After breakfast, we headed out to visit a Farmers Market on Carmel Valley Road. In reading a story about Monterey Jack cheese, we saw that it was available only in local supermarkets and farmers markets. Checked the local markets and found a small farmers market way out. Carmel Valley Road starts at CA 1 and heads east over the mountains/hills. The farmers market was small, but interesting - had some of the biggest strawberries we have ever seen. Most of the other stalls were for handicraft and food, but no cheese.
Leaving there, we continued on Carmel Valley Road. One of the most twisting, turning roads we have ever been on. It rivals Route 66 through Arizona. If I hadn't been sitting in the back seat, I swear I could have seen our taillights on some of those curves. Paul did an excellent job of maneuvering the scenic route. On the Carmel side of the mountains, there were some beautiful ranches and estates. They gradually morphed into no habitation, just valleys, black oak forests, and beautiful hillsides covered with green grass and eucalyptus trees. You can certainly tell that they have had a lot of rain in the past month. Eventually, we came into some more mundane homes, which all seemed to have the de rigeur broken down tractor or truck in the front yard. Lot of evidence of cattle, but not much else can be grown or raised on that hilly countryside.
As we came down on the east of the mountains into the valley/canyons, we started to see vast vineyards. It wasn't an area where they had tasting rooms - that was more on the other side toward Carmel. Always fun to see the expanse of vineyards - just wish that they would put signs on the fences telling us which grapes are grown there.
Eventually we ended up on Highway 101 just south of Soledad. After a quick refreshment stop at a Starbucks, we continued north to Salinas. Our first goal there was to find the Schoch Family Farmstead which is supposedly famous for making Monterey Jack cheese. We found the farm, but it was just a dairy farm with no visiting room or outlet store. We left the private drive before someone came out with a pistol or shotgun :-).
The second goal in Salinas was more successful. We wanted to visit the National Steinbeck Center which is dedicated to John Steinbeck. Had to have lunch first at the Monterey Bay Brewing Company to fortify ourselves. The Center is located in the CSUMB - California State University of Monterey Bay. An interest exhibit with a short introductory film (about thirteen minutes) on JS'slife. I knew he was a prolific author, but didn't realize the full extent of his writing ability. He was born in Salinas and grew up living in the area and writing about events and times in his backyard. East of Eden, Grapes of Wrath, The Red Pony - the list goes on and on. The exhibit chronicled his life both as an author and screenwriter, but also as a journalist, Pulitzer Prize winner, and war correspondent. Highly recommend visiting there if you're ever in the area.
After the Center, we drove back to Monterey on a much shorter and quicker route. Still scenic, but it went by much faster! Came into Seaside north of Monterey and drove along the Bay, so we got to see all aspects of the countryside. Tonight we're heading out for dinner to celebrate Paul's birthday (it's tomorrow, but we think we're heading home on Monday).
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