The Republican journal., 1908-04-16
A California Trolley Ride.
An Excursion on "the Balloon Route. u
Correspondence of The Journal.

, AL GASuASUu vi tHO A~AA~~~ ~~~~s~' |
Correspondence of The Journal.
FLORENCE, CALF, March %. 1908.
We are still making our home in Flor
ence but are visiting quite number OF
other parts of the State. will tell you
of an excursion my wife, daughter and
myself took last week. We left home
/ at $50 a. M, went to Los Angeles,
miles, and started from there about
i $50 in an electric observation car,
which took us along Spring street
through the retail section of the city,
past the Los Angeles County court
house, the old Spanish Plaza and the
old Plaza Mission, built in 1851. From
the Plaza District we turned into Old
Sonora town, and passed through the
battle grounds of General Fremont and
Pico, where the contest was made for
this territory between the Spanlards
and the United States. And then out
through the oil district, which is quite
interesting, and past. the Sisters hos
pitaI. The route was then along the
foothills through the city. limits and
into the suburb of Hollywood where
there are many bungalos and the homes
OF Los Angeles business men, in whose
yards are all kinds of tropical plants
and flowers. At Cahuenga Avenue in
Hollywood we passed the beautiful
! home of NJ. Paul de Longpre, the Gel
ebrated French artist, and saw him in
his garden. From here we went
D through the city of Sherman, where
: the power plant and car barns of this
: road are located. A little farther on is
the city of Sawtelle, where we visited
the National Soldiers Home. There
are about three thousand old soldiers
in this home. Our guide took us
through all the principal buildings,
d which were nice and clean. The work
is all done by the soldiers. The
only women there are ten or twelve
}. who were in the hospital as nurses.
a Our pictures were taken on the steps of
f the dining hall. Leaving the home we
}. passed Brentwood Park and the Santa
0 Monica Canyon, where we got the first
/ view of the Pacific Ocean and the long
a est pier in the world at Port Los
a Angeles. From there we went down
D the beach to the city of Santa Monica,
a which is on bluff overlooking the sea.
n We left the car here and spent about
e half an hour on the beach viewing the
e panorama, people in bathing, etc. Then
e we continued down the beach to the
S city of Ocean Park, where we spent
e half an hour; then on through Venice
e to Playa del Rey, where we had our
Y luncheon in large auditorium situated
/, between the ocean and large still
f water lagoon. From there we went
Y down the beach to Redondo, passing
: through Pecks Beach, North Manhat-
r ten, Verano, Manhatten, Shakespeare
s and Hermosa beaches, stopping at
J. Moonstone Beach, where we got quite
:. a number of moonstones, agates, etc.
q We then returned to Venice, where
4 there are many things of interest, in
n Guiding a miniature railroad and mid
l. way, Will dululdl SDOWS hAu OtAOA
amusements. On Windward avenue
J. are oriental buildings, arcades, etc.
e Out on the pier are many curio stores,
8 large auditoriums, ship hotel, ETC.
e Leaving Venice we went over the
q Venetian canals and through the
t Cahuenga Valley by different route
from the one we came. We passed
:. through many walnut orchards and
: alfalfa fields, arriving at our starting
8 point in the city of Los Angeles by the
y South Gate about five O'Clock p. m
! 1t was ride of 70 miles, % of which
J. were along the Pacific Ocean. All
points of interest were explained by an
J. experienced guide. There were go PEG
h pie in our car Our guide said there
a we're $40 in the six cars, each car hav.
+ ing guide. We enjoyed the trip very
much. F. R. DAGGETT.