Glacier

It's off to Santa Monica Beach to the site of the very first Hot Dog On A Stick stand. It all started in 1946 when Dave Barham opened his first stand by Muscle Beach. The company has become a California tradition with Dave's daughter at the helm. We get a behind the scenes look at Hot Dog on a Stick.

Falconry is an ancient sport that has a small, but enthusiastic following in California. Huell learns about the sport, as well as an array of beautiful raptors from a master falconer and studio animal trainer. 

Huell heads to the “greenest” fair in California. The Marin County Fair has made a huge effort to make a very small footprint on the environment. The carousel and the main stage are both powered by solar. Another stage is powered by a 99% vegetable oil biodiesel generator and the lighting at the entrance to the fair is powered by a wind turbine. There is even an all-electric, solar-powered trackless train to take guests on excursion rides. Even the animal’s straw and manure from the Barnyard is collected and trucked to an organic farm in West Marin after the fair.

After seeing a web site devoted to all the great cultural and historic sites to view along the original Route 66 in the Newberry Springs area, Huell prints out the map and hops in his car--eager to start his next Road Trip. He doesn't find the Buffalo Ranch, Big Al's Pistachio Plant, or the Ostrich Farm he was looking for, but Huell does meet a group of warm, interesting and generous Newberry Springs locals.

The Desert View Tower stands 3,000 feet above sea level, three miles east of Jacumba in the Imperial Valley. The four-story, cut-stone structure was built in the 1920s by Bert Vaughn, who owned the town of Jacumba. The pre-highway trek to the Pacific Coast was arduous so Vaughn commemorated the pioneers who struggled across the arid desert. Join Huell as he climbs to the top of the tower to see the spectacular views of the desert below.

Huell starts this update with clips from the original episode, then heads to the new home of the panorama to see what's changed and what you can expect if you choose to visit.

 

 

 

 

 

Every spring, California blooms anew, bringing forth a striking display of flowers. Huell visits three places across the state where the splendor of California is in full bloom: Daffodil Hill in the Gold Country, the Ranunculas fields of Carlsbad Ranch, and the California Poppy Reserve in Antelope Valley--all amazing vistas where swaths of color stretch as far as the eye can see.

Family owned and operated since 1939, this L.A. institution has been serving up some of the best chili cheese hot dogs this side of Coney Island. Huell get the lowdown from Mrs. Pink and a handful of enthusiastic patrons, many whom have been eating at Pink's since their childhood.

Huell interviewed Tony Danza in the original 1981 episode. Danza, who was only two years into the run of "Taxi" at the time, showed off his '57 Porsche Speedster and reminisced about his old New York stomping grounds in the episode.

Huell visits with 5 ladies who were all actresses in the 40s and have remained friends and walked together every Saturday for 50 years. 

“Outpost” was once the largest neon sign in the world and stood above Runyon Canyon near Hollywood during the 1920s. The neon sign was a rival at that time to the Hollywoodland sign, and amazingly has been brought out of the past by Huell. Discover this California landmark, as it currently lies covered by weeds and dirt above the modern day Runyon Canyon Hills

California's rich history has been documented in many ways, but the tradition of quilting is an expression of California life through beautiful and intricate pieces of art. Join Huell as he visits an exhibit of California quilts covering a 100-year history and the Foothill Quilters who keep this tradition alive.

 

 

 

 

 

Bakersfeild is Huell's next Road Trip where he samples Basque food, visits a Tule Elk reserve and tours country music legend Buck Owen's Crystal Palace.

It began in 1958 in the back room of Boots Beer's Real Estate Office with a couple of old records and some instruments. Almost fifty years later it has become one of the countries premier folk music destinations. Filled with instruments from all over the world and staffed by wonderful people who really know their music, the Folk Music Center is a wonderful place to lose yourself. Huell gets a very special tour from the family that still owns the center

Huell visits a special gallery in Ventura which provides sculptors with raw materials, a place to work, and a supportive place to show their art.

Huell tours the Vincent Price Art Museum, which opened in May 2011 at East Los Angeles College in Monterey Park. The museum contains 9,000 items, many of which were donated by the late actor. Victoria Price leads the tour of her father’s vast collection of fine art and shows why this gallery is one of Los Angeles’s best kept secrets. We also look back at Huell’s original 1989 ‘Videolog’ interview with Vincent Price himself.

Huell gets a tour of the Santa Barbara ranch home of President Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy, who named it Rancho del Cielo. Huell hears stories about the historic events that took place there, as well as more personal stories from a former secret service agent assigned to President Reagan.

Visit The Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace with Huell and first daughter Julie Nixon Eisenhower, as she gives a private and personal tour of the farmhouse where her dad was born and raised. During this informal tour, Julie talks about her father's memories of growing up in this simple, wooden home that used to be in the middle of a huge orange grove. It is a rare personal insight into the 37th President's early California years, and an authentic piece of California's Gold.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Obama described Occidental as "a wonderful, small liberal arts college. The professors were diverse and inspiring. I ended up making some lifelong friendships there, and those first two years really helped me grow up." Who knew that the next president of the United States had such a formative connection to California?   Join Huell as he gets the Presidential tour of Occidental College in Eagle Rock, where Barack Obama spent his Freshman and Sophomore years.

Huell attends the LAPD Motorcycle Training Facility in Granada Hills.

When you mention Anaheim to most folks, Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm come to mind, but this city has a rich history and some genuine surprises. Huell spends the day with the President of the Anaheim Historical Society and visits everything from a family owned bowling alley celebrating it's 50th anniversary to a statue built in 1935, that is the oldest piece of public artwork in Orange County. We'll also visit the home of the man who started Carl's Jr. and a very historic cactus garden in Pearson Park.