The Washington times., 1922-08-20

The question Is often asked ID
route book very necessary for
touring in this day and age Of we'll
marked roads? In my opinion.
"The Standard Road Guide of
America" is more necessary now
than any time heretofore In the
history Of automobile touring. True
enough a lot of good has resulted
from good roads campaigns and
propaganda for marking roads. and
the tourists viii find the roads Of
the West better marked than those
Of the East. However. in order to
find and follow the direct routes
and avoid the confusing optional
routes, one must consult good
road guide or the touring bureaus
Of the automobile clubs en- route.
Every car owner should be q
member OF his local automobile
lc.ub, which usually entities him 10
free information and maps at any
other automobile club. Most OF the
clubs have scout cars out ana are
able to tell you what roads are
closed, and the best optional route
CONSTRUCTION work is under way.
The clubs also compile local maps
and road logs that prove very valu-
able and save many hours OF time.
believe the best Job OF road
marking In this country today 10
being done by the Automobile Club
Of Southern California. Their dur
able enameled steel signs win be
found at all confusing points on the
desert and mountains roads OF
southern California. Arizona, New
Mexico, Colorado and to points sew
eral hundred miles east OF the
Rockies, on Santa Fe Trail, also
from Los Angeles to Ely and east
of the Rockies on the Lincoln High
way. The club of northern Cali
fornia has their signs well placed
from San Francisco across the
Sierra Nevada mountains and the
States Of Nevada and Utah. How
ever, in a great many places these
costly markers are being used for
targets by unknown culprits. also
few are being knocked down. This
is where the route book comes In
handy.
At several points in the West the
tourist will be confused by competi-
tive signs at the junction OF op-
tionalJ routes. On my most recent
trip across during the month OF
June this year. I found that there
WAS an old and a new Sante 'Fe
Trail west Of Kansas City, both
came together farther west and
the tourist will never know which
one Is the best until he goes over
both routes. The road guide OF
Automobile Club Of Kansas City
should be consulted in a case like
this.
Below Albuquerque at Los Lunas
N. M, is another important Juno
ton of optional routes, one via
Gallup to Holbrook, the other sup
Iposed to be eighty-five miles, Longer
Ivia Socorro, Magdalena and Spring
erville. Arizona. to Holbrook, large
signs appeal to the tourists telling
the advantages Of the respective
routes In Questioning the natives
as to which was the best route u
follow I could not arrive at any
definite conclusions. In reading ar
article in an Albuquerque Sunday
paper. by some authority on loca
roads, he said both of the signs al
the junction of the roads lied and
that what New Mexico needed wa,
more bridges. However, took tn,
Ieighty ty-five-mile-longer route simply
because l had been over the otheI
route a number Of years ago: not
because I thought II was better.
found the roads very good. easy
grades and graded roads most oi
the way. From Holbrook, where the
roads came together. through flag
staff. Kingman, and Needles the
trails and new graded roads wer,
in good shape, permitting fast time
for long stretches in many places
Iexcept on the thirty -fiye.mile detouI