Page:Motoring Magazine and Motor Life January 1915.djvu/9

, 1915.

From the standpoint of the picturesque scenery met with on a tour by motor car to Monte Rio and the Russian River is one that will enliven three days of easy driving for the average motorist. Taking in, as this trip does, a wide range of mountain, riverside and ocean shore driving, the run is so full of the appealingly beautiful in land and sea vistas that the automobilist turns his car back for the homeward run with regret.

Starting from this city recently, a party of motorists took the boat to Sausalito and after arriving there the road to San Rafael.

At present the road between these two places is being replaced by the new State Highway, and motorists will have some hard going for some ten or fifteen miles. From San Rafael to Petaluma and Santa Rosa the roads, though in many places very rough, are passable. At Santa Rosa the party of motorists had supper, a task in this case that was accomplished as quickly as possible. From Santa Rosa on, via the steep and dangerous Guerneville road to Monte Rio, the party drove arriving in Monte Rio at 11:30 that night, after a number of unpleasantly thrilling experiences on the Guerneville grade.

Motorists who go to Monte Rio, via Santa Rosa and the Guerneville grade should not drive over it by night, as it is too steep, narrow and dangerous for any but the most experienced drivers. After a refreshing rest in Monte Rio on Saturday night, Sunday morning the start for a drive along the Russian River was made, and the drive alongside of the superbly beautiful stream rewarded the tourists for the former dangers of the trip.

The run alongside of the Russian River is one that will repay any one for taking, as the combination of wooded hills, coming down to the water edge, quaint little bays and inlets and tree clad isles, springing into view at every turn of the road, are as beautiful as any scenes in the State. Driving back after a wonderful day spent here by the Russian River, the party arrived in time for supper at Monte Rio, spending the night there, and early the next day getting under way for the drive home.

The party decided to go home by way of Camp Meeker, Tomales and alongside Tomales Bay to Point Reyes and so on down to Sausalito, and found that this