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Private Notes
Share Huell's first Road Trip to the desert that borders the I-15 east of Barstow. Most people think of it as a desolate stretch of highway, the quickest way to get from L.A. to Las Vegas. But on this Road Trip Huell discovers that if you just slow down and explore a little, its full of colorful and interesting people, places and things. Included in this trip are: Calico Ghost Town, Calico Early Man Archaeological Site, the Barstow train station and Harvey House, the 1st Del Taco, Peggy Sue's '50s Diner, and more.
Join Huell's second Road Trip to Route 126, as he explores the quiet and quaint towns of Piru and Fillmore. Along the way Huell stops by a great roadside produce stand, the Fillmore Fish Hatchery, La Fondita Mexican Restaurant & Bakery, the Fillmore Insectary, and takes a ride through the countryside on the Fillmore & Western Railway Company, just to name a few.
Instead of hitting the open road, Huell takes a more urban Road Trip exploring Figueroa Street in Los Angeles. Huell starts his day with a hearty breakfast at the Pantry, a downtown Los Angeles icon. He moves on to two churches built in breathtaking architectural styles which also have deep roots in the surrounding community. Other stops include Mt. Saint Mary's College, Exposition Park's rose garden and the LA Coliseum. Many families make their home along this interesting roadway, too, and Huell drops in on a few of them. It's a Road Trip to remember.
Join Huell as he tries to get to Tehachapi, only to keep stumbling across many roadside gems like: a movie set built in the middle of the desert, a lake with no water, the Antelope Valley Indian Museum, and the Mojave airport - filled with hundreds of aircraft from all over the world, including a MiG Fighter. Finally, Huell arrives in Tehachapi to visit with Betty Stokoe and her backyard full of railroad signals. This is just a hint of what Huell's in for next -- the world-famous Tehachapi Loop, an amazing stretch of track where trains come through a tunnel and loop back over themselves on this State and National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.
On this adventure Huell heads up north to the Avenue of the Giants to see some of the biggest trees in the world. Besides all the natural beauty Huell sees, he also meets a great bunch of people from all over our state.
Huell travels from Oceanside south to La Jolla on a Road Trip that includes stops at the California Surf Museum, Del Mar Racetrack, Torrey Pines State Reserve and the Birch Aquarium at the Scripps Institute.
After seeing a web site devoted to all the great cultural and historic sites to see along the original Route 66 in the Newberry Springs area, Huell prints out the map and hops in his car - eager to start his next ROAD TRIP. He doesn't find the Buffalo Ranch, Big Al's Pistachio Plant, or the Ostrich Farm he was looking for, but Huell does meet a group of warm, interesting and generous Newberry Springs locals. And, after spending a day there, Huell discovers firsthand that the beauty and strength of a town, any town, is not in the number of its attractions or tourist stops, but in the friendliness and character of the people who call it home. As always, you're invited to come along for the ride... it's gonna be a great trip!
State Highway 154 is one of the most beautiful stretches of highway in California. The locals know it as the San Marcos Pass Road, and it’s a 32-mile section of highway from Santa Barbara to Highway 101 north of Los Olivos, that winds through the Los Padres National Forest, the Santa Ynez Valley and past Lake Cachuma. It’s a historic road as well, part of it following an original stagecoach route.
All of this combined — its beauty and its history — were good enough reasons for it to be recently declared one of the most scenic highways in the entire country. On this Road Trip you’ll see the scenery, meet the people and feel the charm of the small communities that make this such a special part of California.
From the coast to the county seat, Huell drives across Orange County on his latest Road Trip. He learns about conservation efforts at the Bolsa Chica Wetlands and why Huntington Beach is called "Surf City, U.S.A." Heading inland, he discovers a vibrant, Latino community in Santa Ana as he strolls along Fourth Street visiting markets, clothing stores and restaurants.
