Salinas is to be found some 50mi/80km south of San Jose, in the middle of a fertile agricultural region, where mainly lettuce, sugar-beet and fruit and vegetables of all kinds are grown, and some canning is done as well. Founded in 1856, its name comes from the salt-marshes at the mouth of the river of the same name; it became well-known as the birthplace of John Steinbeck.
The Jose Eusebio Boronda Adobe in Salinas was built around 1845 and is the oldest building in the town. The Old Lagunita School House, built in 1897, is at the same site.
The National Steinbeck Center is dedicated to the popular author and his works. There are multimedia and interactive exhibits as well as archives of the writer's works.
Address: National Steinbeck Center, 1 Main Street, Salinas, CA 93901-3436, United States
Phone: 1 (831) 775-4721, Fax: 1 (831) 796-3828
Hours:
10am-5pm
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November ), Christmas - Christian (December 25)
The rear courtyard of the Salinas Community Center has a State of California historical marker commemorating the Salinas assembly center as well as a small fenced Japanese garden.
Several of Steinbeck's works are set in Salinas or the Salinas Valley, for example, "Tortilla Flat" (1935), "East of Eden" (1952) and "Of Mice and Men" (1937). The house in which Steinbeck was born (132 Central Avenue, corner of Stone Street) is an imposing building, which now houses a restaurant on the ground floor.
Address: Steinbeck House, 132 Central Avenue, Salinas, CA 93901, United States
Phone: 1 (408) 424-2735, Fax: 1 (831) 757-5806
Hours:
11:30am-2pm; Closed: Sun, Mon
Tips: The Steinbeck House is open for Sunday Tours from Memorial Day through Labor Day, from 1-3 p.m. for a modest admission charge.
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