All Episodes 1991 - 2017

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A biography of Huell Howser For 15 years, the series California's Gold has offered a one-of-a-kind tour of the Golden State, spiriting viewers off to major attractions, as well as destinations off the beaten path. Each journey offers a chance to meet fellow Californians - to share in their lives and see this state in a new light. How did a reporter from Tennessee become the Golden State's best-loved chronicler? Looking back at fifteen wonderful years of California's Gold, Huell recounts the history and evolution of the program and relives series highlights.

Meet the man behind the camera: Luis "Louie" Fuerte. Host Val Zavala offers probing questions in between reminders of how donations can continue to support content on KCET. Also includes three California's Gold episodes: Big Things in the Desert; L.A. Adventures; and Golden Gate Bridge.

Huell interviews women entrepreneurs and business owners around Los Angeles after the LA riots in 1992.

There are literally countless success stories in our state’s public education system and in this one-hour special, Huell visits four schools where all the elements for success – parents, teachers, students, administrators and the community – have come together to really make a difference. From one-room school houses to inner-city high schools, we get a chance to see California’s future gold in the making.

It's a tradition as old as our State, yet it has taken on many forms over the last 145 years-the inauguration of our State's Governor. Huell spends time with California's 36th governor, Pete Wilson, as he works on his inaugural speech and discusses the importance of the events surrounding his swearing in. Huell also gets a chance to visit with several past Governors and their families, to get a sense of the rich tradition of inaugural celebrations from years past.

It's like stepping back in time. A glimpse of what life was like in California during the 1920s, 30s and 40s. And this look back is made even more fascinating because it is from the Japanese-American perspective through the medium of home movies! In this special one-hour edition of "California's Gold," host Huell Howser visits with Karen Ishizuka, the senior curator of the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles for a first-hand look at these remarkable movies. Karen is responsible for gathering these movies together from all over California -- seldom seen movies that document in a simple, yet profound way the everyday lives of Japanese Americans. Also included in this program is a poignant 40-minute film entitled: "Something Strong Within," made entirely of home movies shot inside the internment camps that Japanese Americans were forced into during World War II. What these movies from the camps reveal in their elegant, un-narrated silence, is a proud people struggling to main

In this one hour special, Huell visits the private home of Frank Sinatra in Rancho Mirage. Rarely open to the public, Huell gets a personal tour of Frank Sinatra’s Palm Springs private house. Huell’s guide is Frankie Randall, a life-long friend of the Sinatras. He played this song: “Can’t Believe That It’s All Over”. The tour includes the gardens, the train room, the caboose and other areas that have never been seen by the public. Huell also visits Desert Memorial Park Cemetery in Cathedral City, where the Sinatra Family rests.

Huell pays tribute to the 152nd anniversary of the discovery of gold in California. He travels to historic Sutter’s Mill in Sacramento from Southern California’s historic Placerita. He speaks with California State Librarian, Jerry Reynold, at the Natural History Museum about the history and discovery of gold. Also, shown is the video “California’s Golden Beginning”, which featured former California Governor Earl Warren. A reenactment of the discovery of gold is performed at Sutter’s Mill in Coloma, California.

In 1937 an amazing 3 day event took place to celebrate the opening of a new road from Lone Pine to Death Valley. Starting with a gourd full of water taken from the highest lake in the U.S. on the side of Mt. Whitney, the gourd is taken to the lowest lake in the US – Bad Water in Death Valley. Using all modes of important California transportation (Native American runner, Pony Express, miner & burro, 20 mule team, stagecoach, train, car, and plane) with many famous participants, the water is finally poured in, thus consummating the wedding. Join Huell 60 years later as they recreate this amazing event, with many descendants, a few people who were there the first time, tons of vintage photos, and films on this incredible piece of California’s Gold.

In this holiday special, Huell visits two Los Angeles-area families who faithfully create elaborate nacimientos, or nativity scenes, which are a focal point of many Mexican American homes during the Christmas season. Huell learns about the tradition and how it began in California. Nacimientos translates to “birth of baby Jesus.”

A one-hour special about Quartzsite, Arizona, “America’s Largest Parking Lot” and home to gem shows, swap meets, and snowbirds. Follow Huell as he learns about the history of Quartzsite directly from its residents, and discovers what makes this unique location such a fun example of California’s Gold. Quartzsite Chamber 1490 Main Event Ln. Quartzsite, AZ 85346 (928) 927-5600 Tyson’s Well Stage Station Museum 161 W. Main St. (928) 927-5229

Huell discovers what it was like to visit Yosemite in the 19th & early 20th centuries. Huell meets up with Park Ranger Jeff Lair, who takes Huell on a tour to learn about the pioneers of Yosemite, the history center, and the historic Wawona Hotel (previously known as Hotel Wawona).