Described as “the ultimate Sunday drive destination,” Huell Howser’s latest Road Trip takes him to the rustic town of Julian, in northern San Diego County. Settled as a gold mining town in 1869, Julian didn't disappear once the mines were depleted. The residents planted apple orchards, and apples remain the backbone of the local economy. Join Huell as he hears the rich history of the area, and samples Julian’s famous apple pies.
Join Huell as he takes a walk on his newest Road Trip in Riverside. From the world famous Mission Inn to a few little known spots, this Road Trip has got it all.
Bakersfield is Huell’s next Road Trip where he samples Basque food, visits a Tule Elk reserve and tours country music legend Buck Owen’s Crystal Palace.
It's a little bit of Denmark right here in California! Join PBS host Huell Howser as he travels to Solvang on a Road Trip.
This adventure includes tasting some homemade aebleskivers and kringles, visiting the world-famous red shoe, touring the ElverhÃj Museum and stopping by the authentic Bethania Lutheran Church.
In this new Road Trip, Huell Howser gets more than his feet wet as he visits artists honored by the Metropolitian Water District for their creative depictions of water in public spaces. Stops include: Blue Line Oasis in Compton, Water Conservation Garden in El Cajon, Wall Gazing Gallery in Fullerton, and Music Center Fountain in Los Angeles.
Huell travels to California's beautiful Central Coast as he visits picturesque Port San Luis lighthouse, travels to the beach community of Cayucos and ends up in the artist community of Harmony (population 18).
Huell Howser travels to the City of Cotati in Sonoma County and takes in the festivities at the 12th annual Cotati Accordion Festival, Johhny Otis' radio show and Luther Burbank's garden.
Join Huell as he travels to the village of Bodega Bay, located just 68 miles north of San Francisco. The sights are breathtaking with low coastal bluffs and slender sandy beaches. Huell then heads inland to the tiny town with the same name, Bodega. He learns about the history of both locations, which includes the filming of Alfred Hitchcock's unforgettable film "The Birds."
Join Huell as he visits Placerville, founded after the highly publicized discovery of gold in 1848 in the tailrace section at Sutter’s Mill in Coloma, only 10 miles away. The resulting migration of thousands of fortune-seekers established Placerville as an important supply center for the surrounding mining camps.
Join Huell Howser as he travels to Auburn, one of California’s earliest mining towns founded in 1848 and situated in the heart of the Gold Country.
Travel to Mariposa County, home to a rich mining history. Stops include California's oldest Courthouse (1854), and the colorful mining town of Coulterville.
Half Moon Bay rests on the Pacific Coast between forested hills and some of the most beautiful coastlines that California has to offer, and is located approximately 25 miles south of San Francisco. Join Huell as he visits this charming community.
Completed in 1915, the Ridge Route was carved from the San Gabriel Mountains by workers using mule-drawn dirt scrapers. From ridge top to ridge top, they cleared a 20 foot-wide roadway which was the first direct route between Los Angeles and Bakersfield, uniting Northern and Southern California. Today, a 30-mile portion of the abandoned Ridge Route between Castaic and Gorman, can be found hidden in the mountains just east of Interstate 5 which long ago replaced it.
Huell is joined by Harrison Scott, a retired Pacific Bell engineer, who, with the help of U.S. Forest Service archaeologists, was largely responsible for landing part of this engineering marvel on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. Together, they recreate a journey along the Ridge Route, complete with Model Ts and stops at the remnants of the inns, cafes and service stations that once marked its many twists and curves.
Join Huell as he spends a few days discovering the many wonderful things to do in the Southern California mountain town of Big Bear. We’ll visit the Big Bear Discovery Center and take a canoe trip on the lake. Huell travels to Butler Peak Lookout Tower for a magnificent view of the San Bernardino Mountains. We’ll visit the Moonridge Animal Park to see a family of grizzly bears and lots of other animals and we’ll stop in the Big Bear Historical Museum to learn about the towns fascinating history. These and many other stops along the way are sure to entice you to visit this wonderful area.
Huell travels to Gilroy for their 25th Annual Garlic Festival where he samples garlic ice cream, garlic kettle corn, roasted garlic and other mouth-watering garlic delicacies.
