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Private Notes
You’ve probably used this word at some point in your life and never knew that it was actually a town in California. Timbuctoo was once a bustling gold rush town named after that far away place in Africa. There’s not much left, but Huell pays a visit to Timbuctoo, which is now privately owned. Next it’s off to Smartsville, that due to a post office mandate had to lose the “S” and became Smartville. The good citizens never gave up calling it Smartsville and took their case all the way to the federal government, who finally agreed to give them back their “S.”
Join Huell on an adventure to two places he's been wanting to visit for years! First up is a stop along Highway 395 in the town to Lee Vining to see the Upside Down House. Built by Nellie Bly O’Bryan and inspired by children's books, it is considered Mono County's first man-made tourist attraction. Huell gets a tour from some of the locals who lovingly restored it after many years of decay. Next is a stop at the Livermore Fire Department to see the 107 (and counting) year old lightbulb. Learn how and why this bulb has been burning nonstop for over 100 years. You can even see it yourself on the webcam.
There are roughly 250,000 Hmong people living in the United States. The Hmong are an Asian ethnic group from the mountainous regions of Southeast Asia. Many ended up in the fertile areas in and around Fresno County, where their love of farming and vast knowledge has served them well. Huell visits two farms that are growing some of the most interesting and unusual produce in California. From a small family farm to the largest Hmong farm in the county, it’s a wonderful day.
Join Huell as he hikes high up in the Eastern Sierra to visit the Conness Glacier in a stunning part of the Inyo National Forest.
There is a reason that those old lighthouses could send a beam of light for many miles out to see. Most lighthouses used a Fresnel lens, which looks like a beehive made of glass. These lenses are works of art and the one that graced the tower at Point Fermin Lighthouse is no exception. In this adventure, Huell learns the history of the lens, which was removed from Point Fermin and changed hands many times. This story has a happy ending, as the lens comes home to Point Fermin once and for all.
Imagine sitting by the lake on a hot day and watching as a car drives into the water and motors away. Well that's just what piqued Huell's interest. Terry Tates parents bought their Amphibious Car in the early 60s and have passed it on to Terry. Huell goes to Lake Castaic and gets the ride of his life.
Huell tours the gardens of the world-famous Hearst Castle on our state’s central coast.
Huell sails aboard the state’s official tall ship, the Californian to see just how hard it was for our early settlers to get here. He also enjoys some sea shanties.
Huell visits two replicas of the Golden Gate Bridge: the walkway to the Point Bonita Lighthouse, and the Guy West Footbridge at Cal State University Sacramento.
Huell has the adventure of a lifetime, skydiving with the world-famous U.S. Army Golden Knights.
Huell goes straight to the TOP! Finished in 1874, California’s Capitol Building is a stunning neoclassical gem. With all great buildings of this size, there are lots of steps. Some steps are very obvious, like the set that leads up to the front entrance, but this building has lots of “step” stories and even a few that are very scary to climb.
Huell gets a behind the scenes tour and takes the “swim of a lifetime” in the Neptune Pool at Hearst Castle which is arguably one of the most spectacular pools in the world and the highlight of any tour. It is fed by mountain water and is surrounded by ancient Roman style columns and statues. Designed by architect Julia Morgan, the Neptune Pool was started in 1924 and was finally completed after several redesigns and re-buildings in 1936.
Situated 30 miles east of Indio, this popular stop for travelers and truckers who want to gas up, get a home cooked meal or browse for nic nacs is celebrating its 75th anniversary. Huell spends the day with the people who live and work in this desert outpost as they enjoy this milestone.
Huell visits with Larry and Donna Charpied at their 10-acre jojoba farm located in the Eagle Mountain/Desert Center of Eastern Riverside County, in the shadow of Joshua Tree National Park Wilderness. Huell learns about the many uses for this desert wonder plant.
