Like No Place Else — Humboldt County is beautiful, sure. Especially right now, when gorgeous fall and winter light keep your outdoor fun rolling even as the holiday music cues up. But we've got plenty of personality, too.

The mild climate, warm neighbors and creative culture around here are a few reasons author/gardener/cocktail enthusiast Amy Stewart calls Eureka home. With her detective novel Girl Waits with Gun still warm from the presses, we'll take you along for a garden chat with Stewart about her life and writing.

The salmon are biting now, so hop on a jet boat with us for a guided fishing trip on the breathtaking Klamath River. We've got mountain biking trips, surfing, stand-up paddling and, hey, disc golf for the athletic set in our Perfect Trips — not to mention art studio visits and seafood on the bay.

Vinyl collectors and casual browsers can always lose a couple hours in the nostalgia and discovery of thumbing through racks of records at three of our favorite shops, each of which has its own particular character. Check out Vinyl Adventures for the rundown and dive into those stacks of wax.

In this issue, you'll also find out where you can fuel your adventures around the county with a hearty breakfast (homey pancakes and fancy crepes alike) and reward your efforts in the evening with sommelier-approved wine-and-dine spots. Still thirsty? Let us point you to some unique locally made booze (seriously, distilled off-the-grid from rainwater).

In case you forgot to pack one (and is one really enough?), check out the new and vintage knits for "Sweater Weather." Don't worry — they flatten down in a suitcase, so there's still room for souvenirs. And you'll want to remember this trip, because while there may be no place like home, there's no place like Humboldt, either.