Page:The Tourist's California by Wood, Ruth Kedzie.djvu/46

 28 THE TOURIST'S CALIFORNIA ary temperature is 55 degrees. But this says nothing of the pall-like cold of shadows and of houses more comfortable without than within. If the newcomer's enthusiasm for the winter sun leads him to discard warm clothing he may very easily contract dangerous colds when he leaves the sun for the shade the burning California sun for the sinister California shade, the sun which ren- ders tropical one side of the street, whose shadow, darkening the other side, sends us shivering to our woollen coats. Even in summer, acclimated Californians are wary of the dusk spaces. Like the Spaniards, they prefer the downrightness of sun-heat to hid- den evils in the cooling shadow. Strangers are also deceived by the statement that, since the winter is mild, little heat is required in the houses. They find, however, that in rooms not w'armed by the sun, prosy steam heat is grateful, even though, just outside the window, palm-fronds may lie athwart fuchsia-vines that climb roof-high. Hotels, once cold as Burgos, are learning this. " Heat all day," is advertised as an inducement to winter guests in Los Angeles. There are, moreover, summer days on the coast which demand the comfort of an open fire when the afternoon breeze springs up. One may carry trunks of thin clothes to San Francisco which are