California's Gold
Season 20
TV-G
Huell Howser travels around California looking for interesting stories about the state's rich history, cultural diversity, landmarks, natural wonders, amazing people and points of interest, especially lesser known and out-of-the-way places.
Where to Watch California's Gold • Season 20
17 Episodes
- Land SailingE1
Land SailingHuell travels to the Mojave Desert’s El Mirage Dry Lake, one of the world’s best spots for land sailors. Land Sailing is a sport in which a wheeled vehicle powered by wind moves across land with the aide of a sail. Huell explores the history of this unique tradition and even gets the opportunity to ride a sofa through the desert! - Lopez-Hill HouseE3
Lopez-Hill HouseJ.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. - Coit TowerE5
Coit TowerCoit Tower was built on top of Telegraph Hill in 1933 at the bequest of Lillie Hitchcock Coit to beautify the City of San Francisco; Lillie bequeathed one-third of her estate to the City of San Francisco "to be expended in an appropriate manner for the purpose of adding to the beauty of the city which I have always loved." Huell spends the day exploring all aspects of this San Francisco landmark, including the beautiful murals that adorn the lobby with the descendants of one of the original artists. - Headwaters Forest ReserveE6
Headwaters Forest ReserveJoin Huell as he gets a tour of this historic and controversial piece of land... all 7,500 acres of it! Located way up north by the town of Eureka, Huell sees some of the rusting remnants of Falk, an old logging town, and walks among 1,000 year old growth Redwoods, and learns about the other flora and fauna that make this spot such a great piece of California's Gold! - Catalina CasinoE7
Catalina CasinoHuell gets 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. - Elvis HouseE8
Elvis HouseHuell visits the Presley Estate in Palm Springs and get a tour of one of only five homes in the world actually owned by Elvis Presley -- and was his "get-a-way spot" from 1970 until he died in 1977. Today it has new owners who respect its past history and are lovingly preserving it for future generations to visit and enjoy. It is a rare peek inside the 5100 sq. ft. mansion that is called Graceland West! - Mt. WilsonE9
Mt. WilsonFounded 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. - Masumoto Family FarmE10
Masumoto Family FarmHuell travels to Central California to visit the 80 acre Masumoto Family Farm. Huell's host is David "Mas" Masumoto and his family who have a deep connection to the land. Mas is an award winning author of such books as "Epitaph for a Peach" and "Wisdom of the Last Farmer, Harvesting Legacies from the Land." - Cape Mendocino LighthouseE11
Cape Mendocino LighthouseJoin Huell as he travels to the western-most point in California in search of the Cape Mendocino Lighthouse which was activated in 1868 and finally abandoned in the 1970's. After over 20 years of neglect a group of locals banded together to move the light house to Shelter Cove and restore the lighthouse to its former glory. Huell also stops at the entrance to the Humboldt County Fairgrounds where a full-sized replica of the lighthouse actually houses the original fresnel lens. - La GrangeE12
La GrangeHuell travels to the small town of La Grange to see an amazing part of our states history. The Tuolumne Gold Dredge sits abandoned right of the highway and is an incredible site. Huell and some local historians visit the dredge and the now virtual ghost town that was once home to the many workers that kept this behemoth running around the clock in search of gold. - Music VideoE13
Music VideoHuell's television first!!! Will it be a hit or will dogs be howling all over our viewing area? Will Huell be the next recording star to come out of Nashville? Well, after his visit to the Musicians Institute (Visiting episode #1805), Huell was so inspired that he grabbed the mic and recorded his own version of "California, Here I Come" accompanied by the students who also produced the rock video. - Oil WorkersE15
Oil WorkersJoin Huell as he travels to the town of Taft to celebrate it’s 100 years as an incorporated city with a celebration called Oildorado Days that takes everyone back to a time when rugged pioneers carved out a bustling community in the middle of one of the world’s most productive oil fields. There is everything from an oil field skills contest, queen pageant, melodrama and a petroleum industry trade show. We cap off the adventure with a dedication of a huge bronze statue of an oil worker that is sure to become a focal point of this historic town. - Michael AdamsE16
Michael AdamsHuell travels north to the Yosemite Valley to meet up with Michael Adams. Michael is the son of Ansel Adams, arguably our countries most famous photographer. They travel through the valley and learn about why this place was so important to Ansel. Huell gets some very personal insight into the mind of Ansel and also learns about the family’s early history in Yosemite. The backdrop to this adventure is as good as it gets. - Lunar LandingE17
Lunar LandingHuell travels to Edwards, California to visit Dryden Flight Research Center, which is NASA's primary center for atmospheric flight research and operations. Before man could walk on the moon, they had to land safely and the Lunar Lander needed a lot of fine-tuning. Huell meets up with some of the men who spent many hours working on and flying that amazing craft in preparation for the first moon landing.