The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-04-10

arriving at Coronado in time for din
ner, and returning the next evening.
This means short railway trip of in
describable charm, through some of
the most beautiful California, orchards
and gardens along the beach for many
miles and finally. swinging inward be-
tween the sandy cliffs that crowd
down to the very shore: and among
the green hills to San Diego. Then.
room on the ocean side of the hotel
where you are lulled to sleep by the
song of the sea.
In the morning there is time to ex-
plore the grounds, climb the tower of
the hotel for the magnificent view of
San Diego, Coronado and the bay, and
take an automobile ride through San
Diego, which has many places of in
terest including the wonderful old
Mission, and Tia Juana just across the
Mexican border fifteen miles away.
The trip from Los Angeles to San
Diego is the prettiest short railway
journey in Southern California in the
opinion of one humble commentator,
and if you have just a few days to
spare you can get more for your mon
ey and time on the Santa Fe's Kite
shaped track trip than any other way.
The excursion may be made in one
places of interest. The Kite-shaped
track extends through the heart of
the most highly cultivated parts of
this huge garden of which Los Ange-
les is the commercial center. The line
traverSeS the exquisite San Gabriel
valley passing through Pasadena, the
Lucky Baldwin ranch, orchards of
oranges, lemon, olive, walnut, prune,
and many of the fruits to San Ber-
nardino where it enters the Santa Ana
valley and circles back returning to
Los Angeles by way of Redlands and
Riverside.
If you tire of sight seeing however,
it is not compulsory. You can sit back
at your ease in your hotel and read
about the resorts in your Baedeker in
order to satisfy the troublesome ques-
tions of your friends at home. For
those who prefer the roar Of a city
to the booming of an ocean and the
bright lights on the pavements to the
CLINT of the sea on the waves, Los An
geles offers the hustle, the noise, the
"go'' of a metropolis of shops,
theatres, cafes and all the gay frivolity
of urban life.
No California trip is legal without a
visit to Catalina island where at
least one day must be spent although
the sights and sports warrant a long
err stay. Santa Catalina is owned by
the Banning Brothers Company of Los
Angeles who operate the line of
steamers from San Pedro harbor to
y
California visits Catalina if only long
enough to eat sand dabs, and see the
marine gardens in the glass bottom
boats pronounced by many noted
travellers the most wonderful sight in
America. There is nothing like them
in the world except at the South Sea
Islands If you want to stay longer,
there are excellent golf links, a won
derful coaching trip through the
island, wild goat hunting, and remark
able fishing.
There are always lots of seasick
people on the Catalina trip. "Going
back on this boat?" one man asked
another the other day. mo" replied
the second chap who had been very
sick on the trip over, I'm an exile,
a bridge to the mainland. 1 like this
place anyway, and I guess I can learn
to dive for money. The ocean seems
to be alone the only opening here,
except of course the tourists mouths
but 1 don't believe I'd be success in
the restaurant business. I've got an
iron foundry at home. But it'll have
to get along without me. I'm going
to stay right here"
An official of the Banning Broth
ers Company had promised to go over
to Catalina with the girl from Kan
sas, but when the writer appeared at
his office to remind HON of his en-
gagement he "piked" and put her in
care of the man in charge of the boat.
do you know why Mr.. Thompson
wouldn't come over here with you to-
day?'' asked the latter when they
were out a little distance and passen-
gers were beginning to show the eff
fects of a touch of NAL de mer. cit
was because he's a bum sailor. He's
sick everytime he makes the trip
Mr.. Charlie Fellows who has built
so many of the Santa Fe hotels and
shops and offices that he knows every
inch of the Santa Fe line. was talking
to some friends at the Topeka club at
recent visit to Kansas, of the natural
wonders of this country and how COM
paratively unknown they are even to
blase travellers. To illustrate, he men
toned the meteorite mountain near
Canyon Diablo in Arizona, a remark
able place where colossal meteor
once fell leaving an enormous cavity
in the earth over a mile wide. To
point this moral, his listeners. hooted