When Huell Howser—best known locally for hosting, producing, and writing California’s Gold on PBS—toured Oso Flaco Lake and the Guadalupe Dunes, I doubt he could have predicted his journey would be recreated by dozens each year, celebrating in his name.
The Dunes Center in Guadalupe celebrates the fourth annual Huell Howser Walk this year on Feb. 11 in the morning, and follows the footsteps Howser took when he first visited the area in 2003 for an episode of California’s Gold. That visit was far from Howser’s last visit there though, Dunes Center Executive Director Doug Jenzen told the Sun.
“Howser came to the dunes several times. He had a great relationship with our organization,” Jenzen said.
Jenzen, like many, grew up watching Howser on television with his grandparents. Today, he keeps a letter Howser wrote to the Dunes Center in his office.
The letter was written while Howser was the honorary chair of the Dunes Center’s fundraising committee, Jenzen explained.
“The first line of the letter is: ‘People are the great joys of my job,'” Jenzen said. “That sums him up perfectly for me, he was such a people person—so friendly and accessible. I have lots of nostalgia for him and the show.”
Those familiar with Howser from California’s Gold—or on any of his television specials like Downtown, Roadtrip, Visiting, Our Neighborhoods—can remember his enthusiastic attitude and genuine fascination about every place he visited.
Howser’s signature wide-eyed wonderment and knack for impromptu interviews with bystanders has been a recurring subject of parody in pop culture, most notably through the character “Howell Huser” from The Simpsons, which Howser originally voiced himself.
Howser retired from California’s Gold in 2012, which first started in 1991. The show included more than 400 episodes, making up more than 200 hours of in-depth exploration of small towns and landmarks throughout California. Howser passed away only one year after retiring.
“When he passed away in 2013, we knew we wanted to memorialize him in some way,” Jenzen said. “That’s when the walk was created. About 80 people attended the first one. People came from all over Southern California.”
The Huell Howser Walk begins at the Oso Flaco Lake parking lot. From there, participants walk through Oso Flaco all the way to the beach, where the tour ends. Near the end of Oso Flaco’s wooden boardwalk path, there’s a platform that boasts a grand view of the entire San Luis Bay, from Port San Luis to Mussel Rock, Jenzen said, and attendees are free to explore the area after the tour ends.
Oso Flaco Lake is known as one of the most scenic natural areas along the Central Coast, Jenzen said, and is home to a multitude of plants and wildlife, including mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians.
“I think it will be a really nice walk this year especially because of all the rain we’ve received,” Jenzen said. “Most plants are probably not blooming yet, but they’re definitely growing. It’ll be a lot more green than it has been in years.”
Caleb Wiseblood still watches reruns of California’s Gold. Contact him through Managing Editor Joe Payne at jpayne@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Feb 2-9, 2017.