Join Huell and experience a recreation of everyday life in a 19th century Russian community at Fort Ross State Historic Park; sail aboard the state's official tall ship, the Californian, and see for yourself the site where Sir Francis Drake left a plate of brass when he landed on our California shore.

Huell visits the world’s first motel, the Motel Inn in San Luis Obispo; a stop at Pozo’s Saloon, a stagecoach stop, and chat with the last remaining citizen of Moy Mell, where a colony of people called Dunites lived in the sand dunes from the 1920s through the 1940s.

Huell visits the Watts Towers, built by an Italian hand, the Watts Towers have been designated a national landmark, and its adjacent Arts Center where children carry on the artistic tradition and create their own masterpieces. Then travel to the “City by the Bay,” to discover what lies behind their obsession with sourdough bread and watch how the bread is made.

Join Huelll as he takes a trip to the southernmost and northernmost towns of the state: Enjoy a taste of the Horseradish Festival in Tulelake, near the Oregon border, the Horseradish capital of the world; and experience the sights and sounds of Calexico, a town that reflects its rich Mexican heritage.

Huell discovers the colorful history of the Beach Boardwalk, the last remaining oceanside amusement park in the West Coast; he meets the pioneers of surfing and the inventor of the wet suit, and enjoys salt water taffy and other sweet treats at Marini's, a family-run business for over four generations.

Huell’s adventure begins at the La-Brea Tar Pits and continues through a futuristic-looking theme room restaurant at LAX; then find every conceivable food item, from fruit to cactus leaves, at the bustling Grand Central Market in downtown. Next, we locate a buried bridge on the campus of UCLA, and watch a harvesting of grapefruit from a 100-year-old tree in Little Tokyo.

Huell takes a tour of the little, quaint town of Locke, founded and settled by the Chinese on the Sacramento River Delta; then he hears ancient Cahuilla Indian bird songs sung by members of the Cahuilla tribe, and participates in a threshing bee and antique engine show featuring old farm vehicles and machinery.

Join Huell and watch the exciting sport of the charreada or Mexican rodeo at a local Ontario arena; hear the crack of the bat at a baseball game played by the Stockton Ports, the minor-league team believed to have inspired the poem, "Casey at the Bat"; and listen to the sounds of San Francisco's Golden Gate Band, the oldest and only year-round municipal park band performing in the country.

Huell is ready to celebrate train travel at Railfair '91 at the California Railroad Museum in Sacramento, and ride the rails at Railtown State Historic Park in Jamestown in the scenic Mother Lode foothill country.

Huell meets a local artisan in Trinidad Bay who transforms redwood logs into beautiful canoes; then discovers a little-known landmark, the S.S. Palo Alto, a ship made entirely of concrete, docked at the Seacliff Beach pier in Aptos, and sails on the last remaining lightship in a line of floating lighthouses that once marked the entrance to the ship channel leading to San Francisco Bay.

Join Huell and hike to the world's tallest tree in Redwood National Park with a group of fifth graders from a nearby school; admire fields ablaze with golden color of California's official state flower, the Golden Poppy, at the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve in Lancaster; and climb to the top of magnificent Morro Rock for a beautiful view of Morro Bay.

Join Huell and travel to Downieville, nestled high in the Sierra Nevada mountains, where gold miners organized the first ski races in the country; meet the staff on the Mountain Messenger, the state's oldest weekly newspaper; and watch a demonstration of the long, heavy wooden skis worn by the gold miners in the mid-1800s.

Huell recently had the adventure of a lifetime when he climbed Yosemite's formidable Half Dome. Join him in this one-hour special documenting his 17 mile round trip trek, along with other avid hikers, to conquer this 4,800-foot high landmark.

Huell travels to the Boeing plant in Long Beach to check out the production line of C-17 transports.

Shades of California was a statewide project developed by staff at the Los Angeles Public Library. Under their guidance, libraries throughout the state gathered cherished family photos from the public and amassed them in a special California State Library collection. Beyond the importance to family members, these photos have become a resource of great historical and cultural significance, not to mention a popular book. In order to capture the excitement and anticipation shared by families and library staff during the project, Huell joins up with the Shades of California team for a special Photo Day. California families share their photos--and memories--with Huell while he chronicles the important story of Shades of California from its beginning.

Albert Ecke immigrated from Germany to Southern California in 1902 and opened a roadside stall selling fruits and vegetables. By the 1920s his son Paul started selling some of the wild poinsettia plants that grew in the hills above their stall. From these small beginnings, it is now estimated that over 90% of all flowering poinsettias get their start at the Paul Ecke Ranch. Join Huell and Luis as they meet Paul, Paul Jr. & Paul III, who give them a tour of this amazing and brightly colored piece of California's Christmas Gold.

Upland was hard hit by the 2003 wildfires and there is much rebuilding still to come. For the holiday season, this tight-knit community joined together to recreate a brilliantly lit star on a hilltop which shined for many years, but was destroyed by the fires. It is again a sign of hope and renewal for everyone who sees it.

