Salinas, California

Name: Salinas, California
Address: Salinas, CA

Everything Salinas is known for

5 songs mention this city

RoadyGoat plays music like this when you drive through Salinas. It's free on iPhone, and full songs play through Apple Music.

Music in Salinas

Songs About Salinas

Me and Bobby McGee

Janis Joplin

53%

"One day up near Salinas, Lord, I let him slip away"

California Highway

Jesse Daniel

52%

"I stopped off in Salinas at a country western bar"

Last Ride

Ana Egge

51%

"Past Salinas heading for I-5"

Me and Bobby McGee

Charley Pride

"Then somewhere near Salinas, Lord, I let her slip away"

Me and Bobby McGee

Kris Kristofferson

"Then somewhere near Salinas, Lord, I let her slip away"

Artists From Salinas

No artists from Salinas in the database yet.

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Rivers & Roads in Song near Salinas

Songs written about the waterways and highways that run near Salinas.

U.S. Route 101 10 songs Guadalupe River 18 songs Interstate 5 15 songs

History of Salinas

Name a Bowling Alley After Me RoadyGoat

For years, Salinas and John Steinbeck did not get along. After The Grapes of Wrath came out in nineteen thirty nine, copies were burned in Salinas, twice. Steinbeck later wrote that librarians at the Salinas Public Library, who had known his family, said it was lucky his parents were dead, so they did not have to suffer the shame. In nineteen fifty six he warned an aspiring Salinas writer never to expect forgiveness for being different. He said he would only be considered safe once he was delivered in a pine box. In nineteen fifty seven, the town talked about naming a high school after him. He wrote back that they could name a bowling alley after him, or a dog track. But not a school. Then, in nineteen sixty two, he won the Nobel Prize. A month later, that same library named its lounge the John Steinbeck Room, and he wrote that as a boy he had browsed it practically to its roots. In nineteen sixty nine, months after he died, the city council renamed the Lincoln Avenue library building for him. It is the John Steinbeck Library.

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Riots in That Dear Little Town RoadyGoat

In September nineteen thirty six, Salinas came close to war with itself over lettuce. On September fourth, about thirty-two hundred members of the Fruit and Vegetable Workers Union walked out of the lettuce packing sheds around Salinas and Watsonville. The growers offered a five cent raise but refused to give union workers preference in the sheds, a critical point for the workers. On September fifteenth, violence broke out at Main and Gabilan Streets and made national headlines. Two days later the county sheriff declared it beyond his lawmen and ordered every able-bodied man between eighteen and forty-five to report to him and help make arrests. Gathering in the streets was banned. The San Francisco Chronicle called the growers vigilantes. In November the strike was called off, with only a promise to rehire as many workers as possible. John Steinbeck, born two blocks off Main Street, wrote in a letter about riots in that dear little town where he was born. In nineteen thirty nine, The Grapes of Wrath took the workers' side, and Salinas did not forgive him for a long time.

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The Book Salinas Was Afraid Of RoadyGoat

In nineteen forty eight, John Steinbeck moved back to the Monterey Peninsula and started digging through old files of the Salinas newspaper. He was researching what he called his marathon book, with the working title Salinas Valley. He wrote that it was what he had been practicing to write all his life. Word got around, and he joked that a little quiver of terror had crept through old Salinas. He said he was on no punitive expedition. He just wanted it straight. The book became East of Eden, published in nineteen fifty two. It follows two families in the Salinas Valley. The Hamiltons are based on his mother's real family, led by his grandfather Samuel Hamilton. A young John Steinbeck even makes a brief appearance. Real townspeople turn up too. William Nesbitt, the county sheriff for more than twenty years, became Sheriff Quinn. In nineteen fifty five, Elia Kazan turned part of the novel into a film, with some scenes shot in Salinas. It gave James Dean his first starring role.

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Cannery Row

1908

Once the sardine capital of the world, immortalized by John Steinbeck's 1945 novel.

