Mendocino may be a fairly small village, but it’s seriously packed with historic buildings, numerous water towers, and so many small details that even without stopping to do any shopping — okay, well, much shopping — I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of amazing finds. In this series of images, I’ve focused on a relatively small area that […]
As I wandered through the village of Mendocino earlier this month I found quite a few sculptures on the grounds outside the Mendocino Art Center, but others can be found randomly around town. One of the most prominent is the former Masonic Temple, built between 1866 and 1872. Its builder, Erik Albertson, topped it off with a sculpture that is […]
Do you know the difference between a Victory ship and a Liberty ship? I didn’t, even though I’ve actually visited a Liberty ship — the SS Jeremiah O’Brien, currently docked at Pier 35 in San Francisco. Victory ships were larger than their Liberty ship predecessors and were powered by steam turbines for faster speed, as opposed to the earlier steam […]
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 […]
I came across this small display of historic conveyances during my outing to Denio’s in Roseville last month. I’m always a sucker for old buggies and wagons whenever and wherever I find them.
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 […]
When I think of Southern California, the sprawling urban centers around Los Angeles and San Diego usually spring to mind. Of course, there’s a wide variety of landscapes found in the southern half of the state — including some very beautiful parks and natural areas, like the one in today’s episode. Originally aired in 2003 as part of both Visiting […]
I enjoyed seeing the painting of Angela Davis on my most recent visit to the de Young Museum last summer. I still remember seeing her on the television news as a child, although I was then too young to understand the reasons behind her activism. Although some of these works of art are very difficult to look at and think […]