Wrigley Botanical Gardens

During the tense years from 1953 to 1979, the United States Army built and operated a total of 280 Nike missile-firing batteries in the United States. These missile sites were placed as the last line of defense against Soviet bombers. Today, a dedicated group of volunteers works in partnership with the Golden Gate National Recreation Area on the continuous task of restoration at site SF-88, which has been turned into a museum.

Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park is a 14,000 acre sanctuary of old growth coast redwoods, which offers hiking, nature study, wildlife viewing, beach combing, picnicking, a visitor center with exhibits and a nature store. Join Huell as he hikes to Fern Canyon, one of this state park's most enchanting locations.

First up in our new series is Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Established in 1902, it's actually California's oldest State Park and is celebrating its centennial this year. Home to the largest continuous stand of Coast Redwoods south of San Francisco, as well as numerous waterfalls, abundant wildlife, and incredible scenery - this is a trip you will not want to miss.

Huell learns about the last Governor of Mexican California by visiting Pio Pico State Historic Park. The park is the site of "El Ranchito," the final home of Pio Pico.

Huell Howser travels to Sutter's Fort State Historic Park in midtown Sacramento. The Park marks the 1839 settlement that would become our state's capital, and play a major role in California history when gold was discovered nearby in 1848.

Huell's off to Henry W. Coe State Park located about 25 miles south of San Jose. It's their annual Tarantula Fest where there will be more than 20 varieties of tarantulas on display, nature walks to search for tarantulas, not to mention live music and Get-Your-Picture-Taken-With-A-Tarantula!

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.

Huell visits Temescal Gateway Park in Pacific Palisades which was a major center of the Chautauqua Movement in the 1920s and '30s.

Located east of San Diego and encompassing 25,000 acres, Cuyamaca Rancho State Park was devastated by the wildfires in October 2003. Join Huell on a somber visit to the park as he learns about plans to help these wildlands recover quickly and prevent future damage to this fragile landscape.

A visit to Alum Rock Park in San Jose.

In this adventure, Huell visits the California Coastal National Monument which runs the entire length of the California coast (1,100 miles) between Oregon and Mexico, extends 12 nautical miles from the shoreline, and encompasses thousands of BLM administered islands, rocks, exposed reefs, and pinnacles above mean high tide. Cooperatively managed with other federal, state, local government, universities, and private interests, the primary purpose of the Monument is to protect important biological and geological values.

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.