Oakland, the third largest city in California is but eighteen minutes from San Francisco via the Southern Pacific’s fine transbay steamers.
With its fine harbor facilities, Oakland is rapidly growing as a commercial center, carrying on an extensive coastwise and foreign trade. Its position on the east side of the bay, makes it a great railroad terminal for all lines from the north, south and east.
As a community of homes, Oakland has a well deserved fame, for its setting is picturesque and the climate nears perfection.
Oakland has many attractive parks and public playgrounds. Lake Merritt, near the Civic Center is a natural water-park, and state game reserve, where thousands of wild ducks make their winter home, an unusual sight, indeed. Boating may be enjoyed every day in the year.
Oakland’s City Hall, with its massive tower, is the tallest building in California, its height being 377 feet.
[FERRY BOAT “CONTRA COSTA”]
This ferry carries Southern Pacific trains and passengers between Port Costa and Benicia, crossing the Carquinez Straits. The distance is about a mile and requires about twenty minutes. The ferry was constructed as a sister ship to the ferry “Solano” and is the largest ferry in the world. It is 433 feet long, cost $450,000, and has a capacity of 36 cars and two engines.
[LASSEN PEAK, LASSEN VOLCANIC NATIONAL PARK]
Lassen Peak, California, is the latest scene of volcanic activity on the Pacific Coast, adding another point of interest along “The Road of a Thousand Wonders.” Lassen Peak with its elevation of 10,577 feet, can be seen from the car windows of the “Shasta Route” trains, and can be visited from Red Bluff or Redding by automobile.