Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1920-09-09
OUR TRIP TO
CALIFORNIA
Wednesday, July FL, 1920.


1t was $3.50 by the kitchen clock
when mother, cousin Dee Lois, Joe,
Jane and / left our old ranch home
in dear old Idaho for new home in
Sunny California.
Our speedometer registered $40
miles when we left. We had II gal
Ions of gas in the tank and 10 gallon
in reserve. Not many people had had
breakfast in Vale when we got there
at 7 o'clock. Bought gallon of gas
at $1.52 and went on our way, which
was a good way as far as the road
was concerned. Not much to see but
sage brush on both sides of the road.
Some of it was very tall. 1t remind
ed me of the story of an old lady
that purchased some real estate and
was asked if she wanted it cleared,
and made the indignant reply.
What, cut down all those young
trees?"
After 43 miles we reached the
summit of our first long steep grade.
We all leaned forward in our seats
to help make the grade. But Nancy
Nash needed no help. The rest of the
way to Crane was up hill and down
hill, oh, what fun; not dangerous
but winding roads. We met car
loads of travellers going our way
and we passed and beat them all in>
to Crane.
Just 4:3O when we piled out at
Hotel Clay at Crane in one of the
worst dust storms 1 was ever in. Joe
thot he could sleep in the car, so
we, signed up for 2 rooms and re-
paired ourselves a little for supper
Rooms at $500 night without
i bath. We almost had to wear Cog
| giles and gas masks to eat our sup
per. We were all hungry enough to
eat dust and all. 1t was all included
! for soc. plate The Restaurant was
full of tourists.
Every one was tired after a LA
mile ride so the Nash Six all re-
tired early in order to rise early,
to start early, to get to Lake View
early. Got gallon of gas and 1 pit.
of oil, $3.50.
Thursday, July %, 1920.
| Left Crane at o'clock in the cool
of the morning. For about 10 miles
the road was cut in deep ruts. But
passable if you kept in the track.
Left the road about 2 miles south,
| turned back west on the right road.
This was a wild looking country and
full of wild things. We saw six beau>
tiful young coyotes and hundreds of
rabbits. Got to the Narrows at 7:1O.
A 35-mile ride before breakfast
made us hungry. There was lots of
marsh land here. Probably at one
time it had all been a lake. We saw
many different kinds of birds; or
winged black birds, sea gulls,
mud hens and in a large swamp we
saw a lot of big white Pelicans. The
rest OF the way to Plush was vast
desert of sage brush and sand. We
crossed long white sandy places
which at one time had been old
lake bottoms Thru these the road
was as hard as a rock. Here we
seemed to be all alone in the world.
We passed a few old homesteads but
they had been deserted long ago.
Some one had invented telephone
from some where to some where of
barb wire and beer bottles strung on
fence posts.
At 1880 we had lunch in the sun
as we couldn't find any shade. Got1
to Plush, red Plush, (somebody had
painted the town red) at 800. Saw
one woman in the town and asked
her the way out. Good road and
beautiful mountain scenery from
here to Lake View We climbed
around and around the mountain
and then a steep short grade to the
summit. Just as we reached the top
it looked as if we had come to the
jumping off place, and tumbled far
below into Goose Lake. But in>
stead we made hairpin turn and
descended 1000 feet in less than 2
miles, directly into the town of
Lake View. The bells were striking |
6 o'clock as we drove up main
street. Here your supper cost 60c
per capita whether you could eat ii
or not. We got rooms for $500.
Drove 1S6 miles. 800 miles from Pay
cite. So far very good.
Friday. July %, 1920.
We talked with several travellers
at the Hotel about roads and which
way to take from Lake View. Near
ly all directed us around by Reno or
but we decided to stick
to our own route across to Redding
and I am glad we did.
Left Lake View at a. NJ. Drove