The HMS Beagle continued its voyage north along the central valley of California, which at its northerly end is called the Sacramento Valley, so named for the Sacramento River that drains the area. The land is, of course, devoted to agriculture, but unlike the arid valley to the south, the Sacramento Valley is more lush,…
Heading north yet again, the HMS Beagle crossed the Santa Cruz mountains and descended into the Santa Clara Valley, sometimes called Silicon Valley. The Beagle continued on up the east side of San Francisco Bay, then crossed the bay at the north end on a very tall and long toll bridge, then veered north again…
Leaving Paso Robles, the Beagle set course for the Monterey Peninsula on the California coast, passing through the Salinas Valley, including the town of Salinas itself, the home of the great American writer John Steinbeck. Second only to the great Central Valley, the Salinas Valley is home to the most intensive agriculture one can imagine. …