King City CHamber of Commerce and Agriculture | 2018 Business Directory

2018 King City Chamber Directory • A Publication of South County Newspapers • 19 There is no shortage of fun and exciting things to do in King City. Although we are a small town of about 13,000, our residents cherish a unique flavor of life in our close-knit community that makes us different from any place in the world. If you want malls and big box stores, you won’t find them here. We are a rural agricultural community that has most of what people need for everyday life, including a variety of stores in our King City Center and Broadway Plaza shopping centers. Our downtown pro- vides stores with supplies including many family-owned stores that offer food and goods favored by our largely Mexican population. Our long-standing L.A. Hearne Company on Metz Road supplies products with a Western theme from clothing to goods for ranches and farms. Businesses along Highway 101 cater to travelers, many of whom are headed to Pinnacles National Park, America’s newest national park. The Garden House gift store off of Canal Street is a treasure as is A Little Bit of Country on Broadway Street. When looking for a place to dine, you are in luck if you desire Mexican food. Numerous downtown restaurants offer an array of authentic food found in various areas of Mexico. You won’t want to miss the tacos at Tacos La Potranca de Jalisco, the beef and chicken chimichangas at Guadalajara Restaurant, the shrimp tostadas at El Lugarcito Restaurant, the guacamole at El Sinaloense and handmade ice cream at La Michocana. Our new The Cork and Plough restau- rant downtown features food and wine grown in our beautiful Salinas Valley, an area often referred to as the Salad Bowl of the World. For one of the best salad bars around, try California Gourmet Pizza. An- other ethnic favorite is the Vietnam Restaurant across the street from our high school. A nice array of fast food choices and coffee shops are available near the freeway. If you are in town on a weekend, you are likely to find a chicken BBQ going on somewhere as a fundraiser for the many worthy causes our town supports. For entertainment, King City offers a three-screen King City Cinemas in our Town Square. Live theater productions are regu- larly produced by The Stage Hands theater group which has been offering quality performances for more than 25 years. The Monterey County Dance Theatre does marvelous productions featuring young dancers twice a year. Sol Treasures, our local non-profit cultural center, offers a wide range of activities including backyard concerts during the summer, an art gallery and a delightful gift store featuring hand-crafted items. Tours of local wineries are available within a short drive. Each year in May our Salinas Valley Fair welcomes thousands of people for four days of fun and learning. The two land- mark red barns on the fairgrounds offer large venues for rodeo and barrel racing events year-around. Recreation occupies many of our residents all year with pro- grams for soccer, baseball and basketball for all ages through our King City Recreation Department. The recreation department also runs our four-pool swimming complex complete with a water slide open during the summer months .Great hiking and outdoor adven- ture are easily accessible at Pinnacles National Park, just a 45-min- ute drive to either the east or west side entrances. As well, the Los Padres National Forest and our San Antonio and Nacimiento lakes offers outdoor experiences and a splendid array of wildflowers in the springtime. San Antonio Mission is a great place to explore in the hills to the west, adjacent to Fort Hunter Liggett, a training ground for our military. San Lorenzo Park, within walking distance to King City, is re- ferred to as the hidden jewel of the Salinas Valley with its amazing Agricultural museum, displays of vintage farm equipment, historic school house, Irrigation Museum, campground and marvelous RV park all located next to the Salinas River. Our city parks feature a skateboarding area, tennis courts, horseshoe pits, playgrounds, rac- quetball courts and ball fields. Overlooking San Lorenzo Creek is a nine-hole golf course. The more you visit and stay in King City, the more you will ex- perience the unique flavor of our town. Shopping, Dining, Entertainment and Recreation