Evening star., 1927-11-06
A.A.A. HEAD LAUDS
NEW ROAD TO WEST
Smith, on Sixth Journey
Across U. S., Finds Route 66
Interesting Highway.

The best way to make a transcon
tinental motor trip is to do it once n
year. Representing the ultimate in
motoring joy. this is a journey that
is ever new in it's every detail from,
the moment of cranking the car In
the sophisticated atmosphere of the
East. while passing through the agri.
cultural and industrial Middle West,
the oil and cattle lands of the South
west and, finally. over the ma jestic
mountains at the foot of whose west
ern slope lies the Pacific.
This is the appraisal of continental
, motoring made by Ernest n. Smith,
Mr.. Smith should know whereof he
speaks for. in addition to being gen
eral manager of the American Auto.
mobile Association. the agency that
routes millions of tourists every
wear. he has made the round trip
across the continent by motor car six
times. Back in Washington after
covering more than 5000 miles in 80
days, he estimates that the sixth trip
is as much superior to the fifth as
the fifth was to the fourth.
New Route Helps Trip.
One Of the features that contributed
so much to the usefulness of his lat
the return to Washington, of United
States Highway No. 66 for the lap
of the National Old Trails Road that
lies between Las Vegas. n. Mex. and
ST. Louis. After trying out this new
highway for the first time, the
A. A. A. executive head unhesitatingiy
recommends it as an ideal route be-
tween the Atlantic and Pacific. ira
yersing as 1t does areas of the most
astonishing contrasts. On this route.
Mr., Smith points out. one encounters
sections that range from the most in
tensely populated to the most lone.
son,e and weird to be encountered
within the borders of the United
States.
Travelling in his Cadillac car, which
has covered $4,000 miles in %
months, Mr.. Smith averaged 225 miles
a day for 80 days, including the time
spent in conferences with executives
of A. A, A. local clubs, at meetings
and in delivering addresses. From
Washington. the westward trip was
over the northern route, which led
through st. Louis. Kansas City,
Pueblo and Colorado Springs. through
the Rocky Mountains by way OF
IIeadville and Steamboat Springs to
Salt Lake City. From Salt Lake City
lowed through Pocatello and Boise,
Idaho, to Pendleton, Greg.
At Pendleton. Mr.. Smith took the
Columbia River Highway. one OF the
most magnificently scenic routes In
America, down to Portland. Leaving
Portland, the same trail was followed
TO Crater Lake, Greg. and thence to
San Francisco.
Slirted Mountain Storm.
This mart of the journey was not
uneventful Warned by the A. A. A.
club at Colorado Springs that the
weather forecast indicated heavy
storms brewing lover the hump of
the Rockies, Mr.. Smith decided to
proceed ahead. On the upward jour-
ney, the evident accuracy OF the
storm warning became apparent in
the shape of heavy, black clouds. 10
avert the danger of being marooned
on a lonesome. washed-out mountain
road. the motor agency executive
head decided to chance skirting the
storm.
Driving rapidly fforthward over a 4
narrow mountain road for 40 miles, he
succeeded in going around the rain.
which deluged and destroyed many
sections of the highway upon which
he originally was travelling.
Leaving San Francisco, Mr.. Smith
drove to Yosemite National Park,
where, he declares, the ultimate in
"the artistic" has been reached by
newly started hotel enterprise. Every
effort has been made by the spon.
sors of the establishment to make
use of the majestic scenery that sur
rounds the hotel. One feature of this