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A journey is a person in itself: no two are alike.John Steinbeck, Travels with Charley
There’s a pass in California’s Central Valley that hasn’t been overrun by greed or ambition. During college, still heady with independence, I fell in love with that road between the Interstate 5 and Monterrey. Back then I’d drive home along Highway 152, on the way from San Francisco to Southern California several times a year. Today the valley is still mostly clear of development and traffic was light on my way through John Steinbeck country.
Memorial at San Luis dam.
The Highway 152 turnoff passes by a lake recreation area adjacent to the San Luis dam. I stopped to stretch my legs and found a memorial to two divers, Tim Crawford and Martin Alvarado, who lost their lives performing underwater inspections at the Dos Amigos Pumping Plant. It was the only bitter note all day.
The land lies smoothly in carpets of green during the winter, then golds and browns for the rest of the year. Commanding it all are the Oak Trees spotting the hills, their branches dark and twisting. The trees first seduced me on full moon drives. They stood round and alert, perfectly outlined in the bright, night light. It was unlike any darkness I’d known.
This trip wild poppies sparked along the roadside, in bright buttercup yellow. A small clump of horses stood in the shade of one tall Oak. They drew me to a stop. One by one they strolled over to the fence, curious, hungry for attention or a handout. I was sorry to have come empty handed.
Casa de Fruta
As a kid, on family road trips my parents would pull over to pick out snacks at roadside fruit stands. Casa de Fruta remains one of the biggest I’ve seen. Who can resist piles of glowing dried apricots, tawny pears and walnut stuffed dates? A busy fountain in the back is a natural Artesian Well used many years ago by the Ausaymus Indians (an Oholone Tribe.)
Old Town Salinas Main Street.
Not everyone has the good fortune to be born in Salinas.~ John Steinbeck
Once on the 101 Highway going south towards Salinas my intuition took me to turnoff at Main Street. In Old Town, the National Steinbeck Center stands at the north end of several blocks of buildings from the early 1900’s. Trish Sullivan leads Salinas 411, the information center, from their office which also holds an art gallery, vintage shop and book store. She invited me over to see the work being completed on the Salinas Railroad Museum later that evening. (More in posts to come.)
Trish Sullivan in the Salinas411 information center.
First there was the Steinbeck Center. The museum has a winding gallery that chronicles his life and books, his awards, marriages and even has an old truck, the same model that he cruised around the country in for 19 months with his dog, Charley, for company. There are movies about his life and adventures. A big party is planned commemorating his birthday on Saturday, February 28th.
What a life John Steinbeck had!
Yes, he’s the quintessential California writer but foolish me, I’d never thought of him as a travel writer. His nonfiction work, Log of the Sea of Cortez, journalistic writing from WW2, and explorations of Russia are a testament to that. The book, Travels With Charley, preceded other great American road trip novels by Kerouac, Studs Terkel and many other writers.
The route John Steinbeck took with his dog Charley.
In 1962, John Steinbeck won the Nobel Prize for his body of work. The Nobel Committee wrote: “His sympathies always go out to the oppressed, the misfits, and the distressed; he likes to contrast the simple joy of life with the brutal and cynical craving for money. But in him we find the American temperament also expressed in his great feelings for the tilled soil, the wasteland, the mountains, and the ocean coast…”
I was so happy to be reintroduced to his great work and his hometown. Happy birthday, John Steinbeck. There’s so much to learn from your journeys and hope I cross your paths often.
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This is the sort of road trip I’d love to do. John Steinbeck is, hands down, my favourite author. Travels with Charley makes me want to pack up a truck and head out on the backroads of America, travel to the small towns and meet the locals.
I’m with you, Mike and always itching to pack up for a road trip.
Loved reading this post. Being a fan of John Steinbeck and his writings, this post was something definitely special. I was very much moved and impressed by his Pulitzer Prize winning novel, The Grapes of Wrath, great writer and traveler too.
Thank you, Sandy. I was touched by following a bit of his track in California. The Museum would be wonderful for you to visit.
Loved reading this post. Being a fan of John Steinbeck and his writings, this post was something definitely special. I was very much moved and impressed by his Pulitzer Prize winning novel, The Grapes of Wrath, great writer and traveler too.
Stunning pictures and breathtaking place, Elaine!
Thank you, Agness, That was a wonderful, brief road trip.
I’ve done this excursion myself and written about Steinbeck sites. Here’s a little gem for you–this is where Steinbeck began writing “The Pearl”, http://weekendadventuresupdate.blogspot.com/search?q=Steinbeck
I knew he spent several months researching in the Sea of Cortez and La Paz, where the myth began, but didn’t know there was a connection to Monterrey as well.
Steinbeck wrote so many great books and your post has prompted me to reread a few. Gorgeous photos of this beautiful area . Id’ love to see old town Salinas.
I hope you get a chance too wander that region. Charming and full of history.
Love Steinbeck and this was a great way to remember different things. I often think about Of Mice and Men and Grapes of Wrath. He was really very talented.
He was truly committed to giving a voice and insights into the human condition before anyone else was in America. Those talents have inspired so many.
Never knew about Salinas but it sure looks like a nice stop along the way~
It’s a sweet, quintessential, small, American town.
Travels with Charley has been my favorite book since my grandmother gave me a copy as a child. I’ve wanted to retrace his itinerary ever since! Needless to say, I loved this post 🙂
Thanks, Lola. Wouldn’t it be great to trace the route in the book?! We should get a caravan together.
Love this! We live in LA and have never done a real California trip like this
It’s just up the road. Grab an audio book of Steinbeck to listen to on the way. Wish I had time to ride up Hwy. 101 all the way. Next trip.
East of Eden is one of my favorite books of all time. I loved this post. I am going to have to visit the center – it looks amazing.
I hope you do get to visit Salinas and the Center soon. Great area to explore.
Steinbeck has long been one of my favorite writers, and you’re right, Travels with Charley influenced generations of road-trippers. Of Mice and Men, Cannery Row, the immortal Grapes of Wrath, and The Pearl are my favorites. I still have a long way to go before I’m done with him. Salinas has done a great job bearing the standard of his legacy.
I highly recommend an audio book of one of Steinbeck’s works. It’s a fresh way to experience his mastery of language.
A great writer and a great area of the USA. We loved that part of California. Thanks for jogging my memory of our time there in 2006.
Thanks. I loved getting reacquainted with Steinbeck too. Thanks.
What a lovely drive that must be…I love the views! I never really thought of Steinbeck as a travel writer either, how interesting. Thanks for linking up at #WeekendWanderlust!
Thanks, Lauren. It’s truly a gorgeous area.
I read “East of Eden” in a book club. Your photographs and narrative make me feel like I am back in the pages of that book.
Hi Elaine, I enjoyed reading your post. We love driving this road and in fact we do it quite often, but interestingly enough I never stopped in Salinas. I think we’ll do it next time we are in the area.