Sure, 2016 might have been the literal worst, but that doesn't mean we can't close it out in style. And by style, we obviously mean the folksy, impassioned, California boosterism embodied by the one and only late, great television host Huell Howser.
KCET announced Thursday that the public television station will be hosting a special, TEN-HOUR Huell marathon on New Year's Eve, featuring 15 back-to-back viewer favorite episodes from the last five years of Huell Howser’s iconic series California Gold, Road Trip With Huell Howser, and Visiting With Huell Howser.
Howser, who passed away in 2013 after three decades on public television, was a true California evangelist—the awe-shucks poet laureate of the strange and ordinary culturally diverse history of the place we call home. According to KCET, the special will feature some of the best episodes and viewer’s favorites from Huell’s series over the past five years, featuring signature spots all over California.
Thank you, KCET, for realizing that we all need joy in times of darkness, and knowing how to fill that Huell Howser-sized hole in our hearts. If you are still searching for ways to restore a smidgen of your faith in humanity, we wholeheartedly recommend spending a few hours watching Howser gush about California. There is nothing else quite like it, or him.
Here's a breakdown of the whole marathon:
ROAD TRIP WITH HUELL HOWSER “Solvang” - Sat., Dec. 31 at 10 a.m. PT:
Huell takes a road trip to Solvang, an adventure that includes tasting homemade aebleskivers, visiting the world-famous red shoe and stopping by the authentic Bethania Lutheran Church.
ROAD TRIP WITH HUELL HOWSER “Ridge Route” - Sat., Dec. 31 at 11 a.m. PT:
Huell takes a trip along a 30-mile portion of the abandoned Ridge Route, north of Castaic.
CALIFORNIA’S GOLD “Devil’s Postpile” - Sat., Dec. 31 at 12 p.m. PT:
Huell tours Devil’s Postpile towering 60 feet over the San Joaquin River and looking like a huge cathedral pipe organ built entirely of stone.
CALIFORNIA’S GOLD “Trestle” - Sat., Dec. 31 at 12:30 p.m. PT:
Huell visits the Goat Canyon Trestle built in 1932 and interviews some of the original workers who built the Trestle located on the most treacherous countryside in the US.
CALIFORNIA’S GOLD “Cape Mendocino Lighthouse” - Sat., Dec. 31 at 1 p.m. PT:
Join Huell as he travels to the western-most point in California in search of the Cape Mendocino Lighthouse.
VISITING WITH HUELL HOWSER “Moorten Boanical Garden” - Sat., Dec. 31 at 1:30 p.m. PT:
Moorten Botanical Garden and Cactarium is a historic landmark that first opened its doors in 1938 featuring a desert environment with tours, wildlife and a nursery.
CALIFORNIA’S GOLD “Springtime In Death Valley” - Sat., Dec. 31 at 2 p.m. PT:
Huell goes kayaking on Ancient Lake Manly at Badwater, a lake that only reappears about every 100 years.
CALIFORNIA’S GOLD “Aircraft Carriers” - Sat., Dec. 31 at 3 p.m. PT:
Huell visits two aircraft carriers that are now museums in the waters of California -- USS Midway (used in Desert Storm) and USS Hornet (used in World War II and Apollo II).
CALIFORNIA’S GOLD “Hollywood Sign” - Sat., Dec. 31 at 4 p.m. PT:
Huell visits the iconic Hollywood sign and gets special permission to climb to the top.
VISITING WITH HUELL HOWSER “Joshua Tree Special” - Sat., Dec. 31 at 5 p.m. PT:
Huell sees the world’s tallest, oldest and most peculiar-looking Joshua Trees.
CALIFORNIA’S GOLD “Glacier” - Sat., Dec. 31 at 6 p.m. PT:
Join Huell as he hikes high up in the Eastern Sierra to visit the Conness Glacier in a stunning part of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range.
CALIFORNIA’S GOLD “Golden Gate Bridge” - Sat., Dec. 31 at 6:30 p.m. PT:
California’s most recognized landmark takes center stage in an episode which focuses on its history-including rare footage of its contraction - its beauty and the maintenance work that goes on daily.
CALIFORNIA’S GOLD “Hearst Ranch” - Sat., Dec. 31 at 7 p.m. PT:
The Hearst Ranch is made up of 80,000 acres of cattle ranch surrounding Hearst Castle. Follow Huell to the original Hearst Ranch where he gets a tour and history lesson on the ranch.
CALIFORNIA’S GOLD “Mt. Wilson” - Sat., Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. PT:
Huell spends the day at Mount Wilson Observatory, which now hosts several of the most technologically advanced facilities in the world and is home to the 100-inch Hooker telescope.
CALIFORNIA’S GOLD “Half Dome” - Sat., Dec. 31 at 9 p.m. PT:
Huell climbs Yosemite’s formidable Half Dome, a 17-mile round trip trek, along with other avid hikers, to conquer this 4800-foot high landmark.
Related: Amaaazin'! Where To Stream Free Episodes Of Huell Howser's TV Show 'California's Gold'