J.J. Lopez, the longtime manager of the Tejon Ranch who helped shape Kern County's history, built his Victorian-style home in Bakersfield in 1909. In the 1960s, the home was occupied by Arlin and Lavern Hill, who migrated from Oklahoma after the devastating effects of the Dust Bowl. Now, this long-overlooked California landmark has finally been renovated and preserved thanks to local fundraising efforts. Huell meets the descendants of the Lopez and Hill families, who share their story of how their house was moved to its permanent location at the Kern County Museum in Bakersfield.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Barack 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? Huell gets the presidential tour of Occidental College in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles, where Obama spent his freshman and sophomore years. Huell visits Obama's dorm room with a former classmate, talks to some of his old professors, and learns how his two years at Oxy helped to shape him.
Join popular PBS Host Huell Howser for this very special 1 hour look at the world famous Hollywood Sign. Huell gets special permission from The Hollywood Sign Trust to actually climb up to and even on the sign. While perched on this landmark Huell learns the full history from 1923 till now form the people who work so hard to preserve this icon.Then he is joined by Raiden Peterson who was part of the construction crew that literally rebuilt the sign in 1978. Raiden not only brings great memories and stories but an incredible bunch of artifacts that he found when working on the sign... including a lightbulb that still works!Finally Huell talks to a few pranksters, one of whom was part of a group that changed the sign to read CAL TECH, and another is the infamous RAFFEYSOD. As always you're invited to come on along as we learn how they did it!
The small town of Wasco in Kern County is famous for it’s roses. There’s nothing like acres and acres of rose bushes to stimulate the eyes and your nose. Huell gets a behind the scenes tour of how rose bushes are harvested, packaged and shipped to nurseries and home centers all over the country. He’ll also hook up with a couple of town historians who show him the rest of Wasco and teach him about the town’s rich history.
California has a rich maritime history and has been at the forefront of naval warfare since the beginning. In this special one-hour adventure, Huell visits two aircraft carriers that are now museums in the waters of California. First it’s off to San Diego to visit the USS Midway, which has steamed through a 47-year career of service. Imagine a carrier that was commissioned in 1945 and served as a flagship in Desert Storm in 1991. No other carrier served as long as the USS Midway. She opened in 2004 as a naval aviation museum and is now the pride of San Diego’s waterfront. Next it’s off to Alameda to visit the carrier USS Hornet that is a national treasure, having participated in two of the greatest events of the 20th century -- World War II and the Apollo 11 manned space mission. This floating museum even has the Airstream trailer that the Apollo astronauts lived in for three days after returning to earth!
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.
Huell’s been driving through the Delta area for 20 years and finally decided to take a cruise aboard the Tule Queen to explore the enchanting and diverse environment of the Sacramento - San Joaquin Delta by boat. We’ll learn about the rich natural and human history of this important region and see some amazing sights. The Delta is truly a hidden gem and a boat tour is a great way to see it all.
In the first half of this program, Huell traveled to the Eastern Sierras with the DWP to visit Owens Lake to see their efforts to minimize the dust problem that has plagued the surrounding communities for many years.
Five years later, we go back to the same areas and see just how far along the project has come and we’ll also look at how the Owens River has been restored and brought back as a viable river.
Join popular PBS host Huell Howser as he revisits Mono Lake, and sees how it has changed in the 15 years since he was first there.We'll learn all about the tufa towers, the many migratory birds, as well as the efforts of the dedicated people who have worked so hard to restore and keep Mono Lake the amazing place that it is!
The seaside community of Laguna is one our states most beautiful destinations. On this adventure, Huell gets to see the Laguna that the locals know and love. Huell starts the day with a famous date shake at the Orange Inn and then it’s off to the Laguna Art Museum to learn about why so many artists have flocked to Laguna since the very beginning. We’ll visit the Pacific Marine Mammal Center to see how they rescue and return sea mammals to the wild. Huell enjoyed a drink at Las Brisas Mexican Restaurant and explored the tide pools as well. We’ll also learn about Laguna’s amazing natural beauty at the Nix Nature Center. Huell ends up in the most beautiful lifeguard station in California and gets the history of Laguna’s lifeguards.
