Part 2

Beyond “the Highlands” runs a real road of romance, a motor highway carved from the seaward face of the Santa Lucia mountains. Most of the distance to its junction with other routes at San Luis Obispo there is nothing between this road and the blue, blue sea but the cliffs. Above it, on the east, tower the mountains. It is no road for the man in a hurry, but for one who loves Nature it is glorious.

This is wildflower country. Within a 20-mile stretch you may see, in season, wild roses, primroses, California poppies, yellow lupine, wild mustard spreading over fields like a froth of foamy yellow, great bushes of blue lupine marching up rocky hillsides, almost cliffs: Queen Anne’s lace, succulents of many colors, and sometimes succulents which are not in bloom but whose foliage has turned a rich, dark red; Indian paint brush—all these abundant, in masses easy to see and recognize as you roll along. A naturalist could find many more.

The Spaniards would have come by this route if they could, but the mountains were too rugged, there was no path between sea and cliffs, and so they were forced inland. That this road was ever constructed was largely due to the efforts of Dr. John Roberts of Monterey, who used to ride horseback on calls to remote and isolated ranches up the canyons. It was almost 20 years in building.

South along this road from Point Lobos, beyond Garrapata Creek and Rocky Creek and Bixby Creek, past the light house at Point Sur and inland a few miles, is Pfeiffer-Big Sur State Park, a redwood park which is the entrance to 250,000 acres of wilderness area in the adjacent Los Padres National Forest. These redwoods are almost the most southerly of all: the actual southernmost ones are on Mill Creek, some 25 miles farther along the road.

And so to Watsonville. Watsonville exists because in 1852 one John H. Watson decided that the location was suitable for a town and, with another man, forthwith laid out one. Watsonville is strictly business. Even before Watson’s time, the Amestis, Castros, Vallejos and other Spanish pioneer families were busily raising grain and potatoes here. California’s great lettuce industry got its start in the Watsonville region and today it is a busy center for the raising and processing of lettuce, berries, beans, brussels sprouts, and many, many apples.

The traveler passing through Watsonville sees only a rather busy main street, plaza and business section, but only a little way to one side is an area where quick-freezing plants, ice plants, warehouses and lettuce-chilling works cover block after block, with switch engines busily shifting empty cars to be loaded and loaded cars to be made into trains and headed east.

Some eight miles south of Watsonville is Moss Landing, a port for vessels of moderate draft, from which the grain crops of the region once were shipped. Now it is the home of a picturesque fishing fleet and the scene of one of the largest steam-electric plants in the West. This giant, which the public may visit by obtaining a permit, produces 771,000 horsepower. Its eight boilers are each as high as a ten-story building and, the better to withstand any possible earthquake, are suspended in steel towers more massive than many bridge piers. Operators in the control room use television to watch the leaping flames inside the boilers and to supervise change-overs from natural gas to fuel oil when required. Steam pressure is an incredible—except to engineers—1,405 pounds per square inch in one section of the plant and 1,510 pounds in another.

_Scenes and Structures on Unique “Path of History” in Monterey Bring Memories of the Days When California Was Young_

Between here and Monterey you may drive for miles between fields laid out in neat rows of thistly artichoke plants. Castroville calls itself “The Artichoke Center of the World,” and with reason, for the annual production from this area is more than 1,300,000 boxes.

_Natural Wonders and the Works of Man Combine to Create a Region of Tremendous Beauty and Wide Appeal to Students, Vacationers, and the Motorist Seeking Something New_

It is inland, however, in the great valley of the Salinas, that agriculture really hits its stride and while production in Watsonville’s Pajaro Valley is tremendous, that which centers in the Salinas area is even greater.

In the beginning Salinas was a center for livestock raising. Then overtones of agriculture were added as potatoes began to be raised thereabout. Later, sugar beets came in and the largest beet sugar refinery in the United States was built a few miles west of the city. Today, lettuce is the big item—two to three crops a year, worth more than $40,000,000.

Production on most of the larger ranches is on virtually an assembly line basis. Long machines, drawn by tractors, span 18 rows of the ripe lettuce. On a platform ride the packers, usually eight. Ahead of the machine walk cutters, one for each row, who cut the crisp green heads. Behind the machines are other workers who place the heads on a table before the packers. These packers place the heads in cartons which pass on to a worker who closes them, and another who staples the closure tight. The whole work proceeds so rapidly that a special worker is required merely to unfold cartons.

