On Sunset Highways: A Book of Motor Rambles in California

In Short

This narrative chronicles early automotive expeditions across California, sweeping from seaside boulevards to rugged mountain passes. Thomas Dowler Murphy documents his journeys over dusty backroads, ambitious state highway projects, and sheer canyon grades in an era when long-distance motoring was a bold adventure. Along the way, he records the changing face of the West, contrasting modern resort towns with decaying historic sites. The work endures as a vivid historical snapshot, capturing the precise moment when the automobile opened the American frontier to modern travel and transformed how people encountered landscape and history.

The Story

The chronicle follows a comprehensive circuit of California’s distinct geographic regions, using the emerging road system as its organizing thread. Beginning in the south around Los Angeles, the journey explores both coastal resorts and inland mountain ranges. Coastal destinations like Venice and Coronado offer bustling tourist scenes, while inland drives climb into the Santa Monica Mountains and up to the high-elevation roads of the San Bernardino range. Here, routes like the "Rim of the World Drive" test the endurance of early motor cars on steep switchbacks and long canyon descents, opening up dramatic vistas over distant valleys and desert borders.

Moving south toward the Mexican border, the narrative navigates difficult desert terrain. The route crosses the Imperial Valley, where heavy sand and broken oiled roads present constant physical obstacles before giving way to newly built agricultural towns and paved boulevards. Turning northward along the coast via Del Mar and Santa Barbara, the focus shifts to historic paths like El Camino Real. The journey highlights famous hotels, coastal oil wells at Summerland, and historic Spanish missions, noting both their romantic origins and their precarious state of repair.

Continuing into Northern California, the route weaves through coastal redwood groves, rural agricultural valleys, and steep mountain passes. Towns like Monterey reveal decaying historical landmarks, while the coastal forests around Santa Cruz showcase towering ancient trees. Inland detours lead through Sonoma and Lake Counties, over winding toll roads, and past agricultural communities in the San Joaquin Valley.

The final legs of the journey tackle the state's most challenging terrain: the dramatic approach to Yosemite Valley and the high-altitude roads leading to Lake Tahoe. Traversing rough, dusty trails, single-lane cliffside roads, and remote mountain outposts, the trip concludes among the grandest natural landscapes of the West. Throughout the entire narrative arc, the progression moves from established urban centers to remote wilderness, charting both the vast geography of the state and the rapid expansion of modern roadways that made such exploration possible.

How It Unfolds

Excursions from the metropolis The journey opens with explorations around Los Angeles, balancing coastal visits to Venice with climbs up Lookout Mountain. Smoothly engineered mountain roads offer clear vantage points over the surrounding plains, while nearby towns present historical reenactments of early mission life.

Conquering the mountain rims Ascending into the high country, the route tackles the dramatic switchbacks and steep grades of the "Rim of the World Drive." Long downhill coasts and mountain passes test driver vigilance before leading down into Riverside and San Diego.

Crossing the desert sands Turning eastward toward the Imperial Valley, the car battles deep sand, rough chuck-holes, and treacherous grades. Modern irrigation and new railway lines slowly transform the arid borderland into established agricultural communities.

Tracing the coastal highway Heading north along El Camino Real, the path visits coastal landmarks, oil derricks rising from the sea, and historic mission ruins. Ocean views from high headlands alternate with quiet rural inns nestled in oak-studded valleys.

Navigating the northern wilderness The final stages press through coastal redwood canyons, rough mountain toll roads, and steep Sierra trails. The journey finishes among the massive granite walls of Yosemite and the high-elevation waters of Lake Tahoe.

The People

The Author-Driver Thomas Dowler Murphy seeks the freedom of open-ended exploration across California's diverse landscapes. He wants to experience the natural wonders and historic heritage of the state firsthand from behind the wheel. Standing in his way are unpaved roads, blinding sandstorms, mechanical risks, and daunting mountain grades. Through continuous travel, he evolves from a cautious tourist into a seasoned mountain driver with a deep appreciation for the region's preservation needs.

The Local Booster Figures like Frank Miller and John S. McGroarty desire to preserve and celebrate California’s romantic history through literature, pageantry, and development. They face the rapid modernization of the state and the physical decay of historic structures. Their efforts help transform historical lore into public pageants and regional literature that draw new waves of travelers.

The Old Veteran An eccentric resident living in Robert Louis Stevenson’s former Monterey quarters wants to share his historical connection to the town's past without accepting money. His pride in his naval service stands against the general dilapidation of the historic buildings around him, leaving a memorable impression of local independence.

In Its Own Voice

"To one who has lost his boyish zeal for 'shooting the shoots' and a thousand and one similar startling experiences... there will be little diversion save the multifarious phases of humanity always manifest in such surroundings."

— Observing the diverse crowd of tourists gathered at the seaside amusements in Venice.

"There is nothing to break the full sweep of one's vision—not a tree or even a shrub intervenes between the roadbed and the precipitous slope beneath."

— Describing the thrilling view from the narrow mountain pass along Priest's grade.

What It's Really About

Beneath its travel itineraries, the text explores the tension between rapid modern progress and the preservation of natural and historical heritage. It examines how the rise of automotive transit transformed the American relationship with space and time, turning remote wilderness and quiet agricultural valleys into accessible public scenery. The narrative frequently reflects on memory and decay, drawing attention to crumbling Spanish missions, neglected historical homes, and vulnerable ancient forests. Ultimately, it asks how a rapidly growing society can build modern infrastructure without destroying the unique cultural history and natural beauty that make a region worth visiting.

Why Read It Today

This account will appeal to travel enthusiasts, road-trip aficionados, and readers of early twentieth-century American history. Reading it feels like sitting in the passenger seat of a vintage automobile, feeling every bump in the road while taking in sweeping vistas of an uncrowded West. The prose is clear, observational, and appreciative of natural beauty without becoming overly sentimental.

The book does present a few challenges for contemporary readers. Its leisurely pace and detailed descriptions of specific road conditions, town populations, and hotel accommodations reflect the era's travel guide format and may feel overly methodical to some. Additionally, the period perspectives on historical figures and local development reflect early twentieth-century viewpoints. Yet what stays with the reader is a deep sense of nostalgia for the open road—a vivid record of a transitional era when motoring across California was a genuine, unpredictable adventure.

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