THE MOUNTAIN RESORTS OF SANTA 

 CLARA COUNTY 



JOS. T. BROOKS 

 Secretary of the San Jo«e Chamber of Commerce 



WHILE Santa Clara County is noted for its famous Santa Clara Valley, 

 with miles of orchards, millions of fruit trees, gardens of exquisite 

 beauty, and wild flowers in profusion, beautiful rides, drives, and 

 homes, it is none the less attractive for the beautiful mountain 

 scenery and many fine streams of pure crystal water abounding 

 with rainbow trout, the delight of the fisherman. 



A three-hour stage ride from San Jose reaches Smith's Creek Hotel, 

 which is located twenty miles from San Jose and six miles from the Lick 

 Observatory on Mt. Hamilton. It is six miles by roadway to the Lick 

 Observatory from Smith's Creek, and if one desires to climb the mountain 

 a trail has been cut direct from Smith's Creek to Lick Observatory, two and 

 a half miles in length, and reaches direct to the summit, 4,209 feet above 

 sea-level, while Smith's Creek is 2,000 feet elevation. This resort is located 

 upon the banks of Smith's Creek. The pure mountain air at this elevation 

 is dry and crisp and one may inhale the ozone to the fullest capacity and 

 feel the benefit of the trip immediately. To get away from the city and feel 

 the freedom of the hills is a pleasure and well worth the trip. 



Another famous mountain resort in Santa Clara County is the Gilroy 

 Hot Springs. Here natural remedies stay the hand of disease and infuse 

 into the worn-out system new vim and vigor. A few weeks of this quiet 

 and absolute rest combined with the medicinal properties of the mineral 

 waters makes one feel anew. 



The section in and about Los Gates, which is located in the foothills 

 in the western section of Santa Clara County, is generously supplied with 

 many mountain resorts. Los Gates may be reached by the Southern 

 Pacific Railway, and from this city in the hills you may immediately plunge 

 into the forest districts and find many homes where a few guests are 

 welcome and enjoy the home life with an abundance of good, pure butter, 

 milk, and other eatables raised upon the place. One, for instance, is 

 Raymonds, located but a short distance from Los Gates, and another, 

 called Camp Alabama, which immediately suggests the expression of "Here 

 we rest." Los Gates has two resorts located within its limits, and the 

 cUmatic conditions are perfect, while the beauty of landscape is not sur- 

 passed in the world. 



From the main railroad station at San Jose, the interurban electric 

 car-line goes direct to Congress Springs via Saratoga, which is located in a 

 beautiful spot at an elevation of about five hundred feet. Here we find 

 a hotel of modern pretensions situated in a basin with mountains and hills 

 round about on every side. Take a walk of half a mile over the trail to the 

 famous springs, where you find pure soda bubbling from the rocks at your 

 disposal, free for the taking. This is indeed a place of beauty and a health- 

 giving portion of this wonderful Santa Clara County. 



To the south of San Jose on the main line is located Madrone Station. 

 From this point Mrs. Vic Poncelet will have her carriage team meet you 

 and travel up into the hills over the Llagas Road, which winds in and about 

 and parallels the Llagas Creek. The trip to this resort is about ten miles 

 from the station and the scenery is superb. The entire mountain sections 

 are dotted here and there with many resorts too numerous to mention in 

 this space. Their popularity is increasing from year to year because of 

 their nearness to the larger cities and their direct communication by 

 telephone, so that if necessity requires one may in a few hours step from 

 the density of a forest or mountain stream into the activity of a thriving city. 



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