Tower Update #27 - Rocinante and Steinbeck

[@shevetlevi2821]

Such a warm feelling inside of Rocinante. I read "Travels with Charley" in the early 1970s when I was in college. It was a really nice time in my life. I've always been restless and couldn't wait to set off on a road trip which is why the book resonated so much with me. In the early summer of 1973 at 19 I set off alone on my 10 speed bicycle, which I named Rocinante, to go cross country from Queens, NY to Wyoming. I got as far as Iowa City, IA and then shipped my bicycle back home to Queens and hitchhiked cross-country to California and had a wonderful summer, both on the "Asphalt Seas" of the old cross country routes and also in California. When I read Travels With Charley it felt like Steinbeck was so accessible, like an uncle telling me travelers' tales. Thanks for bringing Rocinante back to life.

[@zachshairy]

I am reading Travels with Charley right now and looked up Rociante to see some pictures and saw this thumbnail and was like .. hey that guy looks just like Dan from the Whisky Vault.. then I clicked the video and was like.. THAT IS DAN FROM THE WHISKY VAULT

[@bryanwillmert]

Been working through the book and love it fully. Then to find out of of my favorite whiskey crews shares they affinity!! It’s a great day to learn more about all that I find enjoyment in

[@gerardlacey9384]

Aw thank you so much, I've read his wonderful book three times, he set off three days before I was born on 23 9 60, I love the part of the little boy, a neighbour who wanted to go with him, and the interest he had in the truck, I can imagine what he must have felt if he had watched John leave. Many thanks. This book and the whole story affects me very deeply. Kind regards. Gérard lacey in Ireland.

[@albertduluoz]

I wondered what Rocinante looked like. Thanks for sharing, "Travels..." is becoming one of my fav books also.

[@Gary-pogi]

It didn't look like this one, it didnt have a bed over the cab.

[@montereyrosemanronobrien4904]

My John Steinbeck and Doc Ricketts era Connection. In 2013 I was homeless on McAbee beach on Historical Cannery Row in Monterey, California and became fascinated with Sea glass. Having a lot of time on my hands, I started finding beautiful pieces of these rare, gems of the Sea. I then started hoarding things like surf tumbled Sea glass, pottery and abalone shells. I thought that it would be great to be able to make jewelry out of it but I didn’t know how. One day I met a guy that taught me how to do wire wraps, a technique for using wire to secure stones. After some time, and a lot of practice, I perfected my newfound craft. One day i met an awesome lady at a local church that offered me her garage for shelter. Now i had somewhere to make my jewelry. I started creating jewelry pieces full time and a year later I moved into the house and still had the garage. Now my Etsy is doing fantastic. Montereyroseman @Etsy. Homeless no more. A little history on Sea glass…where it came from and where it was found. Rare Sea glass from McAbee beach on historical Cannery Row.....Monterey, California… As early as the 18th century, Portuguese whalers set out from McAbee beach. In 1907, the Chinese leased the beach after a mysterious fire destroyed their makeshift wharf and shantytown, next to Old Wharf 1. Later, that year Carmel’s city council voted to truck their garbage over to dump on McAbee beach. Keeping their beachs pristine. Much later the canneries had came and went. By the 60s, most of the canneries had been abandoned and in ruins, but the tide still came in and out tumbling all the garbage and glass bottles and making some the of the best quality Sea glass ever. It takes 50 to 70 years to make a perfect jewelry quality piece. Over time the piece could break in half and start the process all over again. Most of the best of my collection have probably tumbled for 100+ years. That’s over 70,000 tide changes. For quite a few years, John Steinbeck and Doc Ricketts enjoyed a few beers together at Doc’s Office and Lab on Cannery Row… In 1923 Doc Ricketts set up his lab on Cannery Row. Almost every day that he was at his lab, he walked over to the Chinaman’s grocery store across the street and would purchase a few quarts of beer. Also in 1923, John Steinbeck signed up for a marine biology course at Hopkins Marine Station in Pacific Grove. Meeting Doc Ricketts, as well as their mutual interest in marine biology, helped spark a deep friendship between the two. They hit it off immediately and became close friends. Steinbeck published his novel CANNERY ROW in 1945. The later part of the decade, Steinbeck and his wife moved to Los Gatos California but frequently visited Monterey and were hanging out with New York’s Elite mostly. When John Steinbeck and Doc got together they had a few quarts of beer. The men both liked their beer for 25 years on the row until Doc’s death in 1948. I can estimate at least 40,000 + quart containers + all the refuse from the lab was thrown thru his trap door into the bay. So there’s an excellent chance that my Amber Sea glass Jewelry or that era glass being made from Doc Ricketts, John Steinbeck or Mack and the boys (the characters from Steinbeck’s novel CANNERY ROW) quarts of beer. That was most of the 20’s and 30’s that Steinbeck lived in Pacific Grove. I have Prohibition glass, Chromium glass, Cadmium glass, Erbium glass, and Uranium glass. The list goes on. All of my Sea glass that I have collected, has been picked up either under his trap door, which is now covered with a metal culvert, or within 150 feet of it. McAbee beach is a small cove where anything that’s thrown out just comes right back onto the beach. Lighter stuff, like most garbage, just went to the south and within a week was on Del Monte Beach. Three weeks later it would accumulate at the site of the dump in Sand City. In Sand City they built a massive wall of concrete right at the high tide mark. It’s at least 100+ yards long and 50 feet high. Then they took all the tumbled gravel with Sea glass in it from the minus low tide in front of the wall and back filled a couple football field sized lots, 50 to 150 feet deep. It stretches all the way up to the freeway and past the recreation trail, which is now the back of the former Orchard Supply Hardware Store (closed now). To this day, anywhere you look behind the wall, there are millions of pieces of un-finished Sea glass, with the occasional jewelry quality piece unearthed from somebody’s foot print. I have friends that have dug down 20+ feet and have unearthed some beautiful pieces. How’s that for our local history? Montereyroseman.com ◦

[@terrygaudet5529]

Hey Daniel, another great story my friend. Thanks for sharing. PS - Hey Ryan, I too saw the hidden bottle....;0)

[@batuhangul6851]

OMG that's cool. I think someone living my dream

[@kristin9687]

But Travels with Charlie was written in 1960, published in 1962. So Rocinante should be a 1960 GMC (as well as custom fitted camper shell) not 1962, as Steinbeck bought the vehicle new just prior to the journey.

[@rootieboy]

I was about to say the same. This is still a wonderful tribute to Steinbeck. My hometown is Salinas and his truck is on display at the Steinbeck Center there.

[@JohnDoe-jc3cl]

Kirstin I was about to say.... Well, “ close enough, I guess “. 1960 or 62..... but how does the inside look, compared to the original??

[@JohnDoe-jc3cl]

@@rootieboy Thanks for cutting to the chase. I want to see the original, only, actually. Not some remote copy

[@Noodleandthepoodles]

Long live rocinante

[@wizardryanchute]

I see someone found the hidden treasure from Canada ;)