Yesterday was Steinbeck day. We visited the National Steinbeck Center and
then had lunch at the Steinbeck House, both in Salinas, CA. The Center is a museum dedicated to his life
and times, with posters and film clips from several of the movies adapted from
his books, filmed readings, printed excerpts and various artifacts. Trish was delighted with the Travels with Charlie exhibit, complete
with pickup and camper and route map. I
vaguely recall hearing a rumor that Trish was fond of poodles (gee, ya think?);
Charlie was a standard poodle.
Above and below, the pickup and camper in which John and Charlie traveled.
John and Charlie
Trish’s book club read The
Grapes of Wrath awhile back and then watched the movie, which starred Henry
Fonda. Grapes, a bleak and depressing story about the Great Depression,
Dust Bowl, and early labor union days, may be John’s best-known work. Many of his books were bestsellers and many
were made into movies: East of Eden, The
Red Pony, Tortilla Flat, Cannery Row, Of Mice and Men, plus several more.
The Steinbeck House is where John lived until age 17, when he left to
attend Stanford. The exterior and
main-level interior have been restored but the upstairs has not. The main level is now a restaurant, open for
lunch only, with a matronly wait staff outfitted in colorful, floor-length
dresses and prim little aprons. The menu
is limited to 4 items, which change every few weeks.
The restaurant-interior of the Steinbeck House
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