The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1920-01-15
NIIkA TILLICUM
GOES A MOTORING

Long hedcn, dee. :. 1919
Editor Glacier. We arrived IL Oak
land December Is. thus completing the
first part of cur Journey hy rail Oar
lIto having arrived iu San Francisco
b. boat, We VIII motor the balance Of
the way 10 Long Beach over the coast
route. that 500-nile ribbon Of concrete
that stretches from San Francisco t0.
ward the shining sun and the south
land, the mecca Of the winter tourists
dream. oar party ard baggge being
in Berkeley and Oakland. We ferried
the car over ana as the day was far
spent thought best to wait until morn
ing. Twas not until noon next day
that We were threading our way out OF
Oakland and had hit the trail for the
south, The day was ideal, being clear
ard warm.
In the meadows dozed the cattle
And the tllier Piled the share.
The grass was starting fresh and
green aud its fragrant odor seemed to
whisper of spring. 0Gr cup Of joy was
bubbhng over ard was not vet full.
for were We not going where every
day would be Sunday bye and bye!
Our jov Was unconHned until one Of my
best tires (as supposedl blew up and
ripped hole in It's windplne and shat
tered its future prospects. II had an
inflated value that was apparent after
the collapse, like some real estate
b0oms. had AN old extra that | car
red for old acquaintance sake. that
put on hoping it would carry US to the
next town. Bat alas, how oft is hope 5
fair flower blighted before it goes to
seed When the shades of night were
falling and the stars began to twinkle
over the land and sea and We We're
within few miles If said town, old
faithful laid down the burden of life.
gasped. gave its death rattle and yield
cd up the ghost The remains are ly-
ing in state in Salinas at the tire shop.
friend in his car following close be.
hind offered 10 take me To town and
get fixed up, which We did and We're
soon on our way again. We made
Salinas after dark, where there were
hotel accommodations. The Jetiry
House is recommended for good ser
wee by the auto club of southern Cali
fornia. We found all rooms taken so
went To another that has no recon
nendations that we ever heard Of,
These California towns have wide
streets and autos pa in the center at
an angle Of IS degrees TO the curbing,
having lines painted white on the
pavement indicating the parking
zones. Instead of gaspipe Jacob stats
standing IN the centre of the street in
tersections they have metal ovals
about three inches high cemented in
tie payements indicating the turning
points. The highway is paved clear
through except about 90 miles which is
dirt and gravel. Some of this is in
small towns that have not bonded for
street improvements. They were dry,
however, (the roads, and we had no
trouble negotiating them. They are
working in several places to close up
these gaps, necessitatlng few de
tours.
In the morning after stocking up
With tires and dolllng the auto up a
little we left Salinas at g 80 and made
Santa Maria, 2l0 miles north of Long
Beach, which we made next day. Be.
tween Santa Barbara and Los Angeles
they We're improving the highway. so
we had to detour over another paved
road that led US through the Santa
susanna pass and eventually through
Van Nuys and Hollywood and the sub
ufbs Of Los Angeles We soon were
on the Long Beach and Los Angeles
boulevard for twenty mile spin
which brought US to our goal little
after dark. We had rented a furnished
cottage in advance and were soon under
our own vine and fig tree. SO to speak,
and being weary soon chit the hay
aud forgot the long long road a wind
ing. Mika Tilligum.