Trucks, each of which holds exactly half a carload, follow the picking machine and as the pallets on each truck are piled to the proper height with cartons of lettuce, that truck departs for a cooling plant where, under intense vacuum, the lettuce is cooled from the temperature of the hot field to a point just above freezing in a matter of only 18 to 20 minutes. Then it goes into pre-iced refrigerator cars, with the cartons still on the original pallets, and presently is on its way to market.

The old methods, by which lettuce was hauled to packing sheds for trimming, packing and icing, are now all but superseded and firms with tremendous investments in ice plants are wondering what to do with them, for when it was necessary to ice each crate of lettuce Salinas produced more ice than New York City.

Besides the lettuce which has given it the name “Salad Bowl of the World,” the Salinas Valley also produces more than $6,000,000 worth of dry beans, $12,000,000 worth of carrots, $5,500,000 worth of celery and quantities of truck crops every year. The sugar beet crop runs to almost $7,000,000 a year.

In spite of its agricultural importance, however, Salinas still thinks of itself in terms of the old stock-raising days. The annual Salinas California Rodeo was started in 1911 to perpetuate the sports and traditions of the Old West. Membership on the 50-man board which controls this four-day event is a coveted honor. In this fast, dramatic, colorful spectacle, competition is of world championship caliber, prizes amount to approximately $50,000 and every effort is made to see that the stock is capable of bringing out the best in each competitor. “Salinas,” said one rodeo rider, “is where they separate the men from the boys.”

Yet, while agriculture and stock raising overshadow them, this region, too, has its recreation features. Paraiso Hot Springs and Tassajara Hot Springs are well known resorts. The padres and, before them, the Indians, made much use of the Paraiso Springs.

Like all the other sections traversed by the route of the padres, the Salinas Valley had its missions—Mission de Nuestra Senora de la Soledad, near the town of Soledad, and Mission San Antonio de Padua, near Jolon. Both fell completely into ruins but now are being restored. Only a beginning has been made at Soledad, but San Antonio has been largely rebuilt by the Franciscan Fathers and is in use as a training school for young brothers. It is a “working” mission—that is, not only a place for worship but a place where industry is carried on, as it used to be at the original mission, shoemaking, carpentry, book binding, the making of adobe brick and tile for the rebuilding of the two wings which are still to be reconstructed, and all the maintenance work.

In addition to agriculture, food processing, and the activities dependent upon the sight-seers and pleasure-seekers, the economy of this region also derives considerable support from industry. It digs and processes sand for making glass and for other purposes. Salt and refractories are manufactured. Lumbering continues on privately-owned lands in the Santa Cruz mountains, with processing at Santa Cruz. Near Santa Cruz is one of the largest cement production plants in America, if not the world.

There are small-scale textile operations and a saddle leather plant in Santa Cruz, which city is also intensely proud of its new chewing gum plant. There are several seed farms producing flower seeds—a pretty sight in summer—and more producing field crop seed. There are busy commercial fishing fleets.

Stock-raising, with King City as an important center, brings the region more than $3,500,000 every year and dairying almost as much again.

Oil was discovered near San Ardo about eight years ago and production from this field, which has 480 active wells, holds steady at 30,000 barrels a day.

_Mountains Marching to the Sea, Red Tiles Amid the Green of Cypress, White Clouds, Bare Cliffs and Crashing Surf—These Spell Enchantment_

Also important economically are the many military installations. The vast Hunter Liggett Military Reservation has headquarters near Jolon. At Fort Ord, a few miles north of Monterey, 30,000 to 35,000 military personnel and about 2,000 civilian employees are on duty. The once-famed Del Monte Hotel at Monterey has become a postgraduate school for naval engineering officers, with a faculty and student body totalling about 2,000. The Presidio of Monterey, established so long ago by Portola, is now an army school where some 400 specialists instruct about 2,000 students in one or another of 26 languages.

Of late years the construction industry has been very important, for cities all through Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties are growing so rapidly they are fairly bursting at the seams. At Salinas, residential development has extended far north of the Rodeo Grounds, which once were out in the country. Outside the city limits to the east is another development, called Alisal, almost equal in size to the residential area of Salinas itself. And there are several smaller subdivisions. At Monterey new subdivisions and communities, some very beautiful, extend far to the north and many fine old trees are being taken from properties along the Carmel Road to make room for more homes. Carmel has overflowed into Carmel Valley. Santa Cruz is adding residential construction at a rate of about $3,000,000 annually. Watsonville has grown more than 20 per cent since 1950.

