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Just beyond the mountain range to the east is Orange County Park,
which we visited on another occasion. It is a fine example of the civic
progress of these California communities in providing pleasure grounds
where all classes of people may have inexpensive and delightful country
outings. It is a virgin valley, shaded by great oaks and sycamores and
watered by a clear little river, the only departure from nature being
the winding roads and picnic conveniences. There are many beautiful
camping sites, which are always occupied during the summer. Beyond
the park the road runs up Silverado Canyon, following the course of
the stream, which we forded many times. It proved rough and stony
but this was atoned for many times over by the sylvan beauty of the
scenes through which we passed. The road winds through the trees, which
overarch it at times, and often comes out into open glades which afford
views of the rugged hills on either hand. We had little difficulty
in finding our way, for at frequent intervals we noted signs, "To
Modjeska's Ranch," for the great Polish actress once had a country
home deep in the hills and owned a thousand-acre ranch at the head
of Silverado Canyon. Here about thirty years ago she used to come for
rest and recreation, but shortly before her death sold the ranch to the
present owners, the "Modjeska Country Club." It is being exploited as
a summer resort and is open to the public generally. A private drive
leads some three or four miles from the public road to the house, which
is sheltered under a clifflike hill and surrounded by a park ornamented
with a great variety of trees and shrubs. This was one of Modjeska's
fads and her friends sent her trees and plants from every part of
the world, one of the most interesting being a Jerusalem thorn, which
appears to thrive in its new habitat. The house was designed by Stanford
White-an East-Indian bungalow, we were told, but it impresses one as a
crotchety and not very comfortable domicile. The actress entertained
many distinguished people at the Forest of Arden, as she styled her
home, among them the author of "Quo Vadis," who, it is said, wrote most
of that famous story here. The place is worth visiting for the beauty
of its surroundings as well as its associations. A great many summer
cottages are being built in the vicinity and in time it will no doubt
become a popular resort, and, with a little improvement in the canyon
road, a favorite run for motorists.
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Leaving "Arden," we crossed the hills to the east, coming into the coast
highway at El Toro, a rather strenuous climb that was well rewarded
by the magnificent scenes that greeted us from the summit. The wooded
canyon lay far beneath us, diversified by a few widely separated
ranch-houses and cultivated fields, with the soft silver-gray blur of
a great olive grove in the center. It was shut in on either side by
the rugged hill ranges, which gradually faded into the purple haze of
distance. The descent was an easy glide over a moderate grade, the road
having been recently improved. At the foot of the grade we noticed a
road winding away among the hills, and a sign, "To the silver mines,"
where we were told silver is still mined on a considerable scale.
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I have departed quite a little from the story of our run to Newport
Beach, but I hope the digression was worth while. From Santa Ana a
poor road-it is splendid concrete now-running nearly south took us
to our destination. It was deserted save for a few shopkeepers and
boarding-house people who stick to their posts the year round. There was
a cheap-looking hotel with a number of single-room cottages near by. We
preferred the latter and found them clean and comfortable, though very
simply furnished. The meals served at the hotel, however, were hardly
such as to create an intense desire to stay indefinitely and after
our second experience we were happy to think that we had a well-filled
lunch-basket with us. The beach at Newport is one of the finest to be
found anywhere-a stretch of smooth, hard sand miles long and quite free
from the debris which disfigures the more frequented places. We were
greeted by a wide sweep of quiet ocean, with the dim blue outlines of
Santa Catalina just visible in the distance. To the rear of the beach
lies the lagoon-like bay, extending some miles inland and surrounding
one or two small islands covered with summer cottages. Eastward is
Balboa Beach and above this rise the rugged heights of Corona Del Mar.
A motor boat runs between this point and Newport, some five or six miles
over the green, shallow waters of the bay. We proved the sole passengers
for the day and after a stiff climb to the heights found ourselves on a
rugged and picturesque bit of coast. Here and there were great detached
masses of rock, surrounded by smooth sand when the tide was out, and
pierced in places by caves. We scrambled down to the sand and found a
quiet, sheltered nook for our picnic dinner-which was doubly enjoyable
after the climb over the rocks and our partial fast at the hotel. Late
in the afternoon we found our boat waiting at the wharf at Corona and
returned to Newport in time to drive to Los Angeles before nightfall.
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Newport is only typical of several retired seaside resorts-Huntington
Beach, Bay City, Court Royal, Clifton, Hermosa, Playa del Rey, and
others, nearly all of which may be easily reached by motor and which
will afford many pleasant week-end trips similar to the little jaunt to
Newport which I have sketched.
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And one must not forget Avalon-in some respects the most unique and
charming of all, though its position on Santa Catalina, beyond twenty
miles of blue billows, might logically exclude it from a motor-travel
book. There are only twenty-five miles of road in the island-hardly
enough to warrant the transport of a motor, though I believe it has been
done. But no book professing to deal with Southern California could
omit Avalon and Catalina-and the motor played some part, after all,
for we drove from Los Angeles to San Pedro and left the car in a garage
while we boarded the Cabrillo for the enchanted isle. We were well in
advance of the "season," which invariably fills Avalon to overflowing,
and were established in comfortable quarters soon after our arrival. The
town is made up largely of cottages and lodging-houses, with a mammoth
hotel on the sea front. It is situated on the crescent-shaped shore of
a beautiful little bay and climbs the sharply rising hill to the rear
in flower-covered terraces.
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There is not much to detain the casual visitor in the village itself,
especially in the dull season; no doubt there is more going on in
the summer, when vacationists from Los Angeles throng the place. The
deserted "tent city"-minus the tents-the empty pavilion, the silent
dance hall and skating-rink, all mutely testify of livelier things than
we are witnessing as we saunter about the place.
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