Salinas

They have a Drive Thru SUBWAY!

I went here with first wife. We saw the John Steinbeck museum. I bought a copy of “East of Eden” while I was there.

While Salinas isn’t all that well known (apart from a reference in the song, “Me and Bobbie McGee”), it is a place that is growing as a tourist destination. Even so, it has much to offer locals as well.

My favorite place in Old Town is the Maya Cinemas. It is the only movie theater in Salinas that features crying rooms in some of the larger auditoriums. Few know about this fact, but it is a big reason to visit this year-old movie theater. They also have a Kid’s Movie every Saturday and Wednesday at 10am. Tickets are cheap for these showings of second-run family films. If that doesn’t grab you, consider this fact: self-serve buttering stations for you popcorn.

If that’s not reason enough for locals to stay within city limits, I don’t know what is. If you need another reason to visit the Old Town section, every Saturday there is an Organic Farmer’s Market where fresh produce (including heirloom tomatoes) and Sparky’s Root Beer are available.

My family connections are over on the coast — Carmel, Pebble Beach — so we’ve not ended up over in Salinas much over time. But the couple of times I have been were nice, and maybe as I explore the area more over time I’ll get back there more often.

I live there too. :)