Busy as it may be, however, it is all a friendly, hospitable country. Nowhere will you find people too hurried to bid you welcome and to do what they can to make your stay enjoyable.

—Written for Motorland by D. R. Lane.

Personal Accident Insurance

You may go through life without being in a traffic accident, or you may be involved in a traffic mishap and escape injury. But the statistics are not in your favor. You may be unfortunate enough to become a “statistic” in police or hospital records.

In these days of heavy traffic, even the most careful driver may be involved in an accident; and police and hospital records show that traffic crashes today result in more serious personal injuries than ever before.

That is why the California State Automobile Association has added extra value to CSAA membership, and is now issuing a Certificate of Personal Accident Insurance providing greater protection to members than heretofore. As in the past, this Personal Accident Insurance is included in your membership without extra charge. Beginning July 1 last year, the new certificates were issued to members as they renewed their memberships, and to new members as they were enrolled.

This new Personal Accident coverage increases in value over the first three years of membership on condition that membership is continuous. The increased benefits remain in effect contingent on continued prompt renewal of membership over the years. For members with three or more years of consecutive membership, maximum coverage became effective for the current membership year upon issuance of the new insurance certificate.

The schedule of benefits in this added feature of continuous CSAA membership follows:

Payment to your beneficiary for accidental death involving an automobile is based on consecutive years of membership; first year, $500; second year, $1,000; third year and thereafter, $1,500.

Direct payments to you for other specific losses are also increased under this _accumulative_ coverage.

Hospital benefits—$35 a week for a maximum of twelve consecutive weeks—are retained and all indemnities are subject to the standard provisions and limitations as specified in the Personal Accident Certificate.

Your membership must be continuous to make this new schedule of increased benefits effective for you; and your membership must be retained on a continuous basis to keep the increased benefits in effect. If membership is allowed to lapse, the benefits under the policy revert to the first year basis if membership is re-instated at a later date.

This accumulative plan of Personal Accident Insurance based on continuous membership was adopted by the Board of Directors, not only to provide more adequate protection, but also to accord recognition to continuous membership support.

Four CSAA Offices In Two Counties On Monterey Bay

In the two counties “around Monterey Bay”—Santa Cruz and Monterey—there are four offices of the California State Automobile Association. They are strategically located in four main cities at focal points of the area’s network of highways to provide best service to the large membership in the two counties as well as the continuous flow of visiting members into this noted vacation and tourist region. These offices and their district managers are:

_Santa Cruz_, with a branch office in _Watsonville_, C. E. White; _Salinas_, J. E. Foust; and _Monterey_, Melvin R. Tuttle.

Two members of the Association’s Board of Directors represent this region. They are:

A. E. Strong of Santa Cruz, a vice-president of the CSAA; and S. V. Christierson of Salinas, civic leader and business executive.

Southern San Mateo County Office Moved

The southern San Mateo County office of the California State Automobile Association has been moved to new and larger quarters at 1500 Laurel Avenue in San Carlos. This location is in the Laurel Theater Building, corner of White Oak and Laurel avenues, one block west of El Camino Real. The new office provides more adequate service facilities for the growing membership in this district than was available at the former location in Redwood City.

New Legislation Affecting Motorists

_IT’S THE LAW Making Turns Properly On Red Traffic Light_

Right turns permitted against a red light must always be made after stopping and under certain conditions. It is timely to review these legal provisions in view of the new California law, effective September 7, governing the procedure of making left turns on a red light from a one-way street into another one-way street.

To make a right turn on a red light, the driver should come to a halt at the intersection as close as practicable to the right-hand curb. yielding the right of way to pedestrians and other traffic proceeding as directed by the stop-and-go signal. As soon as the way is clear, then the right turn may be made.

However, the law permits local authorities to prohibit such right turns on a red light in central business districts. Also, local officials may prohibit right turns on a red light outside the downtown area at any intersection under their jurisdiction if a sign is erected at the corner notifying the motorist to that effect.