Huell attends an annual holiday concert performed by hundreds of tubas.

The Kings Highway - or El Camino Real has long been a part of California's rich history. From its humble beginnings as a dusty trail, it quickly became California’s first “super highway” connecting all 21 Missions. Join popular PBS host Huell Howser as he learns first hand about the road and its famous bells from author and historian Max Kurillo. Huell also joins up with Cal Trans as they install a new roadside bell, and even recreates a walk with a Padre and burro along an originaldirt section of el Camino Real at La Purisima Mission in Lompoc. All in this hour long special of California’s Gold!

Leave it to our own Huell Howser to think he could go kayaking in Death Valley! But it turns out that's exactly what he does as he travels to normally parched Death Valley National Park to kayak on the huge salt lake created by this year's heavy rains. Ancient Lake Manly at Badwater only reappears about every 100 years, so he figured he better go for it. In addition to the lake, Huell also captures the bounty of endless fields of wildflowers, which covered Death Valley this spring.

He’s a USC icon and is definitely one of the most famous and beloved horses in the world! A beautiful white horse whose story has become the stuff of legends. We’re referring, of course, to Traveler. And in this program we not only see him in action, but spend some time with him during his “off-season” at home. We’ll also learn the rich history behind this horse and meet the people who have loved and cared for him over the years. It’s a heartwarming look at the USC mascot, which has won the hearts of us all.

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.

Special one hour show all about the 270,000 acre Tejon Ranch. Huell sees the diverse beauty of this enormous ranch and and learns about its rich history.

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.

Huell travels to the mountains above Fresno to tour “Big Creek”’ which was America's first large-scale integrated hydroelectric project, begun in 1911. This massive engineering marvel consists of 23 generating units in nine powerhouses with a generating capacity of approximately 1,000 megawatts, and six major reservoirs with a storage capacity of more than 560,000 acre-feet. Not only do we get a behind the scenes tour, we’ll also meet and hear some great stories from a one of the first families that worked at this remote Edison outpost.

This one hour Californias Gold Special is all about the world renowned Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio. Each spring, this annual three day event attracts over 160,000 music lovers from literally all over the world and we were invited to attend last years (2008) festivities for a behind the scenes look at how it all fits together. Boy did we have fun! Not only did we hear some amazing music and see some amazing artists creations we also experienced first hand the positive energy of this festival. This is a first class event in every way its well organized, well run and the people are all first rate. Its definitely a fine example of California's Gold.

Huell goes back and visits with Leonard Knight of Salvation Mountain to see how his mountain is growing and he also travels to take an up close and personal look at "mudpots,” which only occur three places in the US.

Huell spends the day with the biologists who live on the Farallon Islands and learns about this wild and beautiful place which is just a group of islands and rocks found 27 miles off the coast of San Francisco, known as California's Galapagos, they make up the The Farallon National Wildlife Refuge. These wild and remote islands are rich with not only flora and fauna, but human history as well.

Join Huell as he gets a tour of the 80,000 acre Hearst Ranch. He learns about its history and that it is actually still a working ranch... you can even try some Hearst beef!

Huell takes us on an hour-long California's Gold Special which looks at the history of In-N-Out Burger. This is the first time television cameras have ever been allowed to shoot inside a store. And this special also includes an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the In-N-Out Heaquarters in Baldwin Park where it all started back in 1948.

Founded in December 1904 by George Ellery Hale, Mount Wilson Observatory would quickly rise 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 is not only historic, but plays an important role in California’s scientific research.

Huell meets the retired employees of Kaiser Steelworks in Fontana. Built in 1942, the mill supplied steel to the Kaiser Shipyard in Richmond during World War II. Although the company closed in 1983, the memories remain in the Kaiser Steel Museum, where workers donate their artifacts to an ongoing exhibit. Huell also tours the site today, a working plant now called California Steel.

This one hour special takes us from Northrop Grumman where the B2 Stealth Bomber is built, to Edwards Air Force Base to take a look at the B2 close up. Huell and Luis were the first media representatives to be allowed in the cockpit of this top secret plane.

This is a 1 Hour combination of: California's Gold #5005 - JOHN MUIR Huell goes back in time and visits with John Muir at Yosemite National Park. Muir was America's most famous and influential naturalist and conservationist who is often called the father of our National Parks System. In 1892, he founded the Sierra Club to protect the newly created Yosemite National Park. Through his writing and actions, he taught the people of his time, and ours, the importance of experiencing and protecting our natural heritage. AND California's Golden Parks #129 - JOHN MUIR HOME Huell tours the the Victorian residence in Martinez where the naturalist John Muir lived from 1890 to his death in 1914, and meets the special folks who are responsible for preserving this important site. While living there, Muir laid the foundations for the creation of the National Park Service in 1916.

