William S. Hart Park and Museum

What do a brilliant field of marigolds, an ostrich farm, thousands of cacti and a two-story outhouse have in common? The answer is that they are all accidental discoveries made by producer/host Huell Howser as he traveled the state in search of California's Gold. "As we drive down the highways of our state we're always seeing things that surprise and amaze us," says Huell. "This entire episode is made up of people, places and things we came across quite by accident as we were heading for a planned shooting location."

Sacramento has a unique feature that many residents are unaware of: a city underneath a city. Huell Howser goes below the city of Sacramento to explore the remaining historic sidewalks, doorways and building relics that were all part of the original downtown area before flooding moved the entire city upstairs one level. Huell gets a special tour of this restricted and mysterious area.

It's a "California's Gold" Classic. Huell celebrates the beginning of the California Gold Rush at Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park.

Huell learns about another success story in conservation when he tours the Audubon Center at Debs Park, an urban oasis in Los Angeles. A cutting-edge environmental education center and ecological monitoring program is housed within nearly 300 acres of city park, which contains walnut-oak woodland, grassland and coastal sage scrub, a remnant of the native habitats that once rimmed the Los Angeles Basin.

Our Golden State is full of many of unique things, and those of you who have been to San Francisco have noticed huge ponds filled with water that ranges in color from deep red to light pink. We decided that we just had to get to the bottom of this California mystery. When we finally arrived at the "ponds" we found one of California's most unique agricultures. Salt and brine shrimp are what are responsible for our crimson ponds. 300,000 tons of salt a year to be exact. Salt has been harvested from these ponds since the Gold Rush and has been a very important part of our states history.

Carpinteria State Beach is just twelve miles south of Santa Barbara and is a great family destination that offers a mile of beach for swimming, surfing, fishing, tidepool exploring and camping. Huell learns about all of this, plus how Carpinteria got its name and the role that naturally-occurring tar played in its history. 

Before it was dammed in the early 1900s, John Muir called it more beautiful than Yosemite Valley itself. And now, in a one-hour special, Huell travels to this historic and spectacular place to document its past and talk about its future.

 

Jutting out into the Pacific Ocean from the spectacular Big Sur Coast, the Point Sur Lightstation stands as a silent sentinel to a bygone era. Point Sur, a National Historic Landmark, is the only complete turn-of-the-century lightstation open the public in California. From 1889 until 1974, families lived and worked in the buildings atop Pt. Sur. The families are gone but the unique stone lighthouse still guides ships with its light. Many ships perished on the rocks off Pt.

Huell begins a week-long salute to Catalina Island with a visit to their beautiful botanical garden.

Huell travels to the Eastern Sierra's in search of a good place to have a soak. Hot Creek Geological Site is nestled in the Inyo National Forest close to the town of Mammoth Lakes. We take a ride out to the site with Debbie Nelson who is a Recreation Specialist for the forest. Huell gets a first hand look at this beautiful spot with water boiling up from the ground which mixes with the cool water of Hot Creek and makes for some very nice swimming. We'll even meet some die-hard soakers who come from all over California to enjoy the therapeutic water.

Huell travels to Eureka and the Civil War military post, Fort Humboldt. Ulysses S. Grant served there briefly in 1854. The details of his tenure, along with other important historical facts can be experienced at this state historic park set on a grassy bluff overlooking Humboldt Bay.

A 1916 brochure called the town of Petaluma "The largest poultry center in the world" and up until the sixties, Petaluma was a major player in the world of chickens. In 1915, Petaluma shipped 11,681,134 dozen eggs. Huell travels to Petaluma to attend the annual Butter and Egg Days celebration, which ran from 1916 to 1928 and was brought back in the early eighties. Petaluma pulls out all the stops in this wonderful small town gathering.

Clear Lake is located at the base of fabled Mt. Konocti and is California's largest natural lake. Much of the terrain around the 4,200 foot Mt. Konocti was formed by lava flows and folding of the earth's crust. The lake has a rich history; evidence of human habitation dates back at least ten thousand years. More than 120,000 visitors each year enjoy picnicking, boating, camping and nature walks.

Huell spends the day with biologists who live on the Farallon Islands — known as California's Galapagos — found 27 miles off the coast of San Francisco. These wild and remote islands are rich with not only flora and fauna, but human history as well.

 

 

 

 

 

Founded along with the State of California itself, the California State Library houses precious artifacts from California's infancy. Huell gets a private tour of this rare collection which includes California's first newspaper, mirror images of the gold country from the 1850s, a 17th Century map of California and John Marshall's own hand-drawn map and sketch of gold discovery.

