Park Videos

Huell Howser: A Great Friend of State Parks

Image of Huell HowserOn January 7, we learned of the death of Huell Howser, the down-home television host of the Public Broadcasting Show "California’s Golden State Parks."

To say the least, Huell had a unique style, described in one news story as "folksy."

Huell's approach to storytelling made us all smile and laugh a little. But while grinning at his walking, talking and pointing antics, in his dark glasses, brightly colored shirts and Bermuda shorts, we all learned more about our California park system. He was teasing us into wanting to visit those places. And if we did plan a visit, it just might have been because Huell said, "This is just an amaa-zing place and you-all ought to see this!!" He used the distinct pronunciation of that word – “amaa-zing” --- enough that it pretty much became his word for the wonders of our park system all across that State.

California State Parks entered into an agreement with Huell to do that series back in April 2002. As I recall, it was his idea to do such a series, and we eagerly embraced it right from the start. How many programs did he do on our parks? I lost count a few years ago, but you can find them all on our web site and we invite you enjoy the stories, and then do as Huell was urging, plan a visit.

Yes, we shall all miss Huell. He used his unique style and creativity to place his own mark on the interesting and wondrous all across California. We are sure the reruns of his programs will be seen over and over again, and that’s as it should be. He brought our "amaa-zing" places to life and we thank him for it.

Huell Howser Videos