While Huell’s California’s Gold series took him to all corners of the state, in Visiting he focused on Southern California, and especially Los Angeles and its environs. As a native of Northern California, whenever I think of the southern half of the state, suburban sprawl and deserts usually come to mind. So it’s good to be reminded the region includes much more variety, like the mountain pine forests around Idyllwild. I’ve been reading Barney Scout Mann’s book Journeys North, which describes the experiences of a group of people hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in 2007 — including visits to the welcoming town of Idyllwild; while the PCT doesn’t pass directly through the town, it has long been and continues to be a very popular stop along the way. This episode originally aired in June 2001.

Located 5,300 feet up in the San Jacinto Mountains above Palm Springs, Huell stops in Idyllwild which offers a well-balanced mixture of natural, cultural and historic wonders.

(Click on the linked image below to see the video.)