Salinas, California

Located between the Gabilan and Santa Lucia mountain ranges, Salinas Valley is one of the most beautiful places in the State of California. Salinas is the county seat for Monterey which was previously occupied by the Esselen, a Native American tribe. The county was named after the Monterey Bay.

Salinas city is known to have a very pleasant weather throughout the year due to its proximity to the ocean. They enjoy a mild Mediterranean-type climate which is mostly found in the central coast of California. Such climate clubbed with fertile soil enables Salinas to have a 3.8 million dollar agriculture industry. Their farms cultivate a range of fruits and vegetables in abundance. The county has become one of the largest premium grape growing regions in California.

The Monterey County is also the home to several endangered species of plants and animals. Tourism is a major part of the economy. They have more than a handful to offer, be it natural flora, fauna, natural beauty, historic sites or organized events and festivals. Farmers' Markets and Fishermen's Wharfs provide insight into the lives of local people while music festivals, racing events and other adventure sports allows tourists a huge range of fun and excitement.

Salinas is an attractive city for both local residents as well as tourists. There are intriquing options in entertainment, education, affordable living and many other benefits the city offers its residents. The city is known for its ambient social atmosphere and its lively residents.

Salinas History

In the Spanish language Salinas means "salt marsh". The area which is now Salinas Valley was a huge swampy wetland. The earliest settlers in this area were small tribal groups who were originally the Native Americans known as Esselen who were later displaced by the Rumsen group of Ohlone speaking people. California's capital city was Monterey at the end of the Mexican-American war. At that time, it was under military rule and the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo was signed.

During the Spanish time of rule, colonies were formed in regions where the missions were located on the Central Coast. Although, these areas remained largely underdeveloped for a long time, in 1822, after Mexico became independent, they started to offer land grants, better known as ranchos, in the Salinas region. The settlers were offered two such ranchos, Nacional and Sausal. It was around these ranchos where Salinas's city was constructed after 1850 when California officially became a part of the United States of America.

During early 1850s, James Bryant Hill purchased Rancho Nacional where he started cultivating wheat on the fertile land which was till then primarily used for grazing cattle. In 1852, another pioneer of the gold rush days, Jacob Leese bought Rancho Sausal which was further bought by Elias Howe. In 1856, Howe constructed a lodge called the Halfway House. This lodge was located at the junction of the Los Angeles, San Francisco and Monterey San Juan Bautista stagecoach routes. In 1854, Mr. Hill was appointed postmaster of Salinas even though officially there was no town of that name.

History was created when a major economic development took place in 1867 when Alan Riker, Albert Trescony and William Jackson partnered with Eugene Sherwood, a cattle rancher. They developed a plan for a city with an area of a 1/2 square mile. As Salinas had the second largest Chinese population in the state after San Francisco, Chinese laborers were used to drain swampland sprawling over thousands of acres of land and turning it into fertile, productive agricultural land.

From the nineteenth century onwards, production of wheat, barley and other grains, potatoes and mustard seeds were already prevalent. Irrigation brought along farming of crops of sugar beets and root vegetables. Production of several types of vegetables and fruits also began including grapes, which were used to make wine to support the Salinas Valley's wine industry.

Knowing the significance of the railroad for distribution and marketing of the agricultural products, Sherwood offered free acreage to the Southern Pacific Railroad. In 1872, a depot started offering business. That same year Salinas City was elected as the municipality region of Monterey County. Two years after this, it was incorporated as the city of Salinas.

About Salinas, California

The city of Salinas rests between the Santa Lucia mountain range in the west and the Gabilan mountain range in the east on whose highest peak John Fremont had hoisted the American flag to claim California for the United States. Located on Highway 101, the city is just 10 miles east-southeast from the mouth of the Salinas River and 8 miles from the Pacific Ocean. The Salinas river empties into the Pacific Ocean at the center of Monterey Bay after running through the length of the Salinas Valley. The river partially flows underground during the summer months. It is an area without much annual rainfall and this underground source provides the necessary water for the irrigation of cropland.

The city of Salinas is the county seat of Monterey County and is considered as one of the richest farming communities in California. It is also known as "the Salad Bowl of the World" as it produces 80% of the lettuce grown in America. Large crops of cabbage, watermelon, strawberries, and carrots are also produced.

Because it lies close to the Monterey Bay and the Pacific Ocean, Salinas never experiences extreme temperatures. Due to the "natural air conditioner" created by the ocean air, Salinas enjoys mild a Mediterranean-like climate. Rain falls generally during winter and early spring. The Salinas weather is closer to the kind of weather found in the central coast of California. Heavy morning fog, known as the marine layer, is created because of the difference between ocean and air temperature. This marine layer generates winds that drive the smog further inland. Hence Salinas enjoys remarkably clean air.

Nobel winning author John Steinbeck was born in this city. This "Valley of the World", a term coined by him, offers visitors the old world charm along with every modern convenience. Amazing present day gourmet dining surrounded by old architecture, antique shops and fashionable boutiques along with the freshness of farm products in the Old Town Farmer's Market are all interwoven in this beautiful city.

The First Fridays Art Walk leads an emerging art scene. The city also uses innovative and non-traditional venues like business centres for art exhibitions and live music. Avant-garde and visionary exhibitions are held in various galleries like the National Steinbeck Centre, The Hartnell College Gallery, @Risk Gallery and the oldest gallery in the city, the Valley Art Gallery. Many restaurants in the downtown area offer live music. The historic Fox California Theatre, Salinas Sports Complex, Sherwood Hall and Hartnell Community College Auditorium are popular venues for music concerts.

About Monterey County, California

Monterey County was created in 1850 and in 1874 parts of it was given to San Benito County. The county derived its name from Monterey Bay which in turn was named by Sebastian Vizcaino in 1602. Monterey is a variation of the name Monterrie, a municipality in the Galicia region of Spain. The county consists of 12 cities and towns with Salinas as the county seat. Monterey is part of California's 17th Congressional District.

Amtrak trains and Greyhound buses serve this county while the Monterey-Salinas Transit provides service throughout most of the county. Commercial flights can be accessed from the Monterey Peninsula Airport which is located to the east of the city of Monterey.

Monterey County's habitat supports several endangered species which include the Potentilla Hickmanii, a perennial herb belonging to the rose family and the Yadon's Piperia, a species of orchid. Apart from that, the county is a habitat for the endangered Santa Cruz Long-Toed Salamander and Southern Steelhead Trout.

There are several unique attractions in this county. Monterey Bay Aquarium allows you to discover the bay from the land with its synergic displays and capacity to exhibit marine life through a magnificent way. Another notable activity is visiting the Fisherman's Wharf located in downtown Monterey. This is one of the popularly visited places to enjoy the sights of Monterey because it is located in the center of the thriving fish industry. People can be adventurous and enjoy the glass bottom boat tours, deep sea fishing trips and whale watching tours or stroll around the buzzing place with a cup of hot clam chowder and savor the fresh sea-food flavors.

Because it was the capital of Alta California for a while, Monterey County has many historic landmarks. With the Three Historic Missions one can witness the heritage architecture from the era of California Mission or go for a walking tour along Path of History to discover the age old Mexican era and the area's literary history. Other places where the past of this county is revealed would be Monterey Museum and Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History.

If the nature, beaches, and heritage are not enough to satisfy, then the array of festivals and events definitely would, which includes the famous Monterey Jazz Festival, the Carmel Bach Festival and Monterey Auto Week.