A new documentary airing on PBS stations next week takes up the California park system's history, and the challenges it faces today. The two-part series "California Forever" celebrates the dramatic stories, scenic beauty and sweeping history of California state parks -- the most diverse collection of state parks in the nation.
What if the next time you were in an epic traffic jam, you could push a button, sit back and let your car drive itself? Thanks to companies like Google, robotic car technology isn't far off. This week, the state Legislature passed a bill that would set up rules for putting self-driving cars on the road. The governor now has 30 days to sign it -- but some are concerned the technology is moving faster than the regulations.Reporter: Lauren Sommer
If you're heading to the Sierra foothills this weekend, consider a stop in the small town of Placerville, founded during the Gold Rush. Settlers called it "Dry Diggins" because of the way miners carted dry soil to running water to separate the gold from the earth. Today, the town features some hidden relics from its gold-mining past.
Music Bridge 2: "Root Juice" by Chris Joss, from "Sticks" (ESL)
Reyna Grande has explored the travails of the immigrant experience in two moving novels. For her new memoir, "The Distance Between Us," the award-winning writer draws directly on her own family history. The result is a searing and compelling story, as book critic Oscar Villalon explains.
This weekend, hundreds of people from across California, and from as far away as Idaho, Oregon and Washington State will head to Sacramento for a little taste of Texas. It's the sixth annual Tejano/Conjunto Festival, a celebration of Latino music from Texas that spread West.Reporter: Julie Caine
End Music: "Jean's Scene" by Medeski, Martin & Wood, from "Radiolatarians 3" (Indirecto)
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