15.7 mi away

Things to Do in Salinas

nature 19.9 mi away

17-Mile Drive

A scenic coastal road through Pebble Beach. Lone Cypress and crashing Pacific waves.

Everything Near Salinas

32 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.

Name a Bowling Alley After Me
For years, Salinas and John Steinbeck did not get along. After The Grapes of Wrath came out in nineteen thirty nine, copies were burned in Salinas, twice. Steinbeck later wrote that librarians at the Salinas Public…
Riots in That Dear Little Town
In September nineteen thirty six, Salinas came close to war with itself over lettuce. On September fourth, about thirty-two hundred members of the Fruit and Vegetable Workers Union walked out of the lettuce packing…
The Book Salinas Was Afraid Of
In nineteen forty eight, John Steinbeck moved back to the Monterey Peninsula and started digging through old files of the Salinas newspaper. He was researching what he called his marathon book, with the working title…
Different From the Lettuce Queen Only in Degree
In October nineteen sixty two, word came that John Steinbeck, born in Salinas, had won the Nobel Prize in Literature. The Swedish Academy praised his realistic and imaginative writing, with its sympathetic humor and…
Republic Cafe · 1.3 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Ever wonder about the rich history hidden behind seemingly ordinary buildings? The Republic Cafe in Salinas was more than just a restaurant; it was a cornerstone of the city's Chinatown. From 1942 to 1988, this Asian…
Rocinante on Main Street · 1.5 mi
Here at One Main Street, the National Steinbeck Center keeps the camper truck from Travels with Charley. In nineteen sixty, John Steinbeck bought a new GMC pickup, had a custom camper shell built onto it, and named it…
Born in the Front Room · 1.7 mi
This turreted Victorian on Central Avenue is where John Steinbeck was born, on February twenty-seventh, nineteen oh two. His family had bought the house in nineteen hundred. His father later served as Monterey County…
Monterey County Jail · 1.8 mi · Scraped Hmdb
This unassuming building holds a powerful story of protest and progress. Cesar Chavez, the iconic labor leader, was once held within these walls, using his imprisonment to amplify the voices of farmworkers. In 1970,…
Salinas, CA · 2.1 mi · Local history
Salinas, California, owes its identity to the land. Drive through the valley and you’ll see it: endless rows of lettuce, spinach, broccoli, and strawberries stretching out to the horizon. It's a sight that earned the…
Home for Good · 2.4 mi
Out on Abbott Street, in the Garden of Memories cemetery, John Steinbeck came home for good. He died in New York City on December twentieth, nineteen sixty eight. As he wished, he was cremated, and on March fourth,…
Prunedale, CA · 6.2 mi · Local history
Prunedale's story is intimately intertwined with the land and its bounty. The name itself speaks volumes: Prunedale, a valley defined by its prune orchards. While the specific origins of its early settlers remain…
Fort Ord · 6.8 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine thousands of soldiers training here, preparing for war. This is Fort Ord. Before it was officially Fort Ord in 1940, this land was used for army training, starting way back in 1917. Soldiers practiced maneuvers…

