Walking in John Steinbeck’s Footsteps
“A Journey is a person in itself; no two are alike. And all plans, safeguards, policing and coercion are fruitless. We find that after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us.” - John Steinbeck
About 250 or so miles northwest of where I live in Southern California is the small rural town of Salinas. At first blush one would wonder why a wanderer like me would be interested in visiting but it so happens this small rural community was the birthplace and home of Nobel laureate and Pulitzer Prize winner John Steinbeck. Not just his home but the area where he spent the bulk of his time working in the fields, making friends, living, writing and finding inspiration for his books and novels.
It’s not something that we are reminded of on an everyday basis but on a recent trip up the coast with my girlfriends I was reminded of this fact over dinner in Cannery Row. So, when circumstances called for another trip up north, I decided to drive instead of flying and add a couple of days to incorporate an itinerary that allowed me to discover more of John Steinbeck, an author to whom I had been introduced when I was a young schoolgirl, reading Grapes of Wrath for my literature class in faraway India where I grew up.
For those of you who love to travel but are not quite ready or can afford international travel there are so many places nearer to home that are relatively easy to get to, at an affordable price point. From this trip alone I have more ideas of places I want to travel to, things I want to do just in my home state of California.
As I looked for places to spend two nights in Salinas, armed with a tip that said that River Road was the place to stay in while wandering in Salinas, I discovered Chateau Coralini, coincidentally a Victorian home off Hwy 68.
This was a completely self-service location at the intersection of Hwy 68 and Country Road 17. Not precisely in Salinas nor in Monterey but with great access to all the places I wanted to visit and most importantly it was pretty affordable as well.
It is an old building with no elevators and bedrooms all on the upper floor, so you do have to carry your stuff up a steepish staircase. After a previous trip with no elevator access, I was prepared and took the necessities in a small shoulder bag that I took to my room leaving the bulk of my stuff in the car.
Armed with a map and a possible itinerary, I started my morning in downtown Salinas. The Steinbeck Center was planned to be my first stop of the day, but I arrived before it had opened and while there was some excitement between the local police and a squatter.
So, I parked by car and walked down Main Street to appreciate and enjoy the Art Deco character of the town and walk past gems like 201 Main Street that was featured in East of Eden before making my way to the center which opened at 10:00AM.
After a quick orientation from one of the ladies at the front desk, I watched a short film about John Steinbeck’s life and aspirations.
After watching the movie that provided the right background and frame of mind, I wandered through the museum which provides a chronological timeline of John’s life and books using a sensory multi-media approach.
Things were made more real for me when I chatted with some of the ladies at Steinbeck house who talked about how John’s mother who gave him his love of reading was not happy when her son decided to quit Stanford and write stories for a living. It’s the stories and local color that just add to the experience of traveling.
Amongst other things the museum has an actual Model T Ford and the modified camper that John used in his Travels with Charley. While I enjoyed wandering around the museum, my favorite corner was this replica of John’s bedroom and his desk where he is credited with writing some his early stories.
One of the things that came clear both from the film and John’s bedroom was his love for Arthurian legends. In fact, he spent some time before he died in England and Wales visiting some of these sites. Hmm might be another itinerary for a wanderer.
I visited my 90-year-old aunt after this jaunt in Salinas who told me that she’s waiting for me to write a book about my travels. Perhaps I will find inspiration from this visit and fulfill all these dreams that everyone else has on my behalf.
Along the way to the Steinbeck house, I drove by the Amtrak station where no doubt John took a train at some point and finally made my way to lunch at Steinbeck house.
In the front of the house, I met an interesting local lady who was waiting for a friend. She made a joke about how she wasn’t trolling for John’s and before we knew it, we were chatting like old friends. She pointed me to the nearby Cemetery where John was buried but while I did drive there it turned out to be a bit of a bust because I didn’t find the Steinbeck family plat and it was way too hot to wander around graves.
Lunch was a delicious salad and a special iced tea that was a favorite of the Steinbecks. I was seated in what was the parlor and the volunteer who served me told me that the two pictures of John’s parents had originally been placed on different walls but John’s sister who had still been alive had told them that the picture of her father had to be looking at her mother because that’s how it was in their day and also because her father always looked at her mother just so.
After lunch I headed to Soledad with a desire to visit some of the wineries and farms that John had worked at and visited during the writing of many of his books. Key were some of the conversations with the migrant farm workers who traveled like gypsies across the state in search of work.
As I came out of the driveway of Wrath wines headed back towards Monterey and Salinas, I came across this ruined cabin dreaming in the shade. If only it could talk, what tales might it tell.
Along the way I shared the road with farm trucks and tractors and drove by green fields stretching as far as the eye could see. Workers were gathered in different parts picking, watering and doing other tasks that are necessary to bring home a bountiful harvest.
Spreckles the company town which housed the workers who worked in the Spreckles Sugar factory was on my way as I crisscrossed across Country Road G17. If I understand correctly, John worked in the sugar mill during the early stages of his career.
Heading towards Monterey, I took the exit for Corral de Tierra Road in search of Castle Rock Park where John had played with his sisters and school friends. These rock formations sparked his imagination, and he wove stories about Camelot and knights and ladies here.
In Monterey I decided to brave the road to Jack’s Peak Park. Brave is the correct term because the road was one of the narrowest, most winding ones that I have driven and that after I almost went the wrong way when I incorrectly interpreted the correct turn from the roundabout. Who said roundabouts are safer than traffic lights?
I kept my eyes open, and fingers crossed as I drove along a road that definitely could not accommodate two cars only to get to the top to find it padlocked. There were the most amazing views of the ocean and Monterey but of course I couldn’t stop to take pictures until I found a relatively safe layby to get some quick shots. I am glad that I could not hear any of the comments that the drivers who passed me by made.
Needing to relax my jangling nerves I made my way to Lovers Point Park close to where John originally lived with his first wife. Story goes that he had a shed on his property and every morning he would take his sharpened pencils and foolscap and get locked into the shed so he could focus on his writing.
People, birds, children all scrambled over the rocks or picnicked. Finding a bench, I sat and enjoyed the evening ambiance taking in all the activity around me.
On my way to the old Fisherman’s wharf, I made my way to the Marina and wandered around a bit.
I had the addresses of the homes that John lived in in Pacific Grove and Monterey. One of them which was an original adobe is now part of a pedestrian only university area, converted into an admissions office. This property close to the ocean still exists but is almost completely enclosed with a privacy fence and greenery. It is actually lived in at the moment.
By the way the deer crossing signs are not just signs, I actually had to stop to let a deer cross the road strolling towards the ocean. What are the odds?
On my way home or at least my home away from home, I stopped for dinner at Tarpy’s Bar and Grill an excellent restaurant located in a rustic stone hewn building.
So, where did this place figure in John Steinbeck’s life? Unknown. However, given that it is on the main thoroughfare between Salinas and Monterey that John regularly traversed it’s possible he stopped here for dinner one night. At least I like to imagine he did.