Huell travels to the new Eastside Reservoir, four miles southwest of Hemet. Forced by increasing population and the need to reduce our toll on the Colorado River, the Metropolitan Water District undertook this project to protect us in the event of drought or earthquakes. One of the largest construction projects in American history, the new reservoir will be 4.5 miles long and 2 miles wide, instantly becoming Southern California's largest lake.

In this special one-hour episode of California's Gold, Huell takes a look at the California Aqeuduct. Constructed in the 1930s, the Colorado River Aqueduct is considered one of the greatest engineering projects in the world - bringing water to thirsty Southern Californians across over 200 miles of barren, remote desert. Starting at Lake Havasu, we trace the route the water follows through huge pipes, tunnels, canals and pumping plants. Along the way we meet the men and women who are carrying on the proud MWD tradition of bringing water to Southern California.

In 1990, Huell produced his first-ever half-hour special, which takes us on a driving tour of Kern County. The trip includes gold mines, an exotic feline breeding compound, the town of Boron, and much more.

Huell revisits a 1990 program about some of Los Angeles's unique eateries, some of which no longer exist.

Huell's favorite segments about animals.

Clifton's Cafeteria; beauty salon; Sunset Plaza.

Huell revisits some of his favorite locales.

In this "lost" episode from 1998, Huell explores the history of the home of Charles Lummis and examines its artifacts including Spanish folk songs that have been preserved in wax cylinders followed by a recreation of the wax cylinder recording process with modern musicians.

Come with Huell and pan for gold, sing pioneer songs and eat "bangers" at the annual Bidwell Bar Day celebration at Lake Oroville in Butte County. Also visit the pride of Sonora: “The Red Church,” a picturesque landmark in the center of town; and discover an unusual source of pride at the unique Annual Poison Oak show in Columbia, a restored gold mining town in Tuolumne County.

Join Huell and travel to the sand dunes of El Centro where portions of a wooden plank road, which once stretched from Imperial County to Yuma, Arizona have been preserved; and attend a reunion at Camp Lockett, which brings together members of the last mounted unit in the Army.

Watch Huell as he embarks on a journey to the most dangerous spot on the California coast and find out why it is called "Devil's Jaw"; then visit the jewel of the California missions: La Purisima Mission in Lompoc, now a state historic park.

Huell meets the famous western duo, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, (and Trigger) and hear them sing their trademark song; then he meets Herb Jeffries who starred in black westerns in the late 1930s; and watch the festive 17th Annual Black Cowboy Parade in Oakland.

Join Huell on the Blossom Trail in Fresno County, our state's agricultural heartland; walk through the quaint and historic farming community of Reedley to the Mennonite Quilt Center and watch volunteers make beautiful quilts; savor the Armenian delicacy, keyma, one of the specialties of Uncle Harry's Restaurant, a local landmark; and deal yourself in on the world's longest running pinochle game going on daily at the Camden Cafe.

Huell watches the Bok Kai Parade, California's oldest parade, with its colorful lion dancers, brilliant dragon and noisy firecrackers; then marvels at the world's largest blossoming plant, the Sierra Madre Wisteria Vine; and celebrates the memory of Abraham Lincoln with a march to the Lincoln Memorial Shrine in Redlands, the only shrine west of the Mississippi dedicated to Honest Abe.

Huell takes a look at some beloved buildings such as the Bayliss Branch Library in Glenn County, the only functioning Carnegie Library that is completely rural; the Twenty-nine Palms Old Schoolhouse, the oldest building in the Morongo Valley; and visits the Apple Pan in West Los Angeles, a venerable diner that has been serving hickory burgers-and a slice of tradition-since 1947.

Join Huell and visit Allensworth, now a state historic park, California's only community founded, financed and governed by African Americans during the early 1900s; tour old and new Kernville as area residents recount their experiences; and go whitewater rafting down the wild and scenic Kern River, one of the fastest flowing rivers in the nation.

Join Huell and encounter the endangered kangaroo rat at Carrizo Plain Natural Area, considered the best example of the fragile ecosystem in the San Joaquin Valley; then experience first hand one of nature's unique phenomenon: the grunion run, this one at Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro.

Join Huell if you’ve never been to a real live ghost town? This entire episode explores one of the last remnants of the Wild West, now a state historic park, Bodie is regarded as one of the largest and best preserved examples of an authentic ghost town.

Join Huell for this entire episode devoted to one of America's oldest, strangest and most beautiful lakes. Located in the eastern base of the majestic Sierra Nevada mountains, Mono Lake is famous for its tufa, or curious formations of calcium carbonate.

Join Huell as he takes a look at the history of this Japanese American community in downtown Los Angeles, including the annual Nisei Parade and all its festivities: traditional tea ceremony; Ikebana or flower arranging and bonsai exhibits, plus more.

