Gunnison news-champion., 1923-11-09
AN INTERESTING AND ENJOYABLE
VACATION SPENT IN SUNNY CALIFORNIA
short story many interesting places and things
in the land of oranges flowers and sunshine
An entertaining account of most enjoyable vacation
tBy Agnes NJ. Winters.)
By AGNES NJ. WINTERS

(By Agnes NJ. Winters.)
The editor of the "woman's Page"
is back again, and since our return
from our vacation on the Pacific
coast, everyone W meet has been
asking US how We liked California,
and if we were glad to be back. We
liked California fine and dandy and
we were not very glad to leave the
land Of sunshine and roses, but-oh
well, were back, with memories Of
a most enjoyable trip lasting nearly
six weeks.
Californians, by the way, insist that
there are but two kinds of weather in
Califonia-the perfect and unusual.
The writer, il company with her
mother, left Gunnison on September
18th. Had to wait several hours at
Grand Junction for our train. and
while waiting enjoyed n brief visit at
the union station with Mrs. NJ. S.
Rogers, SO well known to GGnnison
folks, when she was station agent at
Parlin some years ago.
After short wait at Ogden. Utah.
We made train connections for Cali
fornia. The Southern Pacific crosses
Salt Lake on what is known as the
Salt Lake cutoff. which is thirty
miles from shore TO shore. One can
hardly imagine a more daring piece
of railroad construction than building
a solid railroad bed thru the middle
of a huge lake.
We went to Los Angeles first and
spent three weeks in that very in
tas ,st
NJ. Cofer and family, who have love
ly home in one of that city.
Los Angeles is an enormous city,
and growing bevond all bounds 1t is
a very beautiful city, too, altho con-
siderably disfigured with advertising
signs Of real estate dealers. Every
fence, building, street corner. vacant
lot is covered with these gigantic
signs, and where ever few inches Of
space can be procured. these huge
advertisements are to be seen-visible
in all directions, of all sizes. styles and
description, and one and all setting
forth the advantages of owning some
real estate, either in the city or at
some surrounding point. Should one
desire TO buy a home or piece Of
ground. he does not need to travel all
the way down town or spend hours
going over a newspaper, simply stick
your head out the kitchen door--or
some other door or window, and pc
ruse the huge billboard gracing a
corner Of the next lot, or finding moth
ing there, you can try your neigh
boris back fence, where there is sure
to be another huge sign.
The real estate dealers, themselves
are thicker than June bugs and have
way Of delivering the goods that
is almost sure to appeal to the tour.
ist or would-be purchaser Of a home
in California. The agents take IL fol-
granted that you are from Missouri
and have to be shown, and according
they show you. Real estate compan-
les and oil land or oil well dealers
secure the names of likely purch.
aser and then call for him and take
him and whoever he cares to invite
on an auto trip to the place he hopes
sell. We enjoyed one of those auto
trips to Culver City, that rapidly
growing town some thirty miles
out Of Los Angeles. The driver first
drove US through some of the most
beautiful residential sections of Los
Angeles and we got q close up" OF
several of the famous movie stars
homes. And everywhere one looks
there are beautiful flower beds. roses
climbing clear to the roof and trees
and shrubbery one can hardly i'm
agine. After an hour or two spent
in this manner, we were driven to
Culver City, treated to luncheon at
the real estate company's expense
and then shown some choice (agent' 3
language) building sites and bust
ness locations. It was hard to resist
a chance, but our pocketbook forbade.
The agent then conducts you to q
huge tent pitched in the center of
the land for sale and where some
times a hundred or more persons are
gathered, (also guests of company
and then you have to listen to a long
talk and a mass of facts regarding
the coming city. We did not like that
part of it, but the trip both ways
was most enjoyable.
Another trip of the same nature
was to Huntington Park, the scene
of considerable activity in oil wells
and oil land. The drive was past
beautiful orange groves and orch
ards, great fields of vegetables be-
ing harvested and past farm homes
covered with climbing roses--great
beautiful blossoms-and here, there,
and everywhere magnolia trees, huge,
towering palms, the whole giving the
farl yard the appearance of hastily
put-together park. We did not sec
any gushers at the oil well region,
except the one on the platform, who,
however spouted hot air instead Of
oil. However, land is snapped up in
all these places. We saw great fist
fulls Of greenbacks change ownership
without moments hesitation. At
Huntington Park, one old gray-hair-
ed man, whose hands looked like he
had spent most of his life on farm
or in a mine, handed over roll Of
bills in exchange for a deed, and we
could not help but wonder If the
money was from the sale Of the farm
back home" or his life's savings.
: Los Angeles is the liveliest and
most crowded CITY one can irnan;no