You may have heard that oil wells are a Southern California thing, and the discovery of gold happened in the foothills of Northern California. Well, in this episode of California’s Gold we learn that just the opposite is true! The fact is that gold was first discovered on a quiet little rancho just north of Los Angeles; and the location […]
I’m a little embarassed to admit that after living my entire life in the Sacramento area, I had never actually visited the state capitol building until today. I became inspired to go explore it on Tuesday after watching this episode of California’s Gold, and I have to say I was not disappointed. In fact, I’m already looking forward to my […]
Salmon season is an annual event in my life, since we live relatively close to the American River, and The Big Guy is basically obsessed with catching and eating salmon rather than buying it at the supermarket. So every year — usually from late August through October — our normal schedule begins to revolve heavily around salmon fishing. I was […]
Coit Tower is such a famous part of the San Francisco city skyline it’s hard to imagine it not being there atop Telegraph Hill. Yet as much as I love seeing the tower and climbing to the top for the amazing views of the city, it’s the murals in the lobby that I most wanted to contemplate on my recent […]
Even though Amtrak’s California Zephyr lacks the same style, not to mention the Vista-Dome, of the original train of that name, it does follow much the same route. I felt lucky to ride the Zephyr between Emeryville and Sacramento a year ago; back in 2000 my mom traveled on the Zephyr from Roseville through the Sierra Nevada and the Rocky […]
I’d never seen this episode of California’s Gold before today — but since I’m leaving on a short trip to San Francisco in a couple of days, I thought I’d get myself into the right mood. I’ve walked up Lombard Street once, about 20 years ago, and it was quite an experience… but nothing like the experience Huell had. I […]
I chose this episode of California’s Gold this week in honor of all my own memories of road trips when I spotted some intriguing road sign or attraction and wanted to stop to check it out but didn’t, for one reason or another. I’m sure I can’t be the only one who’s had this experience! I’m still hanging onto my […]
I’ve had a fondness for mariachi music ever since my trips to Mexico back in the 1960s and 1970s. This episode of California’s Gold is one that I managed to miss on television, so I’m really glad that the Chapman University archives are keeping Huell Howser’s wonderful adventures alive into the future. I hope you enjoy as much as I […]
It’s an old, old story — families being compelled to pick up and move from one place to another when times are hard. Those of us who have never been in such a situation may struggle to understand what it feels like; but John Steinbeck’s novel The Grapes of Wrath (not to mention John Ford’s brilliant movie adaptation) and the […]