Time to complete our tour packages - and to see the restored Japanese School in Castroville!
What innovative ideas can you bring to the table for our tour packages?  You are the key to making Salinas a great destination.  Castroville Chamber of Commerce will be hosting our meeting on Thursday, November 12, at 8:45am. @ 10683 Merritt Street, Castroville 
I encourage you to be there - please plan to attend!           RSVP now!

 

Present: Trish Sullivan, TTF Chair, Destination Salinas; Cathy Martin Silvey, MC Historical Society; Michelle Relecker, The Chamber; Anne Auburn, MCCVB; Lavonne Chin, Monterey County Event Director; Craig Kaufman, principal, Full Steam Marketing & Design, Jim Hague, retired, Chamber Ambassador.

• Tour Packages in Salinas & Valley:   We brainstormed several packages and need to add a few extras, % off retail, tickets to the cinema, theater and symphony. Please take time to e-mail me your suggestions and ideas!
  

Steinbeck Experience:

•        Admission to the National Steinbeck Center (adult) $11
•        Lunch at the Steinbeck House (entree, bev & dessert) $20
•        Guided tour of Downtown Salinas (1 1/2 hour) $25
•        Taste of Monterey Wine Tasting $5
  
•        Retail Coupons various stores and breakfast or dinner  % off
•        1 Full Day - Total Price:                               $61.00

      

Salinas Valley:
Families:

•        Farm (seasonal)  $15.
•        Wild Things Tour  $15
•        Soledad Mission   $5
•        Picnic Lunch (Old Town Deli Cafe or Elements) $15 ?
•        1 Full Day - Total Price                               $50

Romance in the Long Valley couple:

•        Wine Tasting  $0 - $50
•        Tour Ag component (AgVenture) $130 each
  
•        (with chauffeured vehicle only $338 - 6 hours SUV or $523 limo )
•        Picnic Lunch (Old Town Deli Cafe or Elements) @ Hahn Estates $15 each
•        Overnight @ B & B (Barlockers, Inn at the Pinnacles, Chateau Coralini) $250
•         1 Full Day for 2 - Total Price for a couple                          $490 - $930
  

Beginnings of Salinas:

•        Tour Boronda Adobe $15
•        Lunch at local restaurant (coupon % off)
•        Tour 1st Mayor's House  $15
•        Guided tour of Salinas Beginnings $45
•        Coupons for Dinner  % off
•        1 Full Day - Total Price                               $75

Send your comments and suggestions - before the next meeting on 11/12 Winery folks: Can you offer something special? A special tasting, behind the scenes experience, ideas??

Please RSVP - it just takes a minute and helps us to plan refreshments!
Please keep updates brief: this meeting we complete our tour packages.

Things we all can do to improve Salinas Tourism:

• Adopt a website to monitor for TTF Internet Initiative: Post on Wikkipedia, Travelocity, TripAdvisor, etc. Especially needed: Images for Wikkipedia-currently has nothing good!
• Download our List of Links to give out to happy visitors - encourage them to post experiences! Print, cut, and hand out these cards to your guests and visitors.
• Need Ghost Stories for Tour Project

 

What do you know as an insider that could be shared with our guests?  Back roads bike trail?  Undiscovered restaurant?  Favorite thrift store?  Anything, no matter how unusual will do!  Send me an e-mail with your Salinas Secrets and we'll use it as part of our insider internet campaign.

 

Please accept my invitation to attend the TTF meeting at Castroville Chamber of Commerce

Mark your calendar for these up-coming meetings to attract and retain new visitors.

Come to this meeting with a tour idea, invite an interested colleague to attend and bring in new ideas! 

 

Sincerely,

 

'The Salinas Tourism Task Force is a collaborative effort of local businesses committed to educating the public and promoting our local attractions. Our goal is to energize the community as we develop opportunities and plan for tourism in the future.'