National Steinbeck Center

Jill's Journal: I have a confession to make. Shamefully, it’s a pretty un-American confession.

While I know several John Steinbeck quotes by heart, I have never actually read a book by the celebrated American author. Yes, yes, I know The Grapes of Wrath and/or Of Mice and Men are required reading at just about every high school across the country, but apparently I didn’t go to a mainstream high school. I did see the film version of East of Eden about 20 years ago…does that count?

Absolutely shameful, I know. And yes, I'm going to change that.

Determined not to let our girls share in the same fate (!), I took them today to the National Steinbeck Center in nearby Salinas for a little history and literature lesson. Between our Mark Twain excursion in Connecticut several months ago and this Steinbeck expedition, these little girls are certainly up on their influential American authors.

The exhibitions at the center focus on memorabilia from Steinbeck’s life and all his major works. It was surprisingly interactive and the girls enjoyed everything from peering through magnifying glasses at sugar crystals to picking out a horse’s hooves to shopping at a Mexican mercado.

But without a doubt, the highlight of the museum was “Rocinante,” the actual camper Steinbeck used in his journey across and around American in 1960. (He named the camper after Don Quixote’s horse). Steinbeck eventually turned the adventure into the acclaimed Travels with Charley. The girls came home to our own “camper” and excitedly told Rob all about the truck/camper, the map which showed Steinbeck’s journey (similar to our own), and the poodle Charley.

Our admission also gave us access to the Agricultural Museum, which is a separate arm of the Steinbeck Center. Also extremely interactive (perfect for kids!), we learned all about the history of the fertile Salinas Valley and how it cultivates billions of dollars of produce annually. Salinas is actually called the “Salad Bowl of the World,” as it exports 88 major crops and produces over 80% of our nation’s lettuce supply (as well as most of Europe’s and Asia’s).

We also made a detour to snap a picture of Steinbeck’s birthplace and boyhood home, now a restaurant called The Steinbeck House. While Salinas doesn’t always enjoy quite the same prestige as nearby Monterey or some of the other coastal areas, we actually found “Oldtown Salinas” to be very charming. It was a good day.