In 1978 TV 8 reporters hit the road to explore places of interest in Southern California. The stories were part of series called Journal and On the Move.
In the fall of 1978, News 8’s Dave Cohen showcased some unique attractions in Downtown Los Angeles. Dave and his crew started the day extra early with stops at the Central Market and Los Angeles Flower Market to see all the action that went down before the sun came up. After breakfast at The Pantry (which is still around today) Dave headed to El Pueblo de Los Angeles where he featured several historical buildings and attractions. One of the last stops was an architectural landmark – The Bradbury Building.
TV 8 trekked up north to the world-famous Farmers Market in Los Angeles. Doug McAllister called it “a carnival beneath a canvas covering in the middle of the city of the angels.” It had 160 different shops, restaurants, salons—with 20,000 visitors daily—except Sundays. It was a 44-year-old experiment that worked and kept on working. It started in 1934 and Doug delves into its history. He interviewed one of the original stand owners Allegra Meshulam. She was still selling fruits and vegetables from a stand on the site where she started in 1934. The Farmers Market “a bustling but friendly place that assaults the senses, that see, smell, and listen with a mixture of aroma and activity like you’ve never experienced.”

The La Brea Tar Pits still draw tourists these days and in 1978, News 8’s Doug McAllister went “On the Move” to learn more about them. As of that year, over 500,000 Ice Age specimens had been recovered from the pits including 200 different kinds of animals, insects and plants. The George C. Page Museum had opened nine months before Doug’s visit to house the discoveries from the tar pits. That year the pits were being explored for the first time in 50 years. According to the La Brea Tar Pits website, at last count in 1992, the collection had over 3.5 million specimens.

August 7, 1978 Magic Mountain was only eight years old when News 8 made the trip to Valencia. The wooden giant Colossus was only a couple of months old. It was the largest, highest, fastest rollercoaster ever built. Reporter Doug McAllister reluctantly rode it, and in the end, he said if you're after a thrill, Colossus is the place to find it--but he would rather be sailing. Revolution was the largest steel rollercoaster and Doug said some thought it was much more fearsome than the wooden giant getting all the attention. The Log Jammer was the world's largest water flume ride. Spillikin Corners was a new addition--a place to unwind and watch master craftsmen at work. A train went around and through the park's 200 acres. Buffalo roamed in the pastoral setting. Magic Mountain--"a place where your screams come true."

May 25, 1978 Doug McAllister went on the move to San Pedro to check out Ports o' Call, a shopping destination. San Diego's Seaport Village was under construction--very similar. It opened in 1980.

News 8 went to the mansion where a fundraiser was being held for the Hollywood sign. Doug McAllister and his crew asked if they could film the grounds and interiors and surprisingly, their request was granted. The 30 room Tudor mansion was built in 1927 for Arthur Letts Jr., the son of the founder of Broadway Department Stores. Playboy Enterprises purchased the property in 1973. Ed McMahon makes a cameo appearance. Hugh Hefner too!
A destination for News 8 in 1978 was the city of Avalon on Catalina Island. It took more than just a road trip to reach this location and the clip opens with reporter Carol Kendrick aboard a ferry with a gaggle of tourists. Carol explored the area’s glamorous history as a destination for wealthy Hollywood elites in the 1930s. The beautiful scenery and architecture of Avalon are also captured in this vintage video. Avalon Bay may look a bit different 40+ years later, but it remains a popular destination with some of the same attractions seen in our feature including the Tuna Club – now a historical landmark and the Catalina Casino.
Douglas McAllister:
"'On the Move' was loosely based on CBS News' series 'On the Road' with Charles Kuralt. The idea, as I remember it, was to find interesting things and places which could be visited by our viewers in a "day trip" or even less than a day. It was Jim Holtzman's idea.
It suited me well since I was from the East Coast and in the late 1970s, experiencing southern California for the first time. It sure helped to have California native Bill Polick as part of the team and Bob Von Gyurcsy too because he had lived in Cali for awhile.
While Hollywood stories...Grauman's Theater, the sidewalk hand and footprints of stars...were fun, I especially enjoyed those closer to San Diego that were part of the county's history and lifestyle.