On making a left turn against a red light from a one-way street into another one-way street, the driver should come to a halt at the intersection as close as practicable to the left-hand curb. When certain there will be no conflict with foot or vehicle traffic, the driver may proceed to make the turn.

Important new motor vehicle laws were passed by the 1955 California Legislature. Equally important changes and clarifications were made in many old laws.

Knowledge of these new regulations and revisions of the Vehicle Code is naturally vital to you as a motor vehicle owner and operator.

Several centuries ago a wise thinker, Thomas More, wrote:

“_All laws are promulgated for this end: that every man may know his duty, and therefore the plainest and most obvious sense of the words is that which must be put on them._”

That advice is heeded in this article interpreting for you the new regulations and code revisions. The interpretations are actually summaries stated in everyday, non-legal language to make for easy reading and quick understanding of the essential elements.

September 7 is the effective date of these new laws, except for a few urgency measures which were put into effect immediately upon approval by the Governor.

The present California highway user tax rates will remain in effect until December 31, 1959, thus assuring the continuation of the state’s accelerated highway modernization program adopted in 1953. This new law carried an urgency clause and became effective January 22.

It is now provided in the Vehicle Code as well as in the Health and Safety Code that it is unlawful to dispose of any garbage, refuse or litter upon any highway or its right of way.

Driving under the influence of liquor is a misdemeanor. The penalty for a first conviction of such a misdemeanor shall be automatically increased to that of a second conviction, if the driver already has been previously convicted of a felony for driving while drunk.

Revocation of the driving privileges of juvenile offenders is mandatory upon conviction of certain serious offenses. Revocation or suspension shall also be imposed upon recommendation by the juvenile court judge for convictions of less serious offenses. The length of the terms of revocation or suspension shall be specified.

Local authorities, as well as the State Department of Public Works, may restrict speed to 25 miles per hour because of snow conditions. Local authorities may also determine the maximum speed allowable on any bridge or structure, or in any tube or tunnel, constitutes part of a highway.

The speed limit on highways where persons are at work shall be a prima facie limit of 25 miles per hour instead of a fixed limit of 25 miles per hour.

The speed limit for heavy trucks and combinations is increased from 40 to 45 miles per hour.

The Vehicle Code provides that the registered owner of a motor vehicle is responsible for any parking violation involving the vehicle. That presumption, however, does not mean that the registered owner is further presumed to have violated any other provision of the law.

To pass a motor vehicle going less than 20 miles an hour on a grade, an overtaking vehicle must go at least 10 miles an hour faster. In addition, it must complete the passing movement within a quarter-mile distance.

Heavy trucks shall use only the lane to the immediate left of the right-hand lane when passing another vehicle on freeways and multiple-lane highways. Where passing on the right is permitted, trucks may do so.

A peace officer may remove an illegally parked motor vehicle to a garage or other place of safety.

U-turns are prohibited on the approaches to or in front of any fire station.

School Safety Patrol members may be stationed at intersections near as well as adjacent to a school. The actual presence of a supervisory school employee is not necessary at a street crossing where a patrol is maintained.

Local authorities are authorized to close certain streets for use by colleges as well as high schools in giving automobile driving instructions.

School districts, under the Education Code, are allowed to conduct driver training classes on Saturdays.

It is unlawful to refuse to obey the directions of a fireman, whether a police officer is present or not, when he is protecting fire-fighting personnel and equipment.

Stops at an arterial stop sign are to be made at the limit line, if marked, even though there may be a crosswalk.

Emergency vehicles under certain conditions are permitted to go in a direction opposed to moving traffic on a one-way street or roadway.

Authorities may erect traffic control devices at the intersection of a highway and a private road or driveway if traffic conditions warrant.

License plates shall be mounted on a motor vehicle not less than 12 inches or more than 60 inches from the ground. They are also not to be covered with any material which decreases or impairs their legibility.

Registration and vehicle license fee reciprocity is granted to motor vehicles registered in other states pending the establishment of a California Reciprocity Commission. To prevent needless confusion and disruption in the interstate movement of vehicles and trade, this law carried an urgency clause and became effective April 14.

The program of quarterly registration of commercial vehicles is continued indefinitely.

Additional summaries of new motor vehicle laws and revisions of the Vehicle Code will be published in the next issue of Motorland.

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING

_Questions in endless variety are asked by members about California and Nevada history. Here are a few selected for their general interest, with answers from authoritative sources._