35 Beautiful Literary Spots Across America for Every Reader

34. The Steinbeck Center (Salinas, CA) – A Literary Legend’s Roots

Dedicated to Nobel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck, this center in his hometown of Salinas explores the gritty heart of American identity through literature. Exhibits trace the influence of California’s landscape and labor struggles on works like The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men. Visitors can even tour the author's childhood home just a few blocks away. For anyone who loves raw, character-driven fiction rooted in real places, this stop is a revelation.