Salinas Travel Guide

Welcome to Salinas!

The city of Salinas is located approximately 8 mi (13 km) inland from Monterey. The city's name translated from Spanish means salt marsh. This is misleading since the Salinas Valley grows much of the nation's lettuce, cauliflower, mushrooms, celery, broccoli and artichokes. Salinas is home to the annual California International Airshow, which features flying demonstrations by the US Navy Blue Angels, the Canadian Forces Snowbirds and the Red Baron Squadron. The thrilling California Rodeo takes place in July each year. As well, the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca provides world championship car racing from June to October. Dedicated to the works of American author, and one time resident of Salinas, John Steinbeck, the National Steinbeck Center offers interactive exhibits for the entire family. Visitors looking for a challenging golf game can choose between the rolling terrain of the Twin Creeks Golf Course and the flat but windy fairways of the Salinas Fairways Golf Course.