Would you believe the Zamboni was invented right here in sunny Southern California? Huell learns about the machines that clean the ice at ice rinks and professional hockey events around the world. Huell joins up with the son of the inventor, and visits the factory where it all started. Then he tops off the day with a trip to the Anaheim Pond, home of the Mighty Ducks to see the Zamboni in action.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Join Huell on this ancient adventure as he explores The Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum in San Jose. Architecturally inspired by the Temple of Amon at Karnak, it houses the largest collection of Egyptian artifacts on exhibit in the western United States -- including objects from pre-dynastic times through Egypt's early Christian era. Fascinated by the ancient culture, Dr. H. Spencer Lewis, began collecting Egyptian, Assyrian, and Babylonian artifacts over 65 years ago.

Huell visits renowned actress Helena Modjeska's historic house and gardens. Modjeska, who's still considered Poland's most famous actress, created the beautiful Orange County residence in 1876. Named for the grounds' resemblance to the Forest of Arden in the Shakespearean play "As You Like It," Arden is designated a National Historic Landmark. Coincidentally, Modjeska specialized in Shakespearean roles.

 

 

 

 

 

Huell takes an inspirational voyage upon Franklin D. Roosevelt's Presidential Yacht, the U.S.S. Potomac. Now stationed at Jack London Square in Oakland, the ship is operated by a staff of volunteers and is now open for public tours.

 

Join Huell as he hops over to the Pasadena home of Candace Frazee and Steve Lubanski, who have turned their house into The Bunny Museum. The space is filled with over 21,000 rabbit collectibles: furniture, light fixtures, kitchenware, toiletries, books, and games. The icing on the cake? There are seven real (litter box-trained) bunnies lounging around their house.

Founded in December of 1904 by George Ellery Hale, Mount Wilson Observatory quickly rose to dominate astronomy worldwide. The Observatory hosts several of the most technologically advanced facilities in the world and is home to the 100-inch Hooker telescope. In this one-hour special, Huell spends the day at this magnificent location that's not only historic, but plays an important role in California's scientific research.

Huell revisits The French Garden in downtown Los Angeles, but this time, he brings along two very special lunch dates: Hollywood legends Ann Rutherford and Anne Jeffreys.

UPDATE: After 15 years in business, the restaurant closed its doors on May 24, 2013.

Ann Rutherford passed away on June 11, 2012. KCET re-aired "The Two Anns" on June 27 with a newly recorded introduction in which Huell remembers his late friend.

Huell watches two California carpenters at work.

In 1945, J. Paul Getty acquired his Malibu retreat which now includes a Romanesque gallery full of priceless art. Huell also tours the propety's historically-accurate Ancient Roman crop garden.

Huell visits the Mission Tiki Drive-In movie theater and learns about its unique history.

Huell travels to Chico to join the celebration of the arrival of thousands of waterfowl that come from the north to spend their winters in the temperate North Valley climate. Snow Geese, Tundra Swans, Sandhill Cranes, Pintail Ducks and many more, fill the rice fields and wildlife refuges throughout the area. The Snow Goose Festival has grown to be one of the major Birding and Wildlife events in the state of California and you'll be amazed at the shear beauty of this spectacle.

Join Huell as he gets a special tour from Bill Mann, a.k.a. “Short Fuse” and learns about the Lucerne Valley’s rich mining history.

Huell gets a special tour of a California icon: the Catalina Casino. It has been the focal point of Santa Catalina since it opened over eighty years ago on May 29, 1929. Completely restored just a few years ago, the ballroom retains its original romantic style -- with beautiful rose-hued walls, an arching, fifty-foot ceiling and five Tiffany chandeliers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Huell heads to Whittier and comes across company that specializes in Polynesian decor. Carved wood tikis, thatch umbrellas, and bamboo fencing, which look as though they've come straight from the South Pacific, are just a few of the items they have on hand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

Huell has the adventure of a lifetime, skydiving with the world-famous U.S. Army Golden Knights.

 

 

 

 

 

Huell's off to Yosemite National Park where he walks the newly rehabilitated trails to the base of Yosemite Falls, the highest waterfall in North America.

 

Huell visits the Upper Newport Bay to see what is being done to keep this area green for everyone to enjoy.

 

Huell sets off from where the Sacramento and American River meet on a bike ride along the beautiful 23-mile American River Parkway. 

Huell visits a massive archeological site with millions of fossils dating from the Miocene Epoch, 15 million years ago. Kern County was once at the bottom of a huge sea filled with massive prehistoric sharks called megladons which were as big as city busses and fed on whales. Sharktooth Hill is literally covered with fossilized shark teeth. Huell also visits the Buena Vista Museum, which houses amazing archeological finds recovered from Sharktooth Hill.

The Hearst Ranch began with the first purchase of land by George Hearst in 1865 and is the largest privately owned working cattle ranch on the California coast. Now, through a historic conservation plan, at least 18 miles of coastline including close to 1,500 acres will be available for use by all Californians.

Huell hears about the future of the ranch, and how all Californians will be able to enjoy its scenic vistas and learn about this critical wildlife habitat.