Soledad Travel Information


Soledad has really grown..and fast! Each year as we drive past the city that once was barely a road stop off Highway 101 between northern and southern California, now you see masses of newly-built houses, and just off the road there's Starbucks and all the chain stores you'll find in LA or San Francisco Bay. Soledad was once known primarily for its mission, set in a beautiful, countryside, and for its farming that surrounds the mission. The houses market has thrived in recent years for that reason and more. There's available land that's flat, fertile and ripe for development. In addition to the farm and agricultural interests, Soledad has also provided economic stimulus through the Soledad State Prison. When you drive along the highway, you can spot the tall, white guard lookouts to the east of the road about a quarter-mile or so.

The best thing to stop and see as a traveler is not only your favorite coffee drink or burger, but the Soledad Mission, with its old church bell, flower gardens and roosters and chickens wandering around the property that's off the main drag a couple miles. Just follow the signs that point to the mission. At first it seems like you're going to far, but if you turned where the arrow pointed, just keep going a bit more and you usually find it.