George and Lennie in Soledad, CA

On our way to Santa Cruz we traveled up Highway 101 past the Madonna Inn, through San Luis Obispo, glimpsing the 200 year old Spanish Mission in San Miguel, and then we entered the farmland of central California.

​Brightly dressed farm hands as far as the eye could see were picking fruit and veg in acreages of fields doing back breaking work in the scorching heat. We drove steadily north towards Salinas, through Soledad, the location John Steinbeck chose for his novella “Of Mice and Men.” The name itself translates as “solitude" or “lonely," which fits in perfectly with Steinbeck’s portrayal of George and Lennie and their feelings of isolation in the story. Soledad is still a rough and ready agricultural hub. Peaches, nectarines and apricots seemed to be the fruits being harvested as we sped on towards stop number four on our Grand Adventure.

After Soledad, we went on to pass through Salinas where the National Steinbeck Center and Museum is located, as well as the house where Steinbeck used to live. Seeing places like Soledad and Salinas that I have read about in stories is magical for me. I have ordered "East of Eden" on my Libby app so I can re-read and re-enjoy the panoramic epic. "Grapes of Wrath" is my favorite though as it charts the journey of the Joad family traveling on (my beloved) Route 66 and speaks of the unconscionable and blatantly cruel treatment of working class Americans during the Dust Bowl years. Truly a masterpiece.

I am looking forward to more Steinbeck and literary references when we hit Cannery Row in Monterey. Onward!