The Colville examiner. [volume] (Colville, Wash.) 1907-1948, 1920-08-07
SLATER WRITES
TO EXAMINER
DESCRIBES AUTOMOBILE TRIP
FROM COLVILLE TO PORT
LAND THENCE TO FRISCO
Finds Gas More Plentiful After
Reaching Oregon and California;
Roads Good and Scenery
Often Beautiful

Alameda, acknowledgements
to promises to many Stevens county
friends who expressed an interest to
know of our experiences on the trip
by auto from Colville to San Fran
cisco, and for the benefit of those
travellers who have in contemplation
a similar journey, | am taking the
liberty of your paper to fulfill my
obligations to them.
In Ford car with a full COM
plement of camp equipment we left
Colville June 5 and reached Oak
land June %. The distance travelled
was 1914 miles, which was covered
in 95 hours of time in travelling.
Sixty-eight gallons of gasoline and
four and half gallons of oil were
used, at an average cost per gal
Ion of 80 cents for the gas and $1.20
for the oil. With the exception of
one tire replacement the repair bill
was a few cents less than $11. The
trip was made in easy stages, rarely
exceeding 100 miles in any one day.
Where the elements threatened we
took refuge in the most convenient
hotel, but more frequently we pitch
ed our tent in pleasant places in the
open country.
The route travelled was the main
thoroughfare between Colville and
Spokane; thence through Washington
via Cheney, Sprague, Ritzville,
Washtucna, Kahlotus, Connell, Pasco,
Kennewick, Prosser, Mabton. From
Mabton we took the long grade which
carries one half a dozen miles or
more to the high plateau known as
the Horseheaven country where Bick-
Teton, % miles out, is the chief
trading center From Bickleton we
passed through Goldendale, Center
vile, and Lyle to White Salmon
where we crossed the Columbia to
Hood River. On the entire trip we
encountered only three ferries, one
between Pasco and KenneWick, one
between White Salmon and one on
the bay at Vallejo. All were operated
by steam and the toll eXacted by
each one was one dollar. The route
from Hood River to Portland was
over the famed Columbia highway.
From Portland we went on the east
side of the Willamette river through
Oregon City and Salem to Albany
crossing to the west side thence to
Corvallis and Eugene. This far out
of Portland the trip was over a level
stretch of about 14O miles From
Eugene south we followed the Pacific
highway through Cottage Grove,
Roseberg, Canyonvile, Wolf Creek,
Grants Pass, Medford and Ashland
to the California line near Coles.
From this point we included Yreka,
Ssson, Shasta Springs, Dunsmuir
and Baird and on our trip over the
Sskiyou mountains to Redding,
which is the first town we reached in
the Sacramento valley. From Red
ding to Oakland the road is all in
the Sacramento valley and the prin-
cipal towns on this course, in their
order, are Anderson, Red Bluffs,
Corning, Orland, Willows, Williams,
Davis and Woodland. From Wood
land we travelled westward to Vallejo
where we were ferried across the
bay to the Oakland district.
From Colville to Mabton, except
ing the ungraded portion between
Arden and Springdale, the distance
was covered over paved or well bal
lasted surface, allowing, however,
for a ten mile detour between Cheney
and Sprague and another stretch of
IL or IA miles between Kahlotus and
Connell to allow for construction.
These gaps are doubtless in repair
by this time, but if not, the country
road is not bad. From Mabton to
Lyle is a dirt road over good grades,
though much of it is mountainous;
and as a scenic setting it has con-
siderable merit At point near
Goldendale one may see three great
snow-capped peaks, Mt. Hood, Mt.
Adams and Mt. St. Helens, all
standing at an equal distance of less
than so miles from the observer and
within the limits of a semi-circle.
Sentimentally, it is an inspiring view.
Al. Il. n+
River, the tourist enters upon the
real pleasure of his journey, for
here he is on the Columbia highway,
said to be the finest driveway in the
world, and doubly accentuated by
the rugged scenery of towering