A couple of days ago I stumbled upon a news article describing the history of Sacramento’s Japantown and how it was basically erased in the period following World War 2. I was amazed to learn that at one time there were more than 30 flourishing Japantowns throughout California — now there are only three, in San Francisco, San Jose, and […]
May is Asian Pacific/American Heritage Month in the US, so it seemed appropriate to take a look at this episode of California’s Gold which originally aired on May 8, 2008. I’ve never visited the Pacific Asia Museum, but it definitely looks and sounds like a wonderful place to explore! The Pacific Asia Museum is one of only four institutions in […]
Well, it’s not quite summer, although around here we may feel like it is when the temperatures get up into the 80 degree (F) range this week. Maybe that’s part of the reason I chose this particular subject to feature today! Yet another double episode, this segment first aired as part of the Visiting series in 1999, and later appeared […]
This Classic episode of California’s Gold inevitably brings back memories from my childhood of traveling south along Highway 99/Interstate 5 toward the Tehachapi Mountains and seeing acres and acres of pumps working away in the fields on both sides of the road. As the years passed, the number of pumps visible from the highway grew ever smaller. And indeed, oil […]
Last Monday, March 20, those of us in the Northern Hemisphere celebrated the first day of spring, also known as the vernal equinox — even though it may not feel a whole lot like spring, depending on where you are! The vernal equinox also marks the start of Nowruz, the Persian New Year. The first event of this annual celebration […]
Wasco is one of those tiny towns that sit just far enough off the main highway you may never even notice it as you speed past. But like many small towns, it’s home to a vital community of people who are proud of their town’s history and are always looking forward to its future. This hour-long episode of California’s Gold […]
The area around Santa Cruz has seen plenty of changes over the decades, and the latest bit of change means saying goodbye to the beloved pier at Seacliff State Beach (seen in the photo above). It’s due to be demolished any day now because of heavy storm damage that occurred earlier this year. Although it appears only briefly in this […]
This is another one of those episodes of California’s Gold that I could have sworn I’ve already featured. Mono Lake is certainly a fascinating, beautiful, and unique feature, one that I can’t say I’ve ever visited, but it’s definitely been in the news at various points throughout my lifetime, given the delicate nature of its ecosystem and the importance of […]
Yesterday morning I went with the Big Guy on our regular weekly grocery outing, and — as we often do — we saw firefighters from the nearby station doing their own shopping, with two of their big shiny modern red trucks parked out in the lot. Seeing them reminded me it was time to feature this episode which I’ve been […]