Tour Salinas

Discover beautiful Salinas California, where you'll find historic sites, unspoiled farmland, a quaint, historic downtown, and some of the friendliest people around.  Author John Steinbeck was born here, so visit his boyhood home as well as the National Steinbeck Center while you're here.  Salinas is famous for agriculture and our fresh, home-grown produce is available around the world.  We are also known for the best year-round climate in the entire North American continent, and have some of the cleanest air in the United States of America!

Heart of the Salinas Valley

Salinas is the gateway to the Salinas Valley and the Monterey Peninsula.  Located just a few miles from the most magnificent and dramatic coastline in world, Salinas has become known for some of the tastiest wines in California, with vineyards and tasting rooms in the Santa Lucia foothills along the entire 100 miles of the Salinas Valley.  Salinas is famous as the "Salad Bowl of the World" and promotes green, healthy living with a variety of tasty, fresh vegetables.

Salinas - Real Fun!

Along with annual events such as ArtSong Youth Arts Festival, the California Rodeo, and the International Air Show, Salinas hosts the First Fridays Art Walk, on the 1st Friday of every month, where you'll find local artist exhibits, and variety of live music for all ages.  Plus - kids Creation Stations - where children can create art to take home. Downtown Salinas, known as Oldtown, offers a unique shopping experience with interesting boutiques, great coffee and restaurants, and Maya Cinemas, a 14 screen movie theater.

Salinas' Art Galleries reflect a genuine expression of the people who live here. The 4Word Art Gallery, @Risk gallery in Chinatown, Hartnell College Gallery, the National Steinbeck Center Galleries, and the Valley Art Gallery, a co-op for over 30 years, exhibit both regionally and internationally known artists.  Downtown Salinas also features a number of non-traditional art venues, where emerging local artists exhibit - receptions are on the 1st Friday of the month. Live theater and cinema round out the arts scene.

Historic sites include the Boronda Adobe History Center which boasts the largest archive of historic documents and photographs in Monterey County, and is the location of the Boronda Adobe, the beautifully restored  home of one of the original settling families in the area.  Mission Soledad, in the heart of the wine country just south of Salinas is one of the most rustic and quaint in the California Mission chain.

John Steinbeck put Salinas on the world map through his novels and essays, and no trip to Salinas would be complete without a visit to his boyhood home and the Steinbeck Center Museum, just a block away.  Lunch is served Tuesday-Saturday at the Steinbeck House by the volunteers of the Valley Guild dressed in period costume, and the Best Cellar gift shop is open with books and souvenirs.  A short walk down Central Avenue is the National Steinbeck Center, an interactive museum with themed theaters and galleries showcasing the famous author's literary works.  Visit the Gift Shop for Steinbeck-themed souvenirs and copies of John Steinbeck's books - great for travel reading.

Salinas is known as the 'Salad Bowl of the World' for a reason, and experiencing one of the many Certified Organic Farmers' Markets and enjoying the world-class wines produced in the fertile Salinas Valley is a must while you are here.  A journey down River Road to enjoy a day of wine tasting is worth the time for the incredible scenery alone.  Small, local wine makers share the River Road Wine Trail with larger, internationally known wineries, and the the result is an eclectic mix of vintners presenting world-class, award winning wines.  Bring a picnic and enjoy the views! 

About Salinas

Salinas and the Salinas Valley offer a unique combination of climate, natural resources, and people. The City of Salinas was born after Mexico seceded from Spain in 1822 and began granting rancho lands. Named for a nearby salt marsh, Salinas became the seat of Monterey County in 1872 and incorporated in 1874.

Today, the Salinas Valley is known as the Salad Bowl of the World for the production of lettuce, broccoli, mushrooms, and strawberries, along with numerous other crops. The climate is also ideal for the floral industry and grape vineyards.

Salinas’ hospitality blends yesterday’s charm with today’s modern conveniences. The California Rodeo, California International Air Show, and the world-famous Steinbeck Festival are major attractions of our colorful and diverse city.

Visitors can also explore the beauty of nearby Monterey Peninsula beaches. The historic missions of San Juan Bautista, Soledad, Carmel, and San Antonio de Padus, the world-class wineries of South Monterey County and Pinnacles National Monument.

 

Destination Salinas Contact Information

We look forward to welcoming you to Salinas, stop by our Visitor Center in the historic downtown and say hello!
Sign up for a guided tour while you are here. Please don't hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have!

Telephone

831.435.INFO

Cell

831.594.1799

Postal address

222 Main Street, Salinas, CA 93901

Electronic mail

General Information: Trish@Salinas411.org
Sales:
Customer Support:
Webmaster: Salinas411@yahoo.com

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