The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1913-08-02
NUMBER 4

The Mount Tacoma boulevard
is distinctly a Tacoma boulevard.
It's not a city highway, but it is
a direct route leading from the
main street of Tacoma to the high
attitudes of the most beautiful
mountain in America, and is
proudly claimed by Tacomans aa
their own.
The highway was built Jointly
by the city of Tacoma, Pierce
county and the government. The
city built and smoothed that Sec
ton running south on Pacific ave-
nuve to the extreme city limits
at Fern Hill. The county COM
pIeted the job for 35 miles TO
Ashford, and the government did
the last lap on this scenic road
way by building an easy-grade
route through the National park
to Longmire Springs, and on up
the mountain sides to Nisqually
glacier, Norada falls, Paradise val
ley and Reese's camp.
No one who has never made the
trip to Mount Tacoma by boule-
ward can get any conception of
the beauties of the trip from a
briefly jotted description. Suffice
it to say that no person ever re-
turned from the trip dissatisfied.
In fact, it has never been record
ed but that every visior returned
with the declaration that the
scenic wonders of he drive had
been moderated in all lescrip-
,tions they had read.
The road is direct, easy Of
grade, and delightfully."- pictur-
esque. 1t follows the line of Pa
cific avenue for miles, in such me-
chanical straightness that a per-
son can see for six miles ahead
in many places. Leaving Tacoma,
the highway passes directly
through Fern Hill, FARMLAND,
Spanaway and Loveland. 1t enters
the deep timber Immediately after
departing from the Spanaway
prairies. and continues for the en-
tire remainder of the trip through
frs that stand hundreds of feet
high.
At Chop valley the first delight
full scenery commences. The
road energies at the top of one
side of the valley, giving a vista
of miles and miles, with the snow
clad mountain filling one end of
the gap. The valley is respondent
in grain, flowers and vegetables.
Here and there are houses, loox-
ing dwarfed from the great alti-
tude.
The boulevard begins to de-
scend into the valley, following
the edge of the hillside. So grad
ual is the decline that one rides
for more than a mile before he
finds himself on the level, gor-
geous plateau of the Chop valley.
Crossing the valley, the road
again plunges into the trees, as
cending the hill with, even less
grade than was found on the OPP
| posite side.
The road passes within a mile
OF Eatonville. 1t passes in plain
view of the Nisqually power plant
of Tacoma, and then begins its
writhing snake-like twist around
the edges of the Nisqually canyon.
Here Is found real scenery Of the
most virgin type. The road is
dug out Of solid rock on the
PERCEPTIONS side of the canyon.
Hundreds of feet below is a
stream-tiny at the great distance
-plunging with foam and froth
through trough-like slit in the
very mountain side.
After leaving the canyon the
highway has commanding view
at intervals, of the, Mountain That
Was God. 1t passes through Ell
be. Alder and Ashford. Then II
enters the great gate that MARKS
the boundary of the National
park, and in 10 miles farther one
arrives at the Longmire Springs.
The autoist who wants leis:
urely Sunday jaunt can find pleas.
ure on the Mount Tacoma boule.
Yard. Needless to say, one can &C
only small part of the way and
find enough scenery to satisfy
his wishes. The ride to Eaton
Vile is pleasant. One can go ou'
by way of the mountain road
and come back by the Eatonyille
country road. II
Tourists who have made the
trip by machine say that the
| Mount Tacoma boulevard is the
most beautiful drive in the coun
try.
Tacomans already have known
this for several years.
That's why it's Tacoma boule.