Huell travels to Willits in Mendocino County to learn about the famous racehorse’s California legacy. The trip includes a tour of his home at the Ridgewood Ranch and a special Seabiscuit exhibit at the Mendocino County Museum.
Join Huell in Mendocino County where he visits Vichy Springs, the Grace Hudson Museum and the City of 10,000 Buddahs.
Huell journeys to Volcano, one of the Mother Lode's most picturesque towns. Located in Amador County, some say it's named for its setting in a bowl-shaped valley, which early miners thought was caused by a volcano.
Join Huell in Eureka, in the heart of California's rugged North Coast where he enjoys natural beauty, a colorful history and lavish Victorian architecture.
Huell begins his journey to the far reaches of California as he locates the exact Northwest corner of our state and visits nearby attractions.
Huell continues his journey to the far reaches of California as he locates the exact Northeast corner of our state and visits nearby attractions.
Includes a visit to the only incorporated city in Modoc County, Alturas. Huell visits a blacksmith, a beautiful old hotel, a museum, and a Basque restaurant. The next morning Huell gets more adventure than he expected when he gets lost whilst in search of the Northeast corner.
Huell continues his journey to the far reaches of California as he locates the exact Southeast corner of our state and visits nearby attractions.
Find out where Huell sets his California flag this time, as he boats out onto Lake Tahoe and finds another corner of California. Along the way he makes stops at Camp Richardson, the Tallac Historic Site, The Red Hut Cafe and learns about the mission of The League to Save Lake Tahoe.
Huell finishes his journey to the far reaches of California as he locates the exact Southwest corner of our state and visits nearby attractions.
Huell travels to the beautiful coastal community of Encinitas in San Diego County.
It's apple season and Huell is off to Oak Glen, 60 miles east of Los Angeles, to take part in a popular fall tradition.
Huell's off to the Central Coast with a road trip to popular Paso Robles complete with wine tasting.
Huell attends the city of Taft's 95th anniversary, a celebration filled with food, parades, dances and many other activities. It's a tribute to the families which make up the community, as well as its rich oil history.
Go way down deep inside an old Titan Missile site, see a huge airplane graveyard, the Pima Air and Space Museum and the historic San Xavier del Bac Mission on this road trip to Tucson.
Huell visits Bidwell Mansion, The Orient Flume Glass Studio, the Sierra Nevada Brewery and the National Yo-Yo Museum on this road trip to Chico.
Huell discovers the wonders of the historic City of Orange on this new Road Trip.
Huell travels to the City of Orange in Orange County to learn about the rich history of this wonderful all American small town. The city historian, Phil Brigandi is Huell's tour guide for the day and they start the adventure in the Plaza to learn about the "circle" in orange and visit one of the many antique shops which line the town center.
We'll visit Watson's Drugstore which has been serving milkshakes and filling prescriptions since 1899 and the Orange County Badminton Club which is the largest badminton facility in the Western Hemisphere which also houses a printing business and Thai restaurant. We'll also visit Pitcher Park, which has several small museums on site and the last remaining packing plant in Orange County, Prime Produce. Huell also visits The Friendly Center, which offers programs and services for the economically less fortunate, which opened its doors in as an outreach to the migrant farm workers in Orange's thriving citrus industry. This small town is a real hidden gem.
In our first Road Trip ever shot exclusively on a UC campus, Huell spends the day at UC Davis. All of the stops we make are open to the public as well as the students. Huell learns all about the famous bicycle culture of Davis at the Bike Barn, gets up close and personal with some bugs at the Bohart Museum of Entomology and visits the beautiful UC Davis Arboretum. We enjoy a meal at the Segundo Dining Commons and a cup of coffee at the Coffeehouse, which is believed to be the largest student-run restaurant in the nation. Next it’s off to the Department of Animal Science Horse Barn which has been around since 1910. We’ll visit Native American studies department C.N. Gorman Museum and the California Raptor Center. Huell gets around on the Student-run Unitrans which provides public transportation service to the entire city with over 40 buses on 15 routes, carrying over 3 million passengers a year.