Show all 32 nearby places

Fort Ord, CA · 8.9 mi · Local history
Fort Ord looms above the Monterey Bay, a sprawling landscape of scrub and sand that whispers stories of transformation. Established in 1917 as a training ground for infantry during World War I, its purpose quickly…
Mission San Juan Bautista · 12.0 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Welcome to San Juan Bautista, where California history comes alive! This mission, founded in 1797 by the Franciscan order, played a huge role in shaping California. Father Fermín de Lasuén established Mission San Juan…
José Castro House · 12.0 mi · Scraped Hmdb
These walls witnessed California's dramatic shift from Mexican territory to the United States. General José Castro, a key figure in Alta California, built this Monterey Colonial style adobe between 1838 and 1841.…
San Juan Bautista State Historic Park · 12.1 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine a time when California wasn't part of the United States. That's what you're stepping into here at San Juan Bautista State Historic Park. This park preserves the heart of what was once a bustling community during…
Pacific Biological Laboratories · 15.6 mi · Scraped Hmdb
This unassuming spot played a key role in early marine biology research. Pacific Biological Laboratories, or PBL, was a biological supply house that sold preserved animals and microscope slides to schools, museums, and…
Old Custom House (Monterey, California) · 15.6 mi · Scraped Hmdb
This unassuming building is ground zero for modern California. It's the Old Custom House, California's oldest government building. Back in 1846, this was the spot where U.S. Commodore John Drake Sloat planted the…
El Castillo de Monterey · 15.6 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Standing here, you're near a spot that witnessed California's dramatic shift from Spanish to Mexican, and finally, American control. This is where El Castillo de Monterey once stood, a fort built by the Spanish in 1792…
Cannery Row · 15.7 mi · Historical Marker
Once the sardine capital of the world, immortalized by John Steinbeck's 1945 novel.
Cathedral of San Carlos Borromeo (Monterey, California) · 15.7 mi · Scraped Hmdb
You're approaching the heart of early California – the Cathedral of San Carlos Borromeo, the oldest continuously operating parish in the state. Founded in 1770, the original church was a humble wooden structure. But by…
Robert Louis Stevenson House · 15.8 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine sharing a roof with a literary legend! This humble building is where Robert Louis Stevenson, author of *Treasure Island* and *Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde*, once lived. In 1879, Stevenson, recovering…
Larkin House · 15.8 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Ever wonder where California got its unique architectural style? You're about to see its birthplace! The Larkin House, built in 1835, is considered one of the first two-story homes in California. Thomas O. Larkin, an…
Gosby House Inn · 16.5 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine stepping back in time to a beautifully preserved Victorian mansion! The Gosby House Inn in Pacific Grove wasn't always so grand. It started as a simple boarding house. In 1887, J.F. Gosby built the original…
Watsonville, CA · 16.7 mi · Local history
A chill wind sweeps across the Pajaro Valley, carrying the scent of damp earth and something faintly sweet — apples. That aroma is the ghost of Watsonville’s boom years, when orchards blanketed the landscape, driving…
Downtown Hollister Historic District · 17.0 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine Hollister as it was over a century ago, a bustling hub built on agriculture and community spirit. This Historic District, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992, is a tangible link to that…
Asilomar Conference Grounds · 17.6 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Step back in time at Asilomar, where groundbreaking ideas have blossomed along this breathtaking coastline for over a century. Designed by Julia Morgan, the same brilliant mind behind Hearst Castle, Asilomar was…
Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA · 18.6 mi
Carmel-by-the-Sea owes its unique character to a combination of factors, beginning with the Carmel Mission, founded in 1771. This drew people to the area, but it was the town's later embrace as an artist's colony that…
Gonzales, CA · 18.6 mi
Gonzales owes its existence to a confluence of factors, not least of which is a slight advantage in elevation. Barely cresting the Salinas River floodplain at 128 feet, the town avoided becoming a seasonal lake when the…
Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo · 18.8 mi · Scraped Hmdb
This isn't just another pretty church; it's where California's mission system was headquartered. From 1770 until his death in 1784, Saint Junípero Serra, the founder of the California missions, called this place home.…
Tor House and Hawk Tower · 19.5 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine writing some of the most powerful poetry of the 20th century, inspired by the raw beauty of this very coastline. That's what Robinson Jeffers did right here at Tor House and Hawk Tower. In 1919, Jeffers, along…
17-Mile Drive · 19.9 mi · Things to Do
A scenic coastal road through Pebble Beach. Lone Cypress and crashing Pacific waves.

Explore Salinas on the Map

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Salinas, California

Music in Salinas

Songs About Salinas

Artists From Salinas

Rivers & Roads in Song near Salinas

History of Salinas

Name a Bowling Alley After Me RoadyGoat

Riots in That Dear Little Town RoadyGoat

The Book Salinas Was Afraid Of RoadyGoat

Cannery Row

Things to Do in Salinas

Everything Near Salinas

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