The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1922-04-06
CALIFORNIA COAST
TRIP Is PLEASANT
(By A. d. Moe.)

Weed, Calf, March 21, 1922.
Starting north from Los Angeles, we
took the coast route and found it much
more scenic than the inland route
through the San Joaquin valley. except
where the latter goes over the ridge of
the San Fernando mountains. While
the inland route runs through the fiat
country with little variation as to
scenery as far south as the San Fer
nando mountains, the coast route is
constantly varied scene the entire dis
tance. Skirting the seashore for about
80 miles, through green and wooded
valleys at times, then coming out on
higher ground with the ocean in full
view, it is constantly changing pan
Drama that is restful and pleasing to
the motorist. Occasionally lemon and
orange groves are seen alongothe high
way, and but little frost damage was
noticed near the ocean. At several
places the highway crosses long wooden
bridges built along the high tide mark,
where storms have washed away the
roadbed, and the speed limit on these
causeways is 10 miles an hour.
We reached Santa Barbara early in
the afternoon of the first day in a
driving rainstorm, and concluded to
stay until the next day. Soon after
| arriving the storm abated, and we
were enabled to get few glimpses of
this fine city, with its numerous at
| fractions and beautiful homes.
The next day daWned bright and
clear. and with a good paved road,
although quite good many curves and
grades, we reached Paso Robles, lat
miles ,aWay, early in the afternoon.
This city is famous for its sulphur
baths and mud springs, but not large
city. The weather was fine and the
day young, so we made another run of
100 miles to Salinas before dark. Af-
ter spending the night here we left
for San Jose. The road now bends to-
ward the northeast, winding through
canyons and low mountain passes to-
wards the lower bay district. The hills
are green from the winter rains, and
many live oak acres abound in the can
yons and along the creek beds and ar
royos. 1t was restful contrast to
the desert country of the southland,
and reminded us we were approaching
the native trees and verdure-covered
mountains of Oregon. We reached
San Juan for breakfast. This is a
small hamlet, containing one of the |
earliest missions, which is being kept |
intact and open to visitors.
We reached San Jose, one of the |
large thriving cities of northern Cali |
fOrnia, before noon. Finding we could |
not reach San Francisco before busi-
ness houses closed, 1t being Saturday,
we decided to go across country to |
Stockton, saving considerable distance |
to Sacramento, besides the hard task |
of fighting our way through heavy |
traffic in San Francisco and Oakland |
and avoiding two ferries across the |
bay. On this cross road Is miles was
unpaved, but the road was good gravel
and we made good time until we came |
to theStockton river, few miles from |
that city. Here we found 30 cars
ahead of us waiting while three tugs |
were slowly pulling a huge dredge
through the drawbridge. After hold
ing the bridge open as minutes it was
found the dredge could not get under |
the telegraph and telephone wires, so
had to back up and allow the bridge to
close. BY this time about GO cars had
piled up on our side and as many on
the other. We reached the Lincoln
highway at Stockton and went on to
Sacramento, reaching there about dark.
On our way south two months ago |
we went down the west side highway
from Red Bluff to Sacramento. 1t was
quite cold, the pools along the road
covered with ice, and we saw little of |
interest between those two towns. We |
resolved to go home over the east side |
route through the Sacramento valley |
and stop at Chico to visit Leo w. |
Doyle and family, Mrs. Doyle being
formerly Miss Eva Coshow, of Hood |
River. What was lacking in interest |
on the west side was made up in scenic
beauty on the east side route, with the
garden spot of northern California GEN.
tered at Chico. We saw so many
things of interest while being so hos
pitably entertained there for day and
half by Mr.. and Mrs. Doyle that we
will tell about them in future article.
We left Chico Tuesday morning and
pushed through to Weed, as storm
threatened and we did not want to go
through so miles of mud if it could be
avoided. AS it was we got stuck in a
mud hole near Dunsmuir, and the 20
miles between Dunsmuir and Weed
was everything from fair to deplor-
able. A little work has been done on
the roads just south of Weed, but the
balance is ruts, ridges. few mud
holes that go to the hubs, and one
stretch where our car was not high
enough from.the ground so the wheels
could reach bottom. We were helped
out of the hole and made a detour
. l. 4. -. l..