If you follow this blog at all, you will know that I share a lot of old family photos, from those dating back to the early 1950s when my Dad was stationed in Japan to ones I shot myself in the 1980s and 1990s. So when I stumbled across this one-hour episode of California’s Gold, I knew I had to […]
A few days ago I happened to see an episode of the Science Channel show Mysteries of the Abandoned, and they had a segment about the Salton Sea and the ghost town of Bombay Beach. The story seemed vaguely familiar — and then I remembered that Huell had featured the area in a couple of different episodes. I’m pretty sure […]
One of the great things about watching Huell Howser was that he always loved listening to the stories of “old-timers” — people whose memories can still bring history alive and remind us that those old forgotten pieces of the past, like an empty field or some sun-bleached wooden boards, once formed an important part of everyday life. This episode of […]
If you’ve ever traveled through a desert, especially in the summertime, you know what a relief it can be to find a nice cool spot to get out of the car and stretch your legs, to get something cold to drink, or even just to cast your eyes on something besides a wide, flat expanse! In this 2008 episode of […]
After hiking (almost) to the top of Mt. Konocti in Lake County last March, I know from personal experience that climbing a mountain is never easy. In this episode of Huell’s show Visiting, he takes a much easier path to the mountaintop. You may recall I previously shared a 1997 segment of California’s Gold (back in January 2019) where Huell […]
Columbia State Historic Park has been on my must-see list for awhile now. In this 2005 episode of California’s Golden Parks, Huell gets the full Living History experience at the annual Columbia Diggins event. Once the second largest city in California, Columbia is a wonderfully preserved gold rush-era town, and it’s where Huell attends the annual Columbia Diggins celebration. (Click […]
Stringed instruments have a long and complex history dating back to ancient times and all around the world. It’s fascinating to see how variations on a basic shape and a wide variety of materials can produce so many different kinds of wonderful sounds. In my first video this week, Daniel Estrem uses the baroque lute to produce an absolutely beautiful rendition of one of my favorite Beatles songs, While My Guitar Gently Weeps. And a change of pace — if Mathias Duplessy’s music doesn’t get you moving, nothing will! I love how much these guys are enjoying themselves.
This week I’ve chosen a couple of different videos. The first one is two years old, but I couldn’t resist the chance to experience a tour of the Statue of Liberty. I’ve never been to New York City and don’t really expect to find myself there in the future — but I love exploring historic places. And of course, a virtual trip up the stairs is a lot easier on the knees! My second video is short but extremely sweet.This six-year-old has a lovely voice and she does a great rendition of “Fly Me To The Moon.” Enjoy!