Readers Share Their Favorite Huell Howser Memories

Informative, funny and iconic are some the words people are using to describe television host Huell Howser, who passed away Monday morning.

Patch asked Los Angeles-area readers on Facebook to share their favorite public landmark profiled on his public television shows and their memories of him. Below are some their responses. 

Have your own Huell Howser memories and thoughts to share? Post them in the comment section.

Culver City

William Eichenberger - He went up into the Vets Park tower and talked about how it was built so fans could watch them film movies at MGM.

Mary McGrath - This is so sad....I loved his folksy charm. I was suspicious when I heard about his "retirement" and now I know why ...

Sherman Oaks

Craig Au - in a town of few "local" celebrities, Huell Howser was one of L.A.'s best...his show, California Gold, was fun, funny, interesting, campy, factful and always entertaining...even if the subject was a tad dry, Huell, with his "golly gee" attitude and his"gun show" wrapped in a Polo shirt arms, always made it worth watching...and even when he interviewed the oddest people, he NEVER made fun of them...my own personal moment with Huell, standing at a mini-mall on La Brea and Franklin during the L.A. riots, chasing away looters while having a conversation for nearly an hour about how it tore him up to see "his" town this way...R.I.P. Mr. Howser.

Arcadia

Nan Kemker - For almost two decades my family watched the documentaries of Mr. Huell Howser. He rated right up there with Disney. Our whole family watched him. The California missions were always my favorite. But all his shows were good. I NEVER saw a bad show...never. We will miss his travels and his unique way of talking so calm and relaxed. He came to one of the retirement homes in Azusa, CA one year and we got to see him in person. He's the only STAR I have seen that looked and acted exactly the same on TV and in person. Just an amazing man!!

Julie Harris - To be more specific... Huell Howser was the creator and host of a very iconic documentary show called " CALIFORNIA GOLD"! He traveled all of California to seek out our treasures that made California RICH in history! GOD BLESS YOU SIR! He loved our California and brought so much information to the public about California that otherwise we may never have known! He highlighted and brought recognition to founders, to rebels, to historians, creators, discoveries, landmarks, trend setters, people who paved the way for pioneers who built California! He had a great idea for a great way to bring the History Great and Small to all if us Californians. PBS was the station that you would have seen "CALIFORNIA GOLD" with HUELL HOWSER! A truly great man! I personally love and remember him meeting with Leo and Cleo STATERS!!! He met with other's too that had started company's in California! Taco Lita, Taco Bell! He also did a show on the professor at Riverside Community College that was in charge of agriculture and responsible for all the Orange Trees and Orange Groves in the San Bernardino County and Riverside County! I just can't remember his name. God bless him. But, he was a customer that came threw my store in Riverside every day on his way to work.

Palos Verdes

Ellen November - His visit to the orchid nurseries in Santa Barbara. His genuine enthusiasm for everything!

Scott Bergonzi - i moved to the south bay a few years ago & caught him on KCET, a fan from the first episode i saw. i've learned bunches about CA from those videologs, enjoying some spots (even picking up some egg nog with his picture on the bottle this past holiday). i find it interesting whenever i mention his name to "locals", so few know who he is....a classic in bringing enthusiasm to CA history.

Willemina Diana Alvarez - I loved Huell Howser...I remember an episode that I started watching the middle of and I knew exactly where he was...Alondra Park! I practically lived there in the 50's and 60's (when I wasn't at the beach) I'm a native Californian and learned alot about our state from watching Huell~I miss miss him :(

Charles R. Eldred Jr. - I'm a transplant. His reports made me feel like a local. He was truly" *.*

West Hollywood

Suzanne Lewis - So sad. An all around great guy and California icon. Rest in Peace Huell Howser. You will be missed

South Pasadena

Johns Especial Ng - "that's amaaazing"

John A. Frye - Phillipe's downtown Los Angeles, was probably the first place I discovered by watching his show. Been there many many times since.

Santa Monica

Dorsey Roe - This is so sad.

Al Loren Stone - LA Riots, a camera crew cruising down Hollywood Blvd. came upon a Huell Howser walking up and down the street carrying a baseball bat. He was just keeping the peace. Amazing.

Eddie Wolf - Lost Treasure.

