By Nick Escalada

Dream vacation spots are a good indicator of personality, but certain locales tend to become common favorites due to their sheer romantic appeal. Fiji might come to mind, or maybe Morocco, the Bahamas, Italy, Humboldt County… wait.

A mild traffic jam occurred in Eureka on Sunday, April 27 as drivers halted in fascination at the colossal cruise liner parked at the humble Schneider Dock. The MS Europa 2, brought forth by German shipping company Hapag Lloyd, made a stop in Humboldt on its 18-day round voyage along the West Coast to Canada from Los Angeles. According to a press release from the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District, 370 crewmates and 460 passengers disembarked from the vessel and got a taste of life behind the redwood curtain.

For the short day they spent here, the tourists were offered most of northern Humboldt’s landmark excursions, including walks through Old Town Eureka and Prairie Redwoods State Park, tours of local manufacturers, and kayaking in Trinidad Harbor. In the evening, onlookers from Eureka to the North Jetty caught stellar views of the ship’s departure up the narrow passage to the open ocean.

The Europa 2 will return to Los Angeles on May 1 after stops in Santa Barbara and San Diego. Mass tourism is a rare sight in Humboldt and this luxury liner was met with little apart from excitement and intrigue from locals.

Nick is a sophomore minoring in journalism who reports on happenings of all sorts. As a wildlife major, he enjoys nature-related pieces. On his off days, you can find him taking a hike behind campus or collecting shiny stuff on the beach.