This episode of California’s Gold, first aired in 2006, tells the story of the four — or actually five — ceremonial spikes connected to the opening of the United States’ first transcontinental railroad. I now have to admit that even though I’ve seen and admired the golden spike on display at the railroad museum in Old Sacramento, I never realized […]
Here’s another beautiful corner of California I’m adding to my list of must-see places. I certainly remember hearing all the arguments over preserving the habitat for spotted owls and similar species a few years back. But the old-growth redwood trees themselves are such a special treasure, and California would never be the same if we allowed them to disappear. Join […]
So much has been written about the tragic fate of the Donner Party; there’s no shortage of opinions about what led to this group of pioneers becoming trapped in the snow-packed California Sierras during the winter of 1846-47 and what they did or did not do in order to survive. But there’s nothing quite like visiting the site of these events […]
This is one of the episodes of California’s Gold that I managed to miss, and it caught me by surprise because the farm that Huell visits is not far down the road from where I live — in fact, I believe I must have driven right by the place not long ago and never even realized it was there. It’s […]
I’ve previously posted in my Memory Monday series about my family’s visits to Patrick’s Point, the location of Agate Beach; and this past Monday I mentioned Glass Beach, found in Fort Bragg. In this episode of California’s Gold, Huell Houser sets out to explore both of these spots, and with a bit of help from all the beachcombing tourists and […]
California’s giant redwoods are a treasure — beautiful and amazing in so many ways. We can be grateful to the historic Semper Virens Club for their determination and vision in preserving the coastal redwoods in this area of Santa Cruz County… and in the process providing a basis for the state park system in California. Huell has a great time […]
Long ago I wrote a short essay for a college English class in which I included a few details about the raising of the Sacramento streets during the 1860s. I’m fairly sure I’d heard the story from a tour guide at the historic Governor’s Mansion, but because I couldn’t cite a primary source for the information my instructor seemed to […]
Here is an event, held in late January, I’d love to experience for myself some day. I’m lucky to live along the Pacific flyway, a major migration route for all sorts of bird species, and although we do get our fair share of many types of waterfowl at Lake Natoma, it’s nothing compared to the birds to be seen in […]
When I visited the beautiful Stanford Mansion in downtown Sacramento last June, I was disappointed to learn I wasn’t allowed to take photographs inside. So it really pleases me to see that in this episode of California’s Golden Parks Huell is highlighting most of the amazing rooms that impressed me so much… including the upstairs bathroom! When this episode originally […]