PBS visits the Back Bay

The Back Bay, the Balboa Island Auto Ferry and John Wayne’s old yacht — all major attractions of Newport Beach, and next week, all California’s Gold.

In two episodes of PBS personality Huell Howser’s signature show “California’s Gold,� he tours the trails and educational opportunities of Newport Beach’s Back Bay, as well as exploring the iconic boats of Newport Beach, like the ferry and Wayne’s yacht Wild Goose.

It’s all part of “OC Week,� a special on PBS, which spends from Sunday through Nov. 16 focusing on destinations within this county.

Gary Sherwin, president and chief executive of the Newport Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau, said he had been talking with longtime friend Howser about the possibilities in Newport Beach when the plans spun into a larger series. After that, it was all up to Howser, he said.

“He doesn’t like to talk to spokespeople, he likes to talk to real people,� Sherwin said. “So we set him up, making sure he can get a hotel and all that. Then you let Huell be Huell. He runs and does his unique work.�

In one episode, Howser takes tours of trails and the Back Bay Science Center along with rangers and Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve volunteers; in the other, he takes a detailed trip through Wayne’s old vessel with its present and former captains, as they show him just how much has remained the same inside, as well as looking into the ferry with the help of the family that has run it for decades.

“We were blessed on the days he was shooting for some spectacular weather — the Back Bay is just amazing,� Sherwin said. “Some of the nature shots he got were birds diving in to get fish. All these kayakers out there — it looks magnificent.�

Few things drive interest in a prime California spot like Howser’s shows, Sherwin said. He recalled working in Palm Springs when Howser focused on the legacy of Frank Sinatra in the desert city, and having tourist interest skyrocket to the point that he had to publish a guide to the singer’s landmarks in town.

“For weeks afterward I had people on the street walking up to it and asking me about it,� Sherwin said. “He’s not there to promote it; he’s there to tell a story, but after you’re finished with the story it captivates you.�

MICHAEL ALEXANDER may be reached at (714) 966-4618 or at michael.alexander@latimes. com.