National Steinbeck's Center

I drove to Salinas by mistake a few years ago. I got lost driving back from Monterey. At that time I didn't find that town fascinating. I wanted to come back. Not for Salinas but for John Steinbeck.

Finally I could make that trip to National Steinbeck's Center. My friend Sahithya & I took off at 12:00 from Santa Clara. Traffic was bad. It took us 2 1/2 hours to reach the place. An hour and half short of what we needed.

Museum was amazing. It gives you an insight of how Steinbeck was influenced by people he knew, his family, and his experiences at farms of Salinas. They also had orientation films and introduction videos to some of his works. We didn't get much chance to check them out in detail.

Another interesting aspect was culture of Salinas. It's migration patterns and how they influenced the local economy and agriculture. They also had information about local labor and their issues and different points of view.

I'll go back now for two reasons Steinbeck and Salinas. If you are in the area, don't miss out on this one. I bought their membership. I'll get free admission. ;).