Green Gold — A Salinas Valley Mother Lode

The success of California’s billion dollar agricultural industry wash helped along by enterprising farmers who settled in the Salinas Valley. They truly changed the landscape of this valley, redefinin…

Tiburcio Vasquez

The Monterey that Tiburcio Vasquez was born into, the mid 1800s,  had two disparate distinctions: as the Capital it was considered the most important town on the Central Coast; on […]…

Salinas River

The Upside Down River

The Salinas River, known fondly as the “upside down river,” is the longest underground river in the country, flowing both above and below ground for about 175 miles from its […]…

Alpine Evaporated Cream Company

Say Cheese

In 1986, the American Dairy Association sponsored an ad to run during the Super Bowl that still, to this day, speaks to my soul. It was a take-off on the […]…

Corn Nut

Corn Nuts in Greenfield

I love peanuts and cashews and almonds and walnuts and pistachios, but they absolutely do not love me. I wouldn’t say I have a nut allergy — there’s no EpiPen […]…

King City Auditorium

King City’s Jewel of a Theater

When my children were young, before puberty hit and they never wanted to leave their rooms, they loved to perform on stage. Both were participants in numerous local theatrical productions […]…

San Andreas Fault

Whole Lot of Shakin’ Going On

If you’ve live in California for any length of time, then you are well-acquainted with the natural disaster our state is known for — an earthquake. I’ve lived here my […]…

Jose Eusebio Boronda Adobe

There’s something about old, forsaken looking cemeteries that calls to me. It could be the lopsided, cockeyed headstones that have somehow weathered the years. Or the scrubby, lifeless looking weeds […

Carmel-by-the-sea

Carmel’s Fairytale Houses

Every Sunday, my guy and I go somewhere for a hike. It’s a Sunday fun-day tradition that we work really hard at not missing. Every so often, though, the weather […]…

Los Coches Adobe

I’m a born-and-bred Californian. I’ve been fortunate to have lived in every compass point of this state. The Salinas Valley, though, is without question my favorite spot. It has it […]…