Old-Fashioned Harvest

When most people think of Shasta Lake, they imagine themselves on a houseboat enjoying California's largest manmade reservoir. With 365 miles of shoreline it is a boaters paradise. What most people don't think about is the massive structure that is responsible for holding back the water that creates Shasta Lake. We're talking about Shasta Dam which, is a perfect example of "California's Gold". Construction of the dam started in 1938 and ended in 1945. It's 602 feet high, 883 feet thick at the bottom, 30 feet thick at the top, and 3,460 feet long.

It started back in 1921 and quickly became one of California's biggest and "sweetest" success stories. The little shop on Western Avenue featured the favorite candy recipes of Mary See and focused on farm-fresh ingredients and homemade goodness. Before long this little shop had grown into a chain of stores serving loyal customers, and See's Candies had become famous around the world.

The first on the entire west coast, with 142 years of service to our nation, the Mare Island Naval Shipyard has been a long time builder of California's naval gold. Join Huell as he takes us on one of the last tours of the base which is to be closed due to military downsizing. He also visits with former workers who show him the dry dock building slips of ancient battleships and modern nuclear subs, a sailors graveyard, the tree-lined streets of "Officer's Row", and the first naval chapel on the west coast.

Huell spends the day paddling into Santa Cruz Island's famous sea caves.

The Chumash called it Wimal. To Conquistador Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo it was San Lucas. Today it is known as Santa Rosa, and its 54,000 acres of open land 24 miles off the coast of Santa Barbara is the newest addition to Channel Islands National Park.

A century ago, it was the hub of Northern California -- a crossroads where over the years you would have encountered Mutsune Indians, Franciscan padres, fierce outlaws and a host of other fascinating characters.

Huell spends the day at the headquarters of the Automobile Club of Southern California to get a behind the scenes look at the history of Westways Magazine. It was originally published under the name Touring Topics and its earliest issues focused on touring destinations, advances in automotive technology and efforts to bring modern roads to Southern California. The Westways name was placed on the mast in 1934. Many famous writers and artist have contributed over the last 100 years and Huell gets to see many of the original works.

Join Huell for another downtown hidden gem, the Russak family has been producing the most delicious and succulent meats and cold cuts for over 50 years. Now run by the second generation, Russak’s Meats produce everything from corned beef, pastrami and roast beef to jerky and chili con carne.

Huell travels to the small city with a big history. Did you know that all the little people who portrayed the Munchkins in the Wizard of Oz stayed at the Culver Hotel? Huell also visits the Culver City Historical Society Archives and Resource Center, which includes two MGM Costumes cases. We’ll also get a special tour of an historic “tower” that is something to see.

Huell stops by Langer's Deli on Alvarado Street, which has been slicing up pastrami sandwiches since 1947. He then visits Johnnie's, a Culver City landmark since 1952 famous for its hot dogs, hamburgers, and of course, pastrami.

Huell Howser visits the Musicians Institute in Hollywood, CA to take a tour of its facilities. Started in 1977, the Musicians Institute is a college focused on educating students interested in music and the music industry.

Huell travels to Orange County to the Starr Ranch Sanctuary. He gets a special tour of the facility and takes a close look at their “Owl Cam.” Starr Ranch Sanctuary is a 4,000 acre preserve owned and operated by the National Audubon Society. It is located in the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains in southeastern Orange County, California, approximately 60 miles southeast of Los Angeles.

Stan's Corner Doughnut Shop of Westwood, Calif. has been baking the world's most gourmet donuts for almost 40 years. From a cinnamon chocolate cheese danish to a Reese's peanut butter pocket with fresh banana, Stan's offers pastries you won't find anywhere else in the world. Huell spends the morning doing "research" at this Los Angeles landmark.

Huell visits the iconic Crossroads of the World on Sunset Boulevard. With its beautiful globe-topped tower, Los Angeles' first outdoor shopping mall was originally designed as an international shopping center. Now used as office space, this is one L.A. gem that's still alive and well. As a bonus, Huell spends the last 10 minutes of the show learning about the history of the "landscaped" billboards.

Huell has produced thousands of shows, and there have been many fan favorites. One of the all-time greats has to be the old "Videolog" episode "Rubel's Castle."

Michael Rubel took Huell on a grand tour of his handmade home and charmed us all. Rubel has since passed away, and the castle is now managed by the Glendora Historical Society with the help of Rubel's nephew, Scott. Huell gets a new tour of this iconic location.

Huell looks at two little known downtown attractions: the Grier Musser Museum and the San Antonio Winery, the last remaining winery in downtown Los Angeles.

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 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.

Huell's hot adventure begins in downtown Los Angeles' Grand Central Market, where we discover some of the spiciest peppers and chili sauces around. But you won't find anything hotter than Moe Newaz's backyard variety of ghost peppers and devil's tongue peppers in Santa Clarita. We also learn about the Scoville Heat Scale, developed in 1912 by chemist Wilbur Scoville, which has become the standard for measuring spicy food.

Huell visits the Salvation Army for a lesson in donut history, which begins on the battlefields of World War I. Then it’s off to Stan’s Donuts in Westwood, where Stan cooks up his “peanut butter pockets,” a high-calorie confection which has been officially renamed “The Huell”.

Huell gets a first rate tour of the historic train station, Union Station, and learns about its history.

In this 1995 flashback episode, Huell visits the oldest restaurant in Hollywood, and talks with longtime employees and patrons about what makes this landmark such a special place. Musso & Frank opened in 1919 and is named after original owners Joseph Musso and Frank Toulet.

Huell spends a day with the Commanding Officer and crew of the USS Antietam, a 567 foot Navy Cruiser, while they train off the coast of Southern California.

Huell gets a behind-the-scenes tour of this historic lot, where many Hollywood classics were filmed.

Huell treks to Mammoth Lakes with the Dept. of Water and Power to look at the immense snow pack and how it relates to Southern California’s water supply.

Huell takes a tour of some of L.A.’s most beautiful fountains. Marlene Gordon of The Next Stage Tours shows Huell five of the most spectacular.

Huell ran into a very nice lady in a camera store who told him how much she enjoyed riding the Metrolink every day and invited him to come along. Huell and Luis ride from Montclair to L.A. and meet some wonderful people along the way. 

You’ve seen the giant windmills alongside the road to Palm Springs. Well now you can learn all about them with Huell as he gets a special “Wind Farm Tour” in an electric cart. This is a great place to learn about one of mankind’s earliest forms of energy.

Put on your leather jacket and strap on your helmet for a two-wheeled adventure that's sure to get your heart racing. Huell goes on a weekend ride with the Harley Girls on their Harley Davidson motorcycles. They later stop for lunch, where Huell meets some other interesting weekend rebels.

Huell embarks on an early morning adventure, talking to some of the hundreds of people who hike to the top of Mt. Hollywood every day for their physical and mental well-being.