Still basking in the glow of the successful presentation, I breakfasted (sounds more sophisticated than "had breakfast" but not as medieval as "broke my fast") at my hotel, then checked out, turned on Siri to guide me, and headed out of town.
After listening to one of the presenters yesterday speak on water usage on the farms of the Central Valley, I was very much aware of all the agriculture as I headed across the valley toward the coast. I can't tell little farms from multi-billion dollar corporate giants, but I can admire a well-turned field and orderly fruit and nut trees. I admired them so much that I was reminded of Jack London's Valley of the Moon, my favorite London book (with The Star Rover coming in a respectable second). In Valley, the lead characters, Billy and Saxon leave their industrial jobs in turn-of-the-century Oakland and head off down California, seeking a better way of life, a life of working the land. Along the way, they discover Portuguese farmers who arrived in the Salinas Valley without much of anything and yet managed to carve out prosperity through their small holdings. When I saw all those cultivated acres today, I imagined Billy and Saxon walking along the dirt roads, meeting farmers, discussing agricultural techniques, soaking in the rich fertility of California's land. They opened themselves up to new adventures, and I wanted to do the same.
But enough of the romance. Tooling along, I stopped thinking of Billy and Saxon long enough to enjoy the sight of the beautiful San Luis Reservoir--so pretty but without enough water to fill it properly. I also found San Juan Bautista along the way, and decided to visit the mission there. It seems as though I were not the only one to have this notion--there wasn't a damn parking place in the entire flippin' town. What was that about? Was it a special John the Baptist holiday? I guess I'll never know. I drove past the overflowing mission, turned around, and headed back for the open road.
The sight of Casa de Fruta on the side of the road set my mouth to watering, so I again pulled off the highway. What began as a little fruit stand in 1908 has grown into quite the enterprise. My sister advises that fruits and vegetables were for sale, but I never even saw them. What I saw was all manner of chocolate and nut combinations that called to me for purchase. And I heeded their call. With bags of chocolate-covered pecans, chocolate-covered cherries, and carmel corn with almonds and macademia nuts, I added gifts for my girls and a Diet Pepsi for the road. I then explored around the various shops, all named Casa de--Casa de Sweets, Casa de Wine, Casa de Coffee, and the inspiring Casa de Burrito.
Enough Casas, and I was back on the road. Soon I was in Salinas and parking Stella in the cool parking structure next to the National Steinbeck Center. The Center sits at the end of Main Street, Salinas, such a typical Main Street that it again sent me back in time to the early decades of the twentieth century. The Museum itself is fairly new, pretty state-of-the-art. I began by watching two little videos, one a bio of Steinbeck that neatly obliterated anything complex or even slightly unsavory in his life, the other a little film about farming in the Salinas Valley.
Then it was time to begin the exhibit itself. The designers did a wonderful job, setting the life of Steinbeck within the context of his books. And I never realized just how many books there were. He was quite the prolific writer back in the day. Lots of books I never heard of, including The Moon Has Fallen, In Dubious Battle, Cup of Gold, and more. During my own "Steinbeck period" (like Picasso's "blue period"), I read the standard fare, Of Mice and Men, The Grapes of Wrath, Cannery Row, and my favorite, East of Eden. But Steinbeck wrote about more than just the Salinas Valley and Monterey. He served as a war correspondent in WWII and wrote much about the common soldier along with lots of non-fiction. The Center's exhibit is very hands-on, with lots of things to touch, move, open, etc., very much like the Oakland Museum of California.
I was all Steinbecked out by the time I finished, so I headed out for a walk down Main Street. There were a couple of movie theaters, several shops, delis, and restaurants. Best of all was the big antique store. I browsed around in there for a quite a while, channeling my parents who are enthusiastic antiquers. I then stopped in to the Monterey Coast Brewing Company for lunch--which including one of the best Pilsners I've ever tasted.
I wish I could have gone on exploring California--like Billy and Saxon had done. But, alas and alack, time had run out, and I left lovely little Salinas and pointed Stella (my 2008 red Dodge Charger, for those of you who don't know) for home. But I'm not done. The Phi Alpha Theta Conference in Chico and the Crystalline Classic Showcase Skating Competition in Santa Rosa are coming up in April--more chances to release my inner adventurer. I can't wait!!!
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