Huell travels to the port town of Stockton. We start our adventure on a river cruise to learn about the rich maritime and agricultural history of this busy port. The next morning we fuel up at local hangout, Chuck’s Hamburgers and then it’s off to the Haggin Museum. Huell hops on the trolley and gets off the beautiful Bob Hope Theater, which has been lovingly restored to its original 1920’s glory. Next we visit the historic Hotel Stockton and the Sing Lee Laundry exhibit in the lobby which commemorates all that the Chinese have done over the years to make California what it is today. Huell has lunch in the aptly named Hole in the Wall restaurant and then visits the Pixie Woods, which has been delighting the children of Stockton for over fifty years. Our adventure takes us to the Stockton Wetlands, which are great example of a man made area that has flourished and is a major nature reserve in the middle of a bustling city. We end our trip at the Cambodian Buddhist Temple, which has some amazing statues and is a major meeting place for Buddhists form all over the Central Valley.
Huell travels to the northernmost reaches of our state in search of the mythical "State of Jefferson."
There have been many attempts at forming a new state comprised of northern California and southern Oregon, but none has gained so much attention and retained it as the secession movement of 1941.
"State of Jefferson Proclamation of Independence
You are now entering Jefferson, the 49th State of the Union.
Jefferson is now in patriotic rebellion against the States of California and Oregon.
This State has seceded from California and Oregon this Thursday, November 27, 1941.
Patriotic Jeffersonians intend to secede each Thursday until further notice.
For the next hundred miles as you drive along Highway 99, you are traveling parallel to the greatest copper belt in the far West, seventy-five miles west of here.
The United States government needs this vital mineral. But gross neglect by California and Oregon deprives us of necessary roads to bring out the copper ore.
If you don't believe this, drive down the Klamath River Highway and see for yourself. Take your chains, shovel and dynamite.
Until California and Oregon build a road into the copper country, Jefferson, as a defense minded state, will be forced to rebel each Thursday and act as a separate State."
Lodi is known as the "Zinfandel Capital of the World" and not only has a wonderful “wine” community, but is filled with all sorts of things for visitors to enjoy. Huell visits the Lodi Wine & Visitor Center, to get the lay of the land and then its off to Michael~David Vineyards to see how this 5th generation family run business works. Huell then travels to Micke Grove Park, which has everything from a zoo to a Japanese tea garden. There is a tour of the historic downtown district and a visit to the very first A&W Root beer in the nation. We end our visit with a trip to see the annual return of the Cranes to Lodi. These majestic birds come back every year and are a real treat to behold.
Huell spends a day in Orange County for a tour of historic San Juan Capistrano. We begin at the town’s Mission for an up-close look at the
largest stone structure west of the Mississippi: The Great Stone Church, as well as the building’s magnificent gardens and gold-leaf altar.
Next, it’s off to Los Rios Street, the oldest residential street in California. Los Rios is a place where its people both “live and work,” and every home is on the historic register. Huell enjoys lunch with the Rios family, who have occupied a 1794 adobe house for 10 generations and counting! We take a tour of Zoomar’s Petting Zoo, a family-friendly stop that acknowledges the town’s ranch history, and finally end up at the town’s historical society, the O’Neill Museum.
Hanford is a town that loves its history and knows how to show it off. Huell starts his adventure in the main town square that has a beautiful vintage carousel that is popular with tourists and locals alike. Then he’s off on a fire truck tour of downtown, to breakfast at Star Restaurant, coffee at Art Works, ice cream at Superior Dairy, a visit to the Fox Theatre, Carnegie Museum and Church of the Saviour and all of this on the first day! On day two, Huell is joined by Camille Wing from the Taoist Temple Preservation Society to give a tour of Hanford's historic China Alley and the Clark Center For Japanese Art & Culture. This adventure is full of wonderful history and friendly locals.
