 101 South. It is about 80 miles, or an hour and a half to Highway 299. Take Highway 299 East and follow the directions above.
Tip:
Many students who are flying into San Francisco contact each other in advance and arrange to share the rental of an Avis rental car which they can drop off at our local airport. Bear in mind that whoever will be driving must be 25 and have a credit card to rent a car in California. Also, please be sure that the rental car agent marks the ARCATA airport as the final destination, not the Arcadia airport.
By Bus
The nearest Greyhound Bus station is in Arcata, just south of Blue Lake on Highway 101. The Greyhound bus line travels to Arcata from San Francisco or Portland. It costs about $40 one way and takes about twelve hours from Portland and eight from San Francisco. Call Greyhound at 1-800-321-2222.
Flying
The nearest airport is located a few miles north on Highway 101 in McKinleyville and is served by United Express and Horizon Air. Its code is ACV. Please make sure to use this code when booking travel online. Also have it available for the travel agent. It is usually very expensive to fly to Arcata from anywhere so book at least three weeks in advance. If traveling through San Francisco, booking on United may save some money.
Local Services
There is a taxi service called City Cab that goes from Arcata to Blue Lake. Their number is (707) 442-4551. The ride costs about $28.
There is a local bus run by the Rancheria that goes from Arcata (including the Greyhound bus station) to Blue Lake. It runs every hour on the half-hour beginning at 7:31AM to 7:31PM. It costs $1.35. http://www.green-wheels.org/files/shared/2009BlueLakeBusSchedule.pdf
There is also an airport shuttle service, which goes to Dell’Arte from the Arcata airport for $18. The reservation number is 1-888-338-5497. |
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