Join Huell and explore the coastal town of Guadalupe, in Santa Barbara County, where the massive set from Cecil B. De Mille's silent film epic, "The Ten Commandments," is buried; then journey to the Sierra County mining town of Alleghany and descend cavernous tunnels, 2,200 feet below, for an adventure in search of gold.

Join Huell and enjoy one of California's oldest and exciting traditions at the W. K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Center at Cal Poly Pomona where, for over 60 years, monthly horse shows feature beautiful, pure-bred Arabian horses. Then hit the trail and trace the history of the Pony Express riders at the annual Pony Express Re-run in Sacramento as present-day riders re-enact this bit of Old West experience.

Join Huell, sit tight and watch the electrifying Annual Catalina Ski Race, a competition that has been ongoing for over 40 years, where "hot doggers" race in excess of 60 mph from Long Beach to Catalina Island and back; coast along to the serene and little-known San Nicolas Island-one of the Channel Islands off the California coast, a haven for wildlife and a sight for sore eyes.

Huell travels down to where the streets have no name and sees the world's tallest, oldest and one of the most peculiar-looking Joshua Trees in an episode devoted to this remarkable desert plant which has come to symbolize the Mojave Desert; then meet a man, who as a child, lived on a ranch in the seclusion of what is now the Monument.

Join Huell and visit the immaculate and lush grounds of Capitol Park in Sacramento, our state's official front and backyard and find azaleas, huckleberry, 100-year-old cedar trees and a Memorial Grove of trees transplanted from the battlefields of the Civil War to become apart of "California's Gold."

Join Huell and listen to the magic of mariachi music and follow its origins from Jalisco, Mexico to its present-day sounds on the streets of Los Angeles. The world renowned Los Camperos de Nati Cano are featured, as well as the student mariachis of Garfield High School in East Los Angeles, and mariachis on Olvera Street.

California's most recognized landmark takes center stage in an episode which focuses on its history-including rare footage of its construction-its beauty, and the incredible maintenance work that goes on daily to keep this towering structure in mint condition.

Come with Huell as he explores the largest island in San Francisco Bay which is a heavenly sight to behold with its profusion of flora and fauna. But Angel Island also has a varied military history, including the detention of Chinese immigrants from 1910-1940. The episode examines this chapter of the island's past.

Huell goes back in time to learn two fascinating, yet obscure, California footnotes to World War II: a German-made crane which is the largest self-propelled floating crane berthed at Long Beach Naval Shipyard, and an incident involving a Japanese submarine that shelled the oil fields of Ellwood in Santa Barbara County in 1942.

Join Huell and take a sizzling trip to the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County and its many unknown desert destinations, including the tiny town of Amboy (on the side of old Route 66), historic homesteads, immense sand dunes, an extinct volcano and a beautiful, old train depot.

Join Huell on a unique adventure to two of California's rarely seen natural wonders: the Bristlecone Pine, the oldest, continuously living thing on this planet found in the White Mountains of the Eastern Sierra, and magnificent Le Conte Falls deep in the rocky and steep terrain of Yosemite National Park.

Step back in time with Huell to the olden days of making pottery the Gladding McBean way. The 118-year-old company in rural Lincoln, near Sacramento, is the nation's only remaining major manufacturer of terra cotta. From decorative to functional, McBean's terra cotta is acclaimed for its distinctive style which graces landmark buildings in big cities and small towns across our state.

There are literally countless success stories in our state's public education system and in this one hour special Huell visits four schools where all the elements for success-parents, teachers, students, administrators and the community-have come together to really make a difference. From one room school houses to inner-city high schools, we get a chance to see California's future gold in the making.

Huell looks at two historic examples of water under pressure: first at the Malakoff Diggins State Park in the Sierra foothills, where for decades miners used tremendous water cannons to help dissolve mountains in search of precious metals. Today Huell visits a vast man-made valley that remains a testament to the power of this process. Next, Huell visits California's Old Faithful Geyser in Calistoga-one of only three in the world.

Explore Beauty Ranch, once the home of one of California's most famous authors, Jack London. Now the estate is part of the Jack London State Historical Park in the Valley of the Moon in Sonoma. It is at this home that London wrote many of his most famous books, including Call of the Wild, White Fang and The Sea Wolf.

Huell takes a look at two companies that had their roots in California's gold rush. First, Huell looks at the Studebaker Car Co.-originally started as a wheelbarrow manufacturer-and visits the Studebaker Wheelbarrow Races at the El Dorado County Fair, now in their 49th year. Next, Huell tours the original plant of Levi Strauss & Co. in San Francisco and sees one of the first pairs of blue jeans.

Huell soars above our state as we look at the Pigeon Courier Service at Avalon on Catalina Island, once the most expeditious means of communication with the small island. Next, Huell visits the Twentynine Palms Air Academy, created during World War II. Huell goes up in the air with some of the original pilots at this, the largest glider school in the country.