Huell visits Mission San Antonio, built in 1771, and William Randolph Hearst’s 1931 Hacienda Ranch House designed by architect Julia Morgan, among other places. Fort Hunter Liggett is a huge military facility of over 150,000 acres on a remote part of our state’s central coast.
On this desert adventure, Huell visits the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and the community of Borrego Springs. The Park is the largest state park in California, with five hundred miles of dirt roads, 12 wilderness areas and miles of hiking trails. It's one of the most beautiful places on earth. Huell then gets to know the locals in town and visits some wonderful businesses. He samples some goodies at the Fudge Factory and checks out some very unique art at Liesel’s Art Studio and has lunch at an unlikely French bistro, the French Corner. We finish our visit with the amazing sculptures of Ricardo Breceda who makes creatures from the past come alive with metal and a welding torch.
Join Huell and step back in time as he takes a Road Trip to Ferndale - an entire town that officially holds the distinction of being California Historic Landmark #883!
Among the many stops Huell sees some of the beautiful Victorian architecture, gets some refreshment at the westernmost bar in the continental USA, visits a historic pharmacy, a Gingerbread Mansion and meets all the wonderful people who live in the community.
After the Road Trip is over stay tuned for a bonus visit to Clendenen's Cider Works in Fortuna - home to some of the best fresh squeezed apple cider in the state!
Join Huell at this old fashioned roadside attraction that features a 'gravity house' where water flows uphill, a mini train ride through the ancient forest, the largest freestanding redwood chainsaw carving in the world, and the redwood shoehouse! But its not just fun and games, this spot has some pioneering history as well!
UPDATE: Since Huell's visit Confusion Hill has been officially named a "California State point of historic interest"... Check it out for yourself.
Huell tours the Fresno County Fruit Trail, an 80-mile stretch of orchards as well as the top pitted-fruit producing area of the world. The Fruit Trail is a great spot to sample locally-grown nectarines, apricots, peaches, and plums. Huell even stops by a gallery where local artists have shown their appreciation for the region's agricultural beauty.
Next Huell stops in the nearby town of Sanger and vsitis the Miller House -- an 1898 old-growth redwood home now restored into the beautiful Blossom Trail B&B. Then at the Sanger Depot Museum, Huell learns about the 62-mile Kings River Flume, an astounding feat of engineering which supported the area's lumbering operations.
Huell is on the trail... the Orchid Trail that is!!! Located on California's central and southern coasts which became a Mecca for orchid hobbyists in the early part of the 20th century. Wealthy families who established estates to enjoy the Mediterranean-like climate of coastal California sought the services of renowned horticulturists and landscape architects to establish their lavish orchid filled gardens.
Huell travels to the historic Gold Rush town of Jamestown in Tuolumne County. This beautiful town is known for it’s amazing buildings, including the National Hotel, which has been lovingly restored to its 1800s charm. Huell also visits Railtown 1897 State Historic Park, which is home to one of America’s last intact, still-operating railroad roundhouses.
Huell travels to Trinity County to the small historic town of Weaverville. He visits the beautiful downtown including a Taoist temple built in 1874, which is now the Joss House State Historic Park and the Highland Art Center. He’ll also stop by the Jake Jackson Memorial Museum, the Weaverville Community Forest and even get in some river rafting on the local Trinity River. Of course, there is always a stop at a local eatery, the La Grange Cafe.
Travel with Huell to Gold Country on this very historic road trip. Most people assume “gold country” is all mining tours and gold panning, but Huell finds lots of hidden gold! We visit Moaning Caverns, which are big enough to fit the Statue of Liberty, a historic pipe organ, and a wonderful museum in Angels Camp and a giant gold nugget housed in a winery. There’s also a very important Mark Twain connection, a very historic hotel in Murphy’s and a stop at the Calaveras Jumping Frog Jubilee. We’ll even meet a historic jackass named Mollie.
Huell heads for the hustle and bustle of Las Vegas to find some of the “hidden” gold in this historic town. From the Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park to the Atomic Testing Museum, there’s a lot to see and do.
