California's Gold Season 22

Huell’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.

Join 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.

Huell 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.

Huell visits a lumbermill… or is it a working museum? Join Huell, the founders great-grandson and a cast of characters at this historic place.

Huell travels to Chico to join the celebration of the arrival of thousands of waterfowl that come from the north to spend their winters in the temperate North Valley climate. Snow Geese, Tundra Swans, Sandhill Cranes, Pintail Ducks and many more, fill the rice fields and wildlife refuges throughout the area. The Snow Goose Festival has grown to be one of the major Birding and Wildlife events in the state of California and you’ll be amazed at the shear beauty of this spectacle.

Join Huell on his quest to find some really old wood. The first stop is up in Knights Ferry to see the longest covered bridge West of the Mississippi. Then Huell goes even further back in time and walks us through the petrified forest by Calistoga, CA.

Huell visits two historic flagpoles. The first was (at one time) the tallest flagpole in the world, but it’s located in Calipatria, which sits 184 feet below sea level. So with its 184 foot pole, the Calipatria flag flies just at sea level. Then on to Livermore where the flagpole has an even stranger history… it’s being carved into various wooden chotchkies including smaller flags!

Spend the day with Huell at Angel’s Stadium as he meets up with the good folks at West Coast Turf and learns all about the grass that they install at venues all over California.

Huell travels to Orange County to the Starr Ranch Sanctuary. He gets a special tour of the facility and takes a close look at their “Owl Cam” which is amazing. Starr Ranch Sanctuary is a 4,000 acre preserve owned and operated by the National Audubon Society. It is located in the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains in southeastern Orange County, California, approximately 60 miles southeast of Los Angeles.

Huell visits two California restaurants that are great examples of “California’s Gold”. Foster’s Freeze has been a tradition since 1946 when George Foster opened his first store and the company now owns over 90 locations and has become a California favorite. Founded by the five Havadijas brothers, the first Farmer Boys restaurant opened its doors in Perris, California in 1981. Their generous portions and farm-fresh food quickly gained a loyal following and at last count there were 68 Farmer Boys restaurants at locations all over Southern and Central California and in Nevada.

Huell goes in search of the crookedest street in the world. A small section of Vermont Street in the Potrero Hill section of San Francisco is just miles away from the more famous Lombard Street. Which street is crookeder? Huell grabs a gang of experts and finally solves this mystery.

Huell tours the Vincent Price Art Museum, which opened in May 2011 at East Los Angeles College in Monterey Park. The museum contains 9,000 items, many of which were donated by the late actor. Victoria Price leads the tour of her father’s vast collection of fine art and shows why this gallery is one of Los Angeles’s best kept secrets. We also look back at Huell’s original 1989 ‘Videolog’ interview with Vincent Price himself.

Huell goes in search of the history of one of the most iconic symbols in the world: the Oscar. The gleaming gold statuette that is handed out each year at the Academy Awards has become the pinnacle of Hollywood success. The sculptor George Stanley was handed a napkin with a rough drawing and given the job of creating the “Oscar”. Another iconic Stanley statue is the “Muse”, which graces the entrance of the world famous Hollywood Bowl. Huell pays tribute to this artist whose work is such an important part of our states history.