many continents to look upon—a sweet-pea farm in full bloom. A resort near Oceano is El Pizmo beach, over twenty miles long and several hundred yards wide—as pretty a piece of sand stretch as uncle Neptune ever bade his ocean minions to build. The pounding waves of countless centuries have here rolled the white sand upon a firm, gentle slope forming a bathing beach large enough to wash half the world upon, while forming an automobile speedway that can hardly be surpassed and that is largely patronized. And a good part of the world is learning about El Pizmo, surely and enthusiastically. An elaborate resort hotel has been built here; attractive cottages have gone up on the sand dunes here about, and a tent city has been built. Near here, too, is La Grande beach, a wonderful sight to see.

THE COAST NORTH OF SANTA BARBARA IS RUGGED AND WILD. WITH THE SURF POUNDING RESTLESSLY UPON JAGGED ROCKS AND HEADLANDS

MISSION LA PURISMA CONCEPCION. IN THE BEAUTIFUL VALLEY OF LOMPOC—THE OLD RAFTERS, WITH THEIR RAWHIDE LASHINGS, STILL REMAIN AND KINDLY HANDS ARE PRESERVING AND RESTORING THE BUILDING

From far away the traveler approaching San Luis Obispo—the city whose mission was named by the Franciscans to honor the memory of their beloved bishop of Tolosa—sees a series of mountains that make him wonder if he is in the land of the Ptolemys. There are few more interesting or stranger formations than these pyramids that form the setting of San Luis Obispo; one that is peculiarly cleft, suggests a bishop’s miter, and this quaint freak of nature is said to have inspired the Padre Lasuen to give the city its name. The well laid out city is finely built, with many shade trees, well made roads, excellent water system, electric light and gas. In location it resembles Los Angeles, though it is nearer the ocean. The summer temperature has a maximum of ninety-four degrees; the winter minimum is thirty-two degrees. Lemon and orange trees thrive and roses bloom the year around. The many drives include a twelve-mile ride to El Pizmo, already described, a seven-mile trip to the famous San Luis Hot Springs with its sulphur plunge and baths located amid a beautiful sycamore grove, a nine-mile journey to Avila beach, near Port Harford, a fourteen-mile excursion to the famous Morro, with its singular rock towering above the ocean, and a seven-mile ride up Reservoir Cañon. In the heart of the town is the old mission, founded in 1772.

ON THE GRADE TO SAN LUIS OBISPO HOT SPRINGS

FISHERMAN’S COVE NEAR SAN LUIS OBISPO—A FAMOUS RESORT FOR ANGLERS, AMATEUR AND PROFESSIONAL

A SECTION OF MISSION SAN LUIS OBISPO TO-DAY, SHOWING THE SUBSTANTIAL CONSTRUCTION

From San Luis Obispo northerly, the railway climbs the Santa Lucia mountains, spurs of the Coast Range, noted for the beauty of their cañons, their oak-clad hillsides, their trout streams, their wild flowers in springtime, with marvelous bits of highland scenery at every curve of the road. The train comes close to playing crack-the-whip at several points over the Santa Lucia grade, and one may see at frequent intervals, far below, the track which the train has just covered. Down the upper or northern slope of the Santa Lucias the train enters the Salinas valley, producer of wheat, of fruit, of stock—one of the oldest settled and best known of the paradise valleys of the state. It is narrow here at this upper end, with heavily wooded slopes and hundreds of streams that come tumbling down to the Salinas river which flows in a northerly direction to the beautiful bay of Monterey.

THE MISSION OF SANTA YNEZ, NEAR LOS OLIVOS, STILL PRESERVES MUCH OF ITS OLD-TIME OUTLINE

CALIFORNIA POLYTECHNIC SCHOOL NEAR SAN LUIS OBISPO, WHERE DIPLOMAS IN USEFULNESS ARE AWARDED

LONELY MORRO ROCK, THE HAUNT OF SEAL AND SEA FOWL.

NEARING HORSESHOE CURVE—AFTER LEAVING SAN LUIS OBISPO THE TRAIN CLIMBS THE SANTA LUCIA RANGE—MARVELOUS SCENES AT EVERY TURN

At Atascadero one may see the maneuvering ground of a recent encampment of national guard and regular army soldiers. If men who go to war could have their choice of an ideal camping and fighting country they would surely select a spot like this, with plenty of shade, plenty of water, rolling hills for defense, and ambuscades of chaparral and manzanita on the hillsides for shelter. This site is one of several recommended for one of five permanent army camps, where volunteers and regulars may be drilled side by side. Another is the great Nacimiento ranch that lies beyond the Mission San Miguel.

Beyond this point the valley broadens and the road enters the hot spring region, in the center of which is El Paso de Robles, the “pass of the oaks.” Here at Paso Robles and at Santa Ysabel, close at hand, are mineral springs of all sorts and temperature, clay-mud, sand, iron, sulphur, soda, lithia; all within a small area as if marshaled for the healing of the nations. The elevation is 720 feet above sea level, about that of Carlsbad, Baden-Baden, or Kissingen. A flowing well furnishes 2,000,000 gallons daily of hot sulphur water, excellent for both internal and external uses. The hot lithia spring is 124 degrees; the great sulphur spring 107 degrees. The sanitary value of these wonderful founts of healing was recognized long ago, and every season seekers for health come to be cured, as the sufferers of France make pilgrimage to Lourdes; the dry air, the sunshine, the healing waters from Nature’s laboratory soon make the patient feel as good as new.

MITER MOUNT—ONE OF THE MANY WONDERS OF THE SANTA LUCIA MOUNTAINS WITH THEIR OAK-CLAD HILLSIDES AND INVITING CAÑONS WHERE EVERY CURVE SUGGESTS AN IDEAL HOMESITE FOR YOUR CASTLE IN SPAIN

The