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Best known for favorites such as Treasure Island and Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson had quite a life in his 44 years. A Scotsman, he was born and educated in Edinburgh and endured chronic sickness from a young age. He would experience palpable sickness and defy it his whole life.
Throughout his young adulthood he would reject Christianity, fall in love with a married woman (who he’d eventually marry himself) and travel to America, where he’d document his travel experience in some of his lesser known books.
RLS spent a lot of time in California before eventually heading to England then back to the U.S. and finally to the South Sea where he lived and died of a stroke on an estate in Samoa. Here are the best places to see in Robert Louis Stevenson’s California.
EVERYTHING YOU MUST SEE IN ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON’S CALIFORNIA
530 Houston Street
Monterey, CA
A trip through Robert Louis Stevenson’s California really begins in Monterey. On August 30th, 1879 after a long journey across the Atlantic ocean and then by train over the vast United States, Stevenson arrived in Monterey with death nearly knocking on his door. His health had deteriorated to a degree that he had to be nursed back to health by the locals. He writes about his experiences during this middle leg of the trip in Across the Plains (1892).
The original 1836 adobe was built by the Port of Monterey customs administrator, Don Rafael Gonzalez. Twenty years later, there was a general store on the ground floor and its proprietor, Juan Girardin, lived upstairs. Spare rooms of the building were converted and rented out and it became known as the French Hotel.
Stevenson arrived at the French Hotel after traveling from Europe to New York and by train from New York to California in 1878-79 in order to court his future wife (who was still married to someone else at the time), Fanny Van de Grift Osbourne. His health was in dire condition.
While he recovered, he often took meals at a neighboring restaurant which was run by Frenchman Jules Simoneau. It was located in what is now Simoneau Plaza.
The “Stevenson House” has been restored and is part of the Monterey State Historic Park. 45 minute guided tours are offered on Fridays and Saturdays. Tickets are $10 for adults and children under 17 are free.
The Stevenson House is located at 530 Houston Street, Monterey, CA 93940.
While you’re in Monterey, head over to nearby Salinas to catch all the best literary sites of John Steinbeck.
608 Bush Street
San Francisco
After recovering in Monterey, Stevenson found himself well enough to travel into San Francisco at the end of December in 1879. He rented a room at 608 Bush Street just north of Union Square. Though the 608 Bush Street of 1879 was not exactly located at the present day 608 Bush Street but rather closer to where 630 Bust Street is today.
It was a miserable time for him, as he was alone and terribly ill and surviving on just nearly $.50 a day or less to support his writing lifestyle. Fanny, now officially divorced, came to his bedside to see him through the worst of his illness. Upon hearing of his son’s condition, Stevenson’s father commits to sending £250 annually for his aid. Stevenson lived at this location until March 1880.
Memorial in Portsmouth Square
San Francisco, CA
On nice days when Stevenson was living on Bush Street, he would take the sun in Portsmouth Square in Chinatown just a quarter of a mile to the northwest. A memorial was created for him in 1897 and was designed by architect Willis Polk along with sculptor Bruce Porter (who also both created the Filoli Estate in nearby Woodside, CA).
The inscription reads: To Remember Robert Louis Stevenson–to be honest, to be kind – to earn a little, to spend a little less – to make upon the whole a family happier for his presence – to renounce when that shall be necessary, and not be embittered – to keep a few friends but these without capitulation – above all on the same grim condition to keep friends with himself – here is a task for all that a man has of fortitude and delicacy.
This quote is from chapter 12 of Across the Plains, A Christmas Sermon.
San Francisco is loaded with literary history and sites. From the Beat Generation to Maya Angelou to Dashiell Hammett you can spend days exploring the worlds of some of America’s most iconic authors.
Robert Louis Stevenson State Park
Calistoga, CA
After Stevenson wed Fanny Osbourne in May of 1880, they traveled to Napa Valley for an extended honeymoon (and a warmer climate for Stevenson’s health). A train took them to the Calistoga Railroad Depot–one of California’s oldest depots–on the northern end of Napa Valley.
While in the area they visited Jacob Schram and ventured into the caves at the Schramsberg Vineyards, enjoyed the hot springs of Calistoga, and took in the nearby Petrified Forest with founder Petrified Charlie leading the way.
The newly wed couple met up with Osbourne’s son, Lloyd, who was attending school in Sonoma and kept going north. The trio traveled the Old Lawley Toll Road up Mount St. Helena. The road is still open (and dotted with wineries) and an alternative to highway 29 with far less traffic.
Once at Mount St. Helena, they essentially squatted in a cabin at an old abandoned mine for the summer of 1880. Stevenson writes about this experience in The Silverado Squatters. While the cabin no longer exists, there is a memorial to Stevenson marking where it was located at what is now Robert Louis Stevenson State Park.
Getting to the marker isn’t too tricky if you know where you’re going: Heading north on Highway 29 there will be a parking lot on the right shortly after entering RLS State Park (though there is no official sign for the lot). The park is not staffed and doesn’t have any available facilities. There is no fee to enter the park or to use the parking lot.
Once you’re parked you’ll actually need to cross the highway (it’s very doable and I did it with young children in tow) to get to the trail. There’s a fairly large sign marking the “Stevenson Memorial Trail” noting that the monument is 1.0 mile up.
The trail grade is relatively flat as it winds up the mountain a bit. While it’s not ADA accessible, there aren’t many parts that are steep and there is no scramble. Take water with you.
As the trail suggests, just about a mile up you’ll come to a memorial that was erected on May 7, 1911 by the Napa Women’s Club at the site of the cabin where the Stevensons spent their summer honeymoon. It reads:
“This tablet placed by the Club Women of Napa County marks the site of the cabin occupied in 1880 by Robert Louis Stevenson and bride, while he wrote The Silverado Squatters.
‘Doomed to know not winter only spring,
A being trod the flowery April blithely for awhile,
Took his fill of music, joy of thought
And seeing and stayed and went
Nor ever ceased to smile.’” –RLS
Keep walking the trail to see the entrance to the old Silverado mine (on the left) or take the whole 5 mile trail the whole way up Mount St. Helena.
Robert Louis Stevenson Museum
St Helena, CA
While you’re in wine country, head south of Calistoga and make a visit to the small but mighty Robert Louis Stevenson Museum that’s adjacent to the St. Helena Public Library.
The museum holds the RLS archives which includes primary source material such as original manuscripts–don’t miss the original pages from Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde–-and dozens of personal letters to family and friends.
The museum keeps hundreds of items that once belonged to Stevenson. Memorabilia includes a lock of Stevenson’s hair, toy soldiers he played with as a boy, his set of silver, a rocking chair his nurse used when he was a child, rings given to him by Fanny, and much more.
You’ll also find a scale model of the mining cabin Stevenson and Fanny honeymooned at on Mount St. Helena as well as original ship signs from vessels the family traveled on to the South Pacific. Also highlighted is the family’s personal library from their estate in Samoa.
While you’re here, pop into the public library next door to check out the Napa Valley Wine Library. Co-founded by M.F.K. Fisher and others, it’s a one of a kind collection that features rare books, wine labels, images and more all based on viticulture and wine lore.
The Robert Louis Stevenson Museum is located at 1490 Library Lane, St. Helena, CA 94574. It’s open from 12pm-4pm Tuesday through Saturday The museum is free to visit (though a $10 donation is encouraged).
If you’re spending a few days in wine country don’t miss the estate of another iconic writer–Jack London’s State Historic Park.
That’s the best of Robert Louis Stevenson’s California! Have you visited these places or others? Let us know in the comments.