Brentwood

Laurel Ray - I was so saddened by this news, Huell's enthusiasm was contagious, even about the smallest things. His programs were unlike any other and he will be missed.

Redondo Beach

Jeremy Hutchings - We've lost an icon today. He will be missed by all he has touched during his broadcasting career.

Jim Kitchen - how did he pass?...sad..

Montrose-La Crescenta

Dale Frey - He was a great guy and really a legend in the field of making people and everyday news be appreciated....he will not be every replaced as he was a classic and true california gold!!!!

Jenna Kane Harkins - I grew up watching California's Gold and my favorite was the episode he did on the wisteria vine in Sierra Madre in the 80's. I thought it was great to see something on TV that featured the town I grew up in and lived in for 23 years! Many funny memories of always trying to impersonate him and his voice! Sad loss for our state.

Kendor Nishio - I too grew up watching him. There was a point in time were I did not miss a single episode. To this day my favorite season is when he did the california missions. It inspired me to write my first report.

Katie Emery - I loved his In & Out show -it was the first one I showed to my son and now he always orders off the secret menu!

Monrovia

Alma de Hoyos - His special on the U.S.S. Midway and the U.S.S. Hornet was amazing. That was the reason my honey and I were in San Francisco.

Marina Del Rey

Marge McDowell - Wow...that's a shock. I just watched the two-part story he did 20 years on Moscow. It's hard to pick just one local story, he did so many.

Manhattan Beach

Jennifer Shepard Camacho - As a former fourth grade teacher, his California Gold videos were a great extension to our CA history lessons. They always enriched our curriculum.

Margo Thole - I was always impressed that people weren't awkward or camera shy upon having his microphone thrust in their faces. He could call any bystander to the camera and immediately they were disarmed. he brought out the best in everyone.

Glendora

Debra June Dickson - My husband met him a few years ago. They talked for 10 mins. The way he was on Calif. Gold is the real man he was. We will miss him.

Laura Bryant Alexander - I know a lot of people have already mentioned this, but his enthusiasm for EVERYTHING was so infectious! I loved how he found something fascinating about each thing that he was shown as he toured the state.

Melons R Sweet - I will remember his very distinctive voice. I always loved to watch his adventures through California. I really learned a lot of California history from his shows. May he R.I.P.

Beverly Hills

David Louis Burstein - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wQ5frcmMJk Obviously, the lint lady!

Maureen Elizabeth - He interviewed my sister in law at Dodger Stadium at the first game after 9-11. That was my favorite memory of him.

North Hollywood-Toluca Lake

Joanna Massie Stein - The show on In-N-Out was my most favorite of all time.

David Park - The show where he was exploring a silver mine. The docent said to not touch the walls but it was too late. He looked back at the camera, showed his messy hand then wiped it off on the back of her windbreaker. Also, my brother and I got a kick out of him being a top of CA's tallest bridge. He asked everybody who passed by if they knew they were crossing the tallest bridge. He was so excited! R.I.P.

Cyndie Tee - The show where he was in my hometown of Colton and he was at El Rancho restaurant.

Nereida Ojedas - THE SHOW WHERE HE WAS I BELEIVE IN los angeles sports arena in a lowrider show..lol and the one with broguieres milk farm...alot of hiepisodes were fantastic!

Dalida Ohanian - My favorite was when he showcased http://www.nethercuttcollection.org/ I had no idea such a place existed in town. We went there shortly after and the place is gorgeous.

Kelly Supple - The Folsom Dam episode that just aired this weekend. I grew up in the San Fernando Valley, but move to Folsom, CA a few years ago. He brought a local landmark, near my new home, to life for me. So sorry to hear of his passing.

Encino-Tarzana

Staci Terrace Goldfarb - So many great shows, I watch all the time with my kids!

La Cañada-Flintridge

Ted Jordan - Huell Howser was great. He will be missed. I loved the time they showed him climbing Half Dome at Yosemite.

Venice

Kristine Wendt - he did a great piece on the Circus Trees. It was really a great profile of an inventive man and I didn't know that many of them were transplanted around the state!

Calabasas

Kimberly Ex-Hill - Angels flight!

Malibu

Deb Norton - I loved all his episodes....what was so unique about him was his passion ans excitement about life....When he spoke about something you could see the life energy radiate around him....he was a person who was about living in the now and he will be greatly missed...