House Rentals in Salinas

As noted, Oldtown Salinas is a hub for restaurants and cafes in the city, and here you'll find options for everything from baked goods to sushi. First Awakenings is beloved for its hearty American breakfasts, while later in the day, 201 Main is an elegant Italian option set in a grand, indoor-outdoor space.

You can also easily bar-hop around Oldtown on foot. Stop by Monterey Coast Brewing for local microbrews, King's Den for a cocktail, or Farmer's Union Pour House for a cozy setting and ample televisions tuned to the game.

Finally, no matter how committed you are to cooking at your Salinas vacation house rental, you can't miss that California fast-food classic, In-N-Out Burger. Luckily, there's an outpost of this iconic bastion of burgers, fries, and shakes right in metropolitan Salinas.

For a taste of local art, visit the Valley Art Gallery, an artist-run cooperative gallery in Oldtown Salinas. For exhibitions with a more global point of view, be sure to visit the Hartnell College Gallery, keeping in mind that the space is only open when school is in session.

Just outside the city center but within easy driving distance of any Salinas vacation home, the Boronda Adobe History Center is run by the Monterey County Historical Society. At this restored mid-19th century house, you can learn about the history of Salinas and the early days of California.

For performing arts in Salinas, you'll want to book tickets at the Fox Theater, a historic theater that first opened in 1921 and today mainly offers a roster of live music events.

No stay in a Salinas house rental would be complete without at least one visit to the Pacific Ocean. To make a day of it, consider making the half-hour drive to Carmel-By-The-Sea, a bucolic beach town known for its stunning bluff path and tiny, magical cottages.

For a more active day out, head up to Santa Cruz, where you can hit the beach, surf, and enjoy a plethora of great dining. If you're staying in a house rental with the kids, treat them to an afternoon on the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, a charming oceanfront amusement park complete with arcade games, a Ferris wheel, and more.

A truly stunning day out can be had at Big Sur, about an hour's drive away and well worth it. Bordered by mountains and ocean, the gorgeous state park here offers fantastic opportunities for hiking, photography, and a beach day like no other.

John Steinbeck: Salinas' Gift to Literature

Salinas' most famous resident was surely John Steinbeck, a Nobel Prize-winning author famous for novels like "The Grapes of Wrath" and "Of Mice and Men." Luckily for visitors to the city, the home where Steinbeck was born is still standing, having been converted to a restaurant. Drop by the Steinbeck House for dinner, pop into the gift shop for souvenirs, or just take in the well-preserved Queen Anne-style Victorian house from the exterior.

Follow the Legacy Trail

If you'd like to really deepen your knowledge about the author, pay a visit to the National Steinbeck Center, an interactive museum dedicated to the writer. In addition to a permanent collection on Steinbeck's life and work, you'll find a changing roster of exhibitions on different aspects of California's history.

An Inspiring Atmosphere

The Steinbeck Center is located in Oldtown Salinas, a point of interest in its own right. This neighborhood is home to plentiful art galleries, restaurants, and cafes. A focal point of things to do in the city, if you're hoping to get by on your house rental stay with a minimum of driving, we'd recommend looking for a Salinas vacation rental in or near the Oldtown area.