The daily sentinel., 1912-03-26
THE PLAINS TO SUMMIT,
TO The VALLEY AND SEA,

Nobody in the Grand valley should
cease shouting" for the transcon-
ttnental automobile highway to pass
through this valley,
The letter from the Utah highway
commissioner informing US that the
only road they wish to connect with
is the line from Denver to Steamboat
Springs and one down White river.
should not for a moment put a damp
er on anyone's shouting.
The people of the Western Slope,
particularly the people of the Grand
valley should well get it into their
system that the sooner the Western
Slope gets connected with tidewater
to the southwest the happier they
will be. Colorado and California are
the two greatest states in the West
and likewise true, the others are al
so great. Between the great Grand
valley in Colorado and that great val
ley below, the San Bernardino valley
in southern California, lies the most
interesting country in all the west
down, through Where the Silvery
Colorado Winds Its Way" Colorado is
known as the playground of Amer
lea, but there are no chalkmarks
limiting Americas great playground.
the Grand valley is one continuous
stretch of sublime scenery It's the
one great untouched field for the ar
lists. From Colorado to southern
California and then on up through
that state is the only real sensible
way to steer the coast-to-coast tour
ist travel No one sees California
by going from Salt Lake direct to
San Francisco. California is such
a long state-and so immense the
whole stretch of it, that one must
start at one end of it and go length
wise through it to see it. The north
part differs from the central and
southern part as day differs from
night. 1t is high time for the peo-
pie of particularly the
people of the Western Slope to com
mence hOwling-and keep on howl
ing-for a direct line to southern
California-to the seashore Ito the
vast, the great, the grand Pacific).
Perhaps the best name for this line
would be the RIM Rock route, on
account of the formation.
We should certainly be able to
interest the national government in
this route. We have the Colorado
National Monument park close to the
down in San Juan coun-
ty, Utah, are natural bridges, the
largest in the world-also set aside
by the government, and further down
is the Grand canon of the Colorado.
President Taft in one of his messa-
ges recommended that the Grand
canon territory be made a national
park. Between the Grand canon and
California is a stretch of
desert-in itself very interesting.
This stretch to the Canon Pass could
be properly oiled.
When the people of Grand juno
tion, and the rest of the valley once
properly digest the idea that the
towns and crop will mean to them
a great amount of pleasure-and
money, | should say in the first place
then perhaps ii will be easier to
get their cooperation, to properly
open up the scenic spots surrounding
the valley. The Grand valley stands
an excellent show to become a tour
list center. With the Grand Mesa
to the east-none grander anywhere
and the country back of Palisades
to the north-the wierdest on earth
and with all the great beauty spots
to the south and southwest, why
shouldn't ii be a tourist center? All
that is necessary to get it is to build
trails and roads and properly adver-
tise. The only dreams worth dream
ing are the dreams that we want to
come true-nice, sweet. pleasant, in
teresting ones. So it's the most brill
liant dream for the people of the
Western Slope to get together and
with full steam ahead" work for
this open all winter" route to
southern California. That this coun-
try-the home of the big red apple
and the country below. close to
the sea-the home of the big golden
orange-be connected with nation
al highway-the most interesting on
the continent.
Sincere.y yours.
TnIINr np-rN