Huell explores two of California's most interesting State Parks: the Providence Mountain State Recreation Area, located in the Eastern Mojave Desert, to see the famous Mitchell Caverns Nature Reserve; and the Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park, in the Sierra Nevadas, where we see a Miwok Indians legacy in a vast rock covered with thousands of grinding pits.

One of Huell’s favorite things is when 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.

Join Huell in the centennial celebration of the arrival of the first steam train to this isolated mid-coastal town. As part of the celebrations, the town's citizens have recreated the events exactly as they happened a century before. Huell passes through the historic tunnels and tressels in a period steam engine as he descends into this festive town.

Huell travels to Santa Barbara Island, one of the eight Channel Islands, to learn about the history and nature of this beautiful place from its only human resident-a ranger. Huell actually walks the perimeter of this island to get a feel for this seldom seen part of the Golden State.

Join Huell and trace the lives of two men whose unique dreams in the early part of the century helped them to create two of our state's most amazing buried treasures. First, we visit the Underground Gardens of Baldasare Forestiere and the incredible labyrinth of tunnels, courtyards and vines. Next, we visit the Burro Schmidt Tunnel, where for 50 years an early pioneer of the Mojave dug a 2,000 foot tunnel through a mountain.

Huell explores one of California's biggest and most beautiful forests... one we never get to see- the incredible kelp forests off our coast. Travel with Huell from Monterey to San Diego to see how kelp grows, how it is harvested and how it finds its way into the common foods we eat.

Huell visits two unique outdoor California theaters with long traditions of their own. First stop is the Spreckles Organ in San Diego, the world's largest outdoor organ. Weekly summer concerts have been an event there since 1915. Then we travel to the Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach, where the unique art form tableaux vivants, or "living pictures," is practiced to amazing effect.

Huell keeps cool on this adventure. Californians have done everything imaginable to keep cool in their blistering deserts. Huell looks at two ways of cooling off: first, in the amazing old "desert submarines" in Indio, then at an honest-to-goodness oasis near Palm Springs.

For a quarter of a century the California Special Olympics have brought together thousands of children and adults with mental retardation for sports training and competition. Huell joins Olympic gold Medalist Rafer Johnson, the long time director of these games, at this very moving Silver Anniversary Special Olympics at UCLA.

Huell learns that many "Okies" fled the Dust Bowl in their jalopies with signs reading "California or Bust." Out of options, they often ended up at the "Weedpatch camp," a federal labor and living camp for migrant workers in Kern County. Huell visits this historic camp, later immortalized in John Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath," and talks with both the "Okies" who grew up there and the Latinos who now call it home.

Huell gets a tour of the largest wooden buildings in the world, the vast blimp hangars at the U.S. Marine Air station at Tustin. He then travels to the Seabee Naval Museum at Port Hueneme and the Marine Base at Camp Pendelton, to get a firsthand look at the history of an honest-to-goodness military institution-the quonset hut.

Huell gets a taste of history as he visits two families who have turned their crops into empires. He visits both the olive orchards in the San Joaquin Valley and processing plant of the Graber family in Ontario, where for a century workers have prepared Graber Olives in almost the same way. Huell then travels to Orange Country to learn how the world- famous Knott's Berry Farm amusement park grew out of one woman's home cooking.

Huell travels to two significant but little-known places in California. First he gets a tour of the fields of Camp Pendelton, near San Diego, where for a period in the mid-1970s thousands of Vietnamese refugees lived in a large tent city-their first stop after fleeing their war torn homeland. Next, Huell visits the Sherman Institute High School, an off-reservation boarding school for Native Americans that has educated students for almost a century.

Huell looks beneath the surface of our state. First he goes to the prehistoric La Brea Tar Pits in the heart of Los Angeles, where dinosaurs and other early denizens of California have been preserved in tar for thousands of years. Next, he visits California's version of Plymouth Rock-the Presidio of San Diego-and watches as an excavation uncovers all sorts of amazing relics from this, the first European settlement in California.

Huell discovers that even though it's thought of as one of the bleakest and most desolate places in the world, Death Valley can be beautiful. Contrary to its name, Death Valley is host to a wide variety of life-from prehistoric pupfish to stunning miniature wildflowers and much more!

Huell travels to Death Valley to learn about Walter Scott... one of the great characters of California history. Huell tours the amazing castle that now bears Scotty's name and walks through the dry desert that Scotty loved so much. Get an intimate portrait of this California original from those who knew and loved him.

Huell travels in search of the geographic center of our state and in the process visits a whole string of towns that lay claim to being "the center of California." With the help of locals and a cartographer from the U.S. Geological Survey, Huell finally locates the exact spot and marks it by planting a state flag. He also checks out the Palm and Pine trees planted on Highway 99 that signify the divide between Northern & Southern California.

