Valleys of Anza

03/14/2026

https://www.montereycountynow.com/news/cover/juan-bautista-de-anzas-expedition-250-years-ago-was-historic-commemorating-it-today-is-complicated/article_6348d750-9f6f-4b8f-9fd6-227816564c4a.html -source=mosaic

250 years after Anza's trek to found SF, commemorations are muted due to historical context, yet its founding role remains significant. Explore the complex l...

07/05/2025

The completed Regional Strategic Tourism Plan for the Central Coast has been released by Visit California. The Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail will play a significant role in our regional economic development for the Central Coast. Creating points of destination that share our stories, honor the legacies of our diverse ancestors, and inspire new opportunities for economic growth through regional heritage tourism. For more information about this plan, please check out this link and download the Central Coast Regional Strategic Tourism Plan.

The final versions of the Regional Strategic Tourism Plans are now available, after more than two years of development and nearly 2,000 industry touchpoints.

03/04/2024

On February 24, 2024, the Salinas City Regional Heritage Center and California Welcome Center proudly hosted "Stonelight Tile and Serendipity," honoring our region's rich history. The tile mural artwork of Guillermo Wagner Granizo and his unique connection to explorer Juan Bautista De Anza will now be part of the Center's next phase of exhibits. A special thank you to everyone involved in bringing this artwork to Salinas.

10/28/2023

https://www.montereycountyweekly.com/opinion/mcnow_intro/speaker-robert-rivas-pays-a-visit-to-the-california-welcome-center-to-learn-about-a/article_e8d0b372-7461-11ee-910c-d7034f4c33ca.html

It wasn’t precisely a homecoming for Speaker of the Assembly Robert Rivas, D-Hollister, this morning, but for a few brief moments he was home. Pam Marino here to share about

06/17/2023

https://www.montereyherald.com/2023/06/16/valleys-of-anza-seeking-to-tap-a-compelling-history-in-salinas-valley-and-beyond/

“I really think that in a lot of ways it’s about educating people that we have a story to tell and it’s a compelling story,” said Craig Kaufman, Salinas Valley Tourism and Visitors Bure…

06/08/2023

https://www.montereycountyweekly.com/opinion/mcnow_intro/connecting-the-dots-between-tourism-and-housing/article_27a6b2a2-04ca-11ee-8362-bf71f1eb0767.html

Pam Marino here. I have been on the hospitality and tourism beat at the Weekly for several years now, which means that mostly I write about the Monterey Peninsula and

05/23/2023

Releasing Soon: Our White Paper titled "A Trail To Home" — A bi-county regional strategy for funding deeply affordable housing services and programs through tourism in the Valleys of Anza." U.C. Berkeley, College of Environmental Design, and the Salinas Valley Tourism & Visitors Bureau leverage the Fall 2022 MUD coursework findings to propose new sustainable tourism in our inland valleys. The published book of this coursework will also be coming out soon.

Part of MUD’s aim to redefine the limits of urban design by looking at all kinds of landscapes, this studio focused on California's agricultural Salinas Valley, "the salad bowl of the world." Student projects addressed issues such as equitable economic development, environmental restoration, publi...

03/25/2023

https://www.montereyherald.com/2023/03/24/heritage-park-group-seeks-voices-of-support-at-upcoming-salinas-council-meeting/

The city said its decision to deny the Welcome Center’s request to expand the use of the freight depot building for additional exhibits is based upon a current tenant’s wish to continue…

01/10/2023

Time to officially kick this page off with this article. More details in the coming weeks.

The idea has caught the attention of UC Berkeley’s College of Environmental Design. Its Masters of Urban Design program will present six draft strategies for bringing tourism to the Salinas a…