Fajardo, Puerto Rico

 

Puerto Rico is an island where history is around every corner. While you might think I am talking about Old San Juan or Ponce, this is even more true when you travel out to the towns around the island. On a recent trip, I visited the town of Fajardo, and got to take a walk through its historic center.

Fajardo is in the northeast corner of the island of Puerto Rico. Today, it is the home of the largest Marina in the Caribbean Sea. Most visitors to Puerto Rico know the town as the place to catch the ferry to Vieques or Culebra, or to start a day trip to one of the small coral islands for sun and snorkeling. Its large natural bay has made it a home for fishermen since its founding in the mid-18th century.

As in many of Puerto Rico’s towns, Fajardo’s center is a mix of buildings that span its history. Fajardo’s City Hall was built in 1898 and it has been expanded over the past century. Today, the complex includes local offices for commonwealth and federal agencies.

The Cathedral Santiago Apóstal (Cathedral of St. James the Apostle) is Fajardo’s primary Catholic Church. It is in the middle of the town’s main plaza.

Catedral Santiago Apóstal

Many of the buildings in the center of town were either rebuilt or renovated during the middle of the 20th century. These “new” structures maintain the framework of their origin, still visible when you look to their 2nd floor.

Scattered among these new buildings are some that date back further in time. While there are no plaques showing the date of construction, they are easily close to one-hundred hears old. Many of them are still in good shape.

One older place to visit is the Jiñi Jiñi Sports Bar, still serving its original purpose, and still drawing customers of all ages.

 

Our trip to Fajardo was to meet family for lunch at El Cayo Restaurant and Beach Club. It sits at the entrance to the Villa Marina Yacht Basin, Form their deck you have wonderful views of the entire bay, and from their kitchen you get delicious seafood dishes.

Many people visit PuertoRico and stay in the metropolitan area. They take commercial tours to the El Yunque Rain Forest, or that offer transfer to a catamaran to enjoy the sun and surf of one of the islands nearby. I recommend renting a car and exploring some of the 78 towns on the island, and Fajardo is a great place to start.

Nuts and Bolts

Fajardo is a 40 mile drive from San Juan. Take Route 26 east through San Juan and Carolina. You have a choice of taking route 66, and expressway with tolls, that bypasses all of the towns for the first half of the trip, or taking Route 3, similar to the main U.S. highways, with stores and restaurants along the way. 

The Bruce Museum, Greenwich Connecticut

 

Sitting on a hill in Greenwich, Connecticut, overlooking the center of town, is the Bruce Museum, one of those gems of a small museum that I search for. It is the kind of museum that has been endowed with an excellent collection of art, and also has mandate to include the natural sciences.

In 1858, Robert Bruce (1822-1908) bought a house and land in Greenwich, near the rail line to New York City, where he was a textile magnate. When Bruce died in 1908, he deeded the estate to the town of Greenwich to serve as a museum of science and art for the community. It opened in 1912 with an exhibit of the Cos Cob artist collective. In 1993 the Bruce underwent an extensive renovation, with a new building constructed around the original house. This building provides modern gallery space for the art exhibits.

Plexus No. 43 by Gabriel Dawe

The Bruce provides wonderful examples of how a small museum can present multiple show of really interesting art simultaneously. While these exhibits might be small (10-20 pieces) they offer some great works of art. The main show currently is Nature’s Impressions: The Modernist Landscape (ongoing). It is inspired by Childe Hassam, an American Impressionist painter who said about painting nature “The true impressionism is realism.” This show draws from the Bruce’s permanent collection, and presents paintings that sit on the border between impressionism and realism.

 

Harbor Scene by Edward Henry Potthast

Low Tide by Francis Silva

An Old Rail Fence by William H. Irvine

Stoney Brook by Henry Britt Selden

Railroad Bridge by Elmer Livingston McRae

The second show is The Art of Work: Painting Labor in 19th Century Denmark (through Nov. 30, 2025) Here, works form the collection of Amb. John L. Loeb Jr. give a fascinating look at the ways Danish artists painted the everyday lives of the people around them.

Self-portait by P.S. Krøyer

Sketch for Taking the Lifeboat through the Dunes by Michael Ancher

Harvest by L. A. Ring

Fisherman's wife Knitting by Michael Ancher

Other exhibits include some early works by David Hockney, and paintings from the collection of of William L. Richter of French Impressionsist and post-impressionist artists (through Aug 3, 2025). 

Procession of Dignitaries in the Semi Egyptian Style by David Hockney

Untitled (portrait of Bob Miller) by David Hockney

Diving Board by David Hockney

Factory on the Banks of the Oise River by Camille Pissarro

The Itallian Villa in Trouville by Gustave Caillebotte

But don’t forget the science! There are exhibits describing the current biomes in the Greenwich area, along with an exploration of the historical biology (dinosaurs!) in the area.

Iridescent rocks

The Bruce is adjacent to exit 3 of I-95 in Connecticut and just a short walk (0.3 miles) from the Greenwich MetroNorth Station.

Nuts and Bolts

• The Bruce Museum is open Tues - Sun 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
• Entrance fees are $20 Adults/ $15 Seniors and Students/ children under 5 are free.

Salinas California. Home to John Steinbeck

 

Located about 20 miles inland from Monterey Bay is the city of Salinas, California. Salinas is the county seat of Monterey county. It was founded in the 18th century by a land grant, first from the Spanish government, and then from the Mexican government. The city became the center of the agricultural industry for Monterey County, a roll it still enjoys today.

Ghost Signs

John Steinbeck House and Cafe

Salinas is the birthplace of American writer John Steinbeck (1902-1968). Steinbeck mostly wrote novels and novels. From 1929 through 1961 his fiction described the lives of working people in this area. He is best known for The Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men, and East of Eden, all of which explore the experiences of farm workers on California’s farms. Steinbeck was awarded the 1962 Nobel Prize for Literature. In the center of town is the National Steinbeck Center. This wonderful museum offers interactive exhibits that go beyond Steinbeck’s books, highlighting their cultural effects on American society.

National Steinbeck Center by By LordHarris, via wikimedia commons

Steinbeck's Childhood Room

Cannery Row by Jalcou

Inside Doc's Lab by Brian Ariss

John Steinbeck's World by Bruce Ariss

Steinbeck's Truck from Travels with Charlie

Because Salinas was the center of such an important industry in California, it became a recipient of quite a bit of WPA construction. The center of town is filled with beautiful Art-Deco buildings. Many are government buildings whose exteriors are decorated top to bottom with artwork. However, some have hidden surprises, up above modern storefronts.

When you come to town, please remember to stop by the California Welcome Center-Salinas. It is located next door to the Salinas Amtrak station, another art-deco gem.

California Welcome Center

Salinas Amtrak Station

 

The center provides great information on things to do in the area. They also help run the near-by Monterey & Salinas Railroad Modeling and Historical Society, and the First Mayor’s House, both a part of the station complex.

The city of Salinas is home to great treasures of California history, and worth a visit.

Nuts and Bolts

• National Steinbeck Center - 1 Main Street. Open Wed - Sun 10 AM - 5 PM
• Entrance fees Adult $15/ Seniors, Students and Military personnel $13/ Childen $7
• California Welcome Center 1A Station Place Mon - Sat 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
• M&SVRRM first Sat and Sun 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
• First Mayor’s House first Sat 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM