I confess I’m a more than a little bit amazed that I haven’t already featured this particular episode of California’s Gold. It originally aired on October 6, 2000, almost exactly 22 years ago. The California State Library not only holds treasures of the state’s history, it is, itself, a wonderful historic California treasure. Its original building, now known as the […]
I have to admit that until this morning I had no idea there was more than one type of mammoth. When I heard the word ‘mammoth’ I’ve always thought of the wooly mammoth — like the 30,000-year-old specimen discovered this past summer frozen in the Yukon’s permafrost. However, watching this episode of California’s Gold, originally aired in November 2004, I […]
I honestly didn’t expect an episode entitled ‘Cotton’ could be all that interesting, but as usual Huell takes what might be a dull subject and makes it informative yet fun. California grows its share of the nation’s cotton, both Upland/Acala and Pima types, and cotton is the main industry of the town of Buttonwillow, which was founded back in 1895. […]
Back in August 2018 I was pretty thrilled to see the small group of buffalo in the Bison Paddock at Golden Gate Park; there have been American bison living in the park ever since the 1890s, and their existence even helped to bring the species back from the brink of extinction. In this Classic episode of California’s Gold from 1991, […]
I’m not too sure about blaming the sea otters for the disappearance of the famous Pismo Beach clams — but the good news is that the clams seem to be making a comeback these days! While the truly big specimens have yet to be found, the population is now being carefully monitored, and hopefully will continue to thrive in the […]
Sadly, the friendly folks (and their pets) who guided Huell during his visit back in 2004 are no longer around; and although the Masonic Caves are still there, they are certainly not the huge tourist attraction that other nearby caves are, like the nearby Black Chasm Cavern National Landmark or, a bit further south, California Cavern State Historic Landmark, not to mention the Mercer Caverns near Murphys. These smaller caves just outside of the town of Volcano are quite easy to miss. But this episode is a perfect example of the sort of “serendipity adventure” that makes Huell’s shows so much fun to watch. I especially love the way the cat and the dog tag along during the tour! Huell’s off to Amador county and the town of Volcano. It was once a thriving, gold mining town in the 1850s and 1860s, but Huell has set off to discover the mysterious cave in this mountain community which served as a Masonic lodge. (Click on the linked image below to see the video.)
In the final episode of Huell’s Baja Whale Adventure, he and his guides take a break from hanging out with the whales for a trip to the small town of San Ignacio. It takes them a little while to actually reach their destination, but there’s more than enough to see along the way. Then it’s time for a delicious meal […]
Huell Howser visited quite a few historic California lighthouses throughout the years as he filmed one series or another. I’ve previously featured shows in which he explored the Point Sur Lighthouse, the Cape Mendocino Lighthouse, the St. George Reef Lighthouse, and even the tiny Battery Point Lighthouse up in Crescent City. And although he didn’t make it to every one […]
I always especially enjoy those episodes of Huell’s shows where he finds himself exploring historic airplanes, trains, or ships — so of course this visit to the USS Potomac was a must-see. This ship had quite a fascinating history even before, and especially beyond, its glory days as a presidential yacht. After being rescued from a sorrowful fate in the […]