Huell finds out how oil made Kern County great, visiting the vast Midway-Sunset Field which is the top oil-producing field in the lower 48 states and the West Kern Oil Museum in Taft, which has one of the last huge wooden derricks in existence. Huell's last stop is the site of the Lakeview Gusher, which at the turn of the century was the largest gusher in the United States.

Huell revisits the California Zephyr, a magnificent train which traveled between Chicago and Oakland from 1949 to 1970. Huell climbs aboard one of the original restored silver "Vista-Dome" cars and travels through some of the most spectacular scenery in the state, heading west from Lake Tahoe. Huell shares the ride with a group of people who worked on and rode the original Zephyr.

Huell tours Folsom Prison, which for well over a century has housed some of our state's toughest characters and gets a rare look inside this landmark prison. He visits Folsom's first death row, the chapel-which contains what has to be one of the most unusual paintings of "The Last Supper," the historic "China Hill," and the seldom-seen prison graveyard, final resting place for generations of prisoners.

Huell visits the historic lumber and railroad town of McCloud, located at the foot of Mt. Shasta, California's second highest mountain. Included in this adventure is a trip on the famous McCloud railroad, a visit to the local swimming hole located in a magnificent natural setting and a tour of the town and its quaint, old buildings.

Visit a place that very few Californians have ever seen: the St. George Reef Lighthouse, eight miles off the coast of Northern California, in Crescent City. Join Huell as he is airlifted to the tiny reef which holds this now-abandoned century old treasure. This one-of-a-kind structure reaches 142 feet in the air and is a "wave washed" lighthouse--meaning that it takes the brunt of the sea from all sides. This adventure is a rare treat.

California has many defining icons, but few sum it all up like swimming pools. In this episode Huell tours five historic pools which have all played an important part in our State's history. Starting in L.A. at the pool at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel painted by famous artist David Hockney and the Olympic pool at the L.A. Coliseum, site of the 1932 Olympic games, Huell travels north to the stunning "Neptune Pool" at Hearst Castle and finishes up at two great lost pools in San Francisco, the Sutro Baths and the Fleishhacker pool. Put on your water wings and jump on in.

From orange groves to freeways, everybody knows about some of the most important and uniquely Californian firsts our state has produced. In this episode Huell looks at three unexpected California firsts that occurred in ways and places people never imagined: the surprising story behind the "real" discovery of gold in California, the unlikely spot of the first oil drilling in California and finally a galvanizing visit to a location where an overlooked innovation in the history of electricity took place.

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

Welcome to Suisun Bay home to one of the strangest fleets of ships you'll ever see, the "Mothball Fleet". Hundreds of ships all chained together, from tub to tanker, from Victory to cruiser, these ships are part of our National Defense Reserve Fleet. Come aboard with Huell as he tours some of these historic ships harking back to our state's - and our nation's naval past.

A shout echos through Yosemite... "Let the Fire fall", and from 1872 to 1969 that's just what happened. Join Huell at the top of Glacier Point with Nic Fiore who was the last to push a pile of burning embers off the edge, creating the beautiful red hot "waterfall" effect know as Firefall. Then down to the bottom at Camp Curry, the best spot to view Firefall, where Huell talks with Keith and Ginny Bee who for 42 years ran the nightly outdoor theater show which led up to the fiery finale of this now lost California tradition.

Searching for some of the neatest houses in California, Huell travels from one of the state's most public houses to the most private. We start out in downtown Sacramento at the former Governor's Mansion (1903-1967), home to 13 of our states first families, where we get a private tour from Kathleen Brown. Next after hiking up over 3,500 feet in the Sierra foothills, Huell arrives at a small wooden cabin built by miners and later inhabited by Irvy Elster a bonafide hermit.

Huell visits a dry lake bed in the Mojave desert that is so hard and so gigantic that it is the site of Edwards Air Force Base and a landing strip for the Space Shuttle. In the 1920's and 30's it was also used by hot-rodders from all over Southern California as a speed trails course for their fast cars. Muroc Dry Lake has remained off-limits since WWII, until recently when the Air Force re-opened the dry lake bed, inviting back all the old-timers for a weekend of racing. Thousands of car enthusiasts showed up for this historic event.

Huell goes in search of two animals found in our state today which aren't supposed to be here. First, he travels to Catalina Island in search of historic buffalo - the descendants of fourteen which were brought over from the mainland for a silent movie shot in 1924. Next, Huell travels to Ft. Tejon State Historic Park between Bakersfield and Los Angeles, in search of camels used during the 1850's by the U.S. Army in hopes of developing improved transportation across the arid west. It was dubbed the "great camel experiment" and was a bizarre chapter in our states history book.

