TOURIST ATTRACTIONS IN CENTRAL VALLEY, CA

My Fascination with John Steinbeck & Central California

As a writer, I had been attracted to SoCal and Central Valley since I learned about John Steinbeck’s journeys through this area.

Photo by Ekrulila from Pexels Shepherd Surrounded by Sheep on the Way to Bodie in the Sierra Mountains

I loved The Grapes of Wrath movie before I read the book. Then, I became interested in Steinbeck’s others, East of Eden, Of Mice and Men, The Winter of Our Discontent, Cannery Row, and many more. Steinbeck authored 33 books in all.

Plus, I write 20 blogs each month for a Central Valley traffic attorney firm. My research about the area drew me to many fascinating places like the Weedpatch Camp, the Bodie Ghost Town, the Japanese Internment Camp, Death Valley, Mount Whitney, and many more.

So, I wanted to see and write about all the history available in this area. John Steinbeck became famous for talking to the migrant farmworkers. Many were Okies from the Dustbowls of the 1920s who came to the area to pick grapes, peaches, and other crops. Kern County is still one of the largest agricultural centers in California. The Dustbowl, Weedpatch, or Sunset Labor Camp, is now part of the National Register of Historic Buildings.