A recent trip to Monterey County reminded me of the “I Spy” car games we played as children. I was on a mission to locate all eight Monterey wine country murals along Highway 101. There’s no official map with exact locations. The Monterey County Vintners & Growers Association’s Google map roughly plots locations, but there…
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Nicknamed the Salad Bowl of the World and located in the central region of California, Salinas is known for its agricultural industry, particularly in the floral, grape vineyard and vegetable sectors. Its prosperity in agriculture is due to its marine climate that is ideal for such fields. As a result, it presents some of the…
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Quick: Can you name the second-largest tidal saltwater marsh system outside of San Francisco Bay? Neither could I, until I pulled off of Highway 1 on a whim one lazy afternoon on my way home from Monterey. If it were anywhere else but in Northern California, with its abundance of natural wonders, Elkhorn Slough would…
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Toronto Star May 8, 2014, Salinas, California–We all know where lettuce comes from; the produce aisle for most of the year and for those of us lucky enough to have a little patch of dirt in the back, the garden for at least for a few months. But as you drive into Salinas, California, two…
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The Food Dude got an up-close and personal look at artichokes. Artichokes are revered around the globe, but Oklahomans view the edible flower blossom with collective suspicion. Data is scarce, but the phrase “Okie-dokie, artichokie” might have something to do with it. People from Oklahoma can call each other Okies, but others aren’t allowed —…
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The California author John Steinbeck won both the Pulitzer and Nobel Peace Prize during his illustrious career. Born in Salinas, California, he will always be associated with Salinas, Monterey, Carmel, the Central Coast, his celebration of the common man, and interest in social justice. This week L.A. Letters visits the National Steinbeck Center, examines his…
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“The Salinas Valley is a long narrow swale between two ranges of mountains, and the Salinas River winds and twists up the center until it falls at last into Monterey Bay.” — John Steinbeck from East of Eden A sense of awe overcomes me as I linger over dinner in the home of the famous…
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Nature’s Wonders Dot Landscape In Central California California’s central coast, a two-hour drive south of San Francisco, has long been known for its gloriously-stunning Monterey Peninsula where a gasp-a-minute 17-mile stretch of road ribbons past cypress-clad ocean vistas and craggy headlands. Along the way, picturesque and tiny towns such as Pacific Grove, Carmel-by-the-Sea and the…
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I love Napa and Sonoma and would rather swallow a crumpled-up wine box than dis either one of them. But if money talks, a much better California county for wine lovers is on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge. The side where John Steinbeck was born, the side that, for decades, has grown…
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Centered in the curve of Monterey Bay, midway between Santa Cruz and Monterey, on California’s famous Highway 1, Moss Landing is hard to miss, yet most drivers whiz by headed for more famous neighbors. This is a mistake. A big mistake, as the tiny fishing village is a hidden treasure yielding rich rewards for nature-loving…
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