A century ago, it was the hub of Northern California -- a crossroads where over the years you would have encountered gentle Mutsune Indians, hard-working Franciscan padres, fierce outlaws and a host of other fascinating characters. Located just three miles off busy Highway 101 in San Benito County, today the town has somehow managed to maintain the look and feel of "old California." Mission San Juan Bautista dominates the landscape. The largest of the old Spanish mission churches in our state, it sits on a huge grassy area -- the only remaining Spanish plaza in California. Founded in 1787, it is still the functioning parish church in the San Juan Valley. During his stay, Huell is given a tour of the Mission and the State Historic Park which includes numerous grand old buildings surrounding the plaza. He also takes a personal tour of the town given by Leonard Cactano who has spent his entire 72 years there and is one of its leading citizens - and historians. It's a journey into our rich past as we visit a quaint, sleepy little community that is very much part of "California's Gold."

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. Huell visits this remote place on an adventure that reveals not only the Island's natural wonders, but it's continuing rich human history as well. A large part of that history has been written by Al and Russ Vail -- brothers who continue to operate a working cattle ranch on the Island, which was started by their family at the turn of the century. From the bunkhouse to the cookhouse to the cowboys themselves, visiting this old-west ranch is like stepping back in time. During his stay, Huell spends time talking with the cowboys about their lives on the island and is invited to go along on an actual cattle drive, which ends up with the cattle being loaded aboard the only operating cattle boat on the west coast.

It's the oldest Japanese-style garden in the United States. Located in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, the Japanese Tea Garden has been part of that city's landscape for over one hundred years. In this episode of "California's Gold" host Huell Howser strolls through the serene garden enjoying its paths and bridges and flowering cherry trees. Huell also learns of the garden's rich history from descendants of the original Japanese family who at one time lived on and cared for the grounds. Originally created in 1894 for the California Midwinter International Exposition, it was supposed to be removed when the fair ended, but quickly became one of Golden Gate Park's most popular and beautiful attractions. Today, the Japanese Tea Garden endures not only as a legacy to the past, but as a shining piece of "California's Gold."

It was the very first mining community in California, starting up operations in 1845. Before it closed down for good in 1976, it also held the distinction of being the largest, richest mine California has ever known, processing over $700,000,000 in metallic wealth. New Almaden Mine was situated in the Santa Clara Valley near San Jose and in its heyday was bustling with activity with a mix of miners from Mexico to Cornwall. And the surprise is -- this was not a gold mine. It was a quicksilver mine! Quicksilver (mercury) was absolutely essential in hard rock mining because it was used to separate the gold from the rock it was found in. The fact that the New Almaden Mine was already in operation when gold was discovered in our state only quickened the pace of the gold rush itself. Today, the town is a registered National Historic Landmark and the mine itself is on land which is part of a county park. In this episode, Huell Howser visits the town and the mine and learns first hand about the rich history of this little-known but very important bit of "California's Gold."

In this episode of "California's Gold," Huell salutes the railroads by "riding the rails." Catch is, he won't be riding on an actual train! First, Huell attends the annual U.S. National Handcar Races at the California State Railroad Museum in Old Sacramento and watches as teams race against the clock on a stretch of straight track. Riding on custom-made handcars similar to those used by early railroad workers, Huell also gets a look at and a demonstration of some of the original old handcars. Next, he heads north to McCloud near Mount Shasta to attend a weekend outing sponsored by a group of people who restore the motorized "speeders" used by railroad workers for maintenance and track inspection. These "speeders" were the next generation of vehicles after the manually-operated handcars and come in all shapes and sizes. The group, travels by caravan on tracks at speeds up to 30 mph through some of the most beautiful countryside in our state.

California is full of them. They are located in both fresh and salt water. Some are big and some are small. And they're all part of our state's rich geological and human history. We're talking about rocks in the water! And in this episode host Huell Howser visits three of the most fascinating of these rocks. First, Huell travels to scenic Lake Tahoe and boards a boat to Emerald Bay where he climbs all over Fannette Island, the only island in the entire lake. A sparsely-timbered, brush-covered upthrust of granite that rises 150 feet above the turquoise water, this island is believed to be a resistant rib of rock which was overridden by the glacial ice that carved out Emerald Bay. But the payoff comes when Huell reaches the very top of the rock and visits the historic stone "tea house" built in 1928 and hears about its colorful history. Next Huell travels to the very northern coast of California to see first hand some of the most unusual rocks you'll ever see in the water. They're part of the jetty system built to protect ship traffic in and out of Humbolt Bay. These huge, reinforced concrete shapes resembling children's toy jacks, are 15 feet high and 43 tons each, with two eight-sided arms and an eight-sided connecting beam. This unique assemblage of rocks is the only design ever to hold up under the constant pounding of the heavy seas, and Huell not only walks out on the jetty for a close-up look, but is taken out to sea by the U.S. Coast Guard for an exciting view from the ocean side. Huell's final destination is the most unusual because he ends up in the Mojave Desert -- far from any water, fresh or salt -- and what he finds on the desert floor are rocks that you'd never even notice under normal circumstances, but were once under water and, in fact, have a rich human story to tell.