Carmel Magazine

I t seems that being a newspaper delivery boy can have a profound effect on a man's avocation. Warren Buffett and Sam Walton both began their business careers as paperboys. And Pacific Grove's Randall "Randy" Reinstedt gained a lifelong fascination of the history of his native Monterey Peninsula while running a route for the Monterey Peninsula Herald. Eventually that pas- sion led him to pen more than 20 books that have collectively sold more than 400,000 copies to date. Reinstedt has deep Peninsula roots and just about every corner holds a significant memory for him, personal or historical. Gregarious, charming, energetic and curious, he appears much younger than his years, despite his snow-white beard. Oddly enough, for a man of his literary accomplishments his academic years were nothing special. "I was a terrible student," Reinstedt recalls. "If I came home with straight Cs it was cause for a family celebration." He managed to earn a degree from San Jose State University, however, and landed a job as a supervisor with the Vallejo Recreation District. During this period, Reinstedt also worked as a guide for an international tour agency. "The more I traveled and the more of the world I saw," he says, "the more I realized how amazing the Monterey area is." While he enjoyed his rec job, he told his wife Debbie that it wasn't what he wanted to do. Monterey was on his mind: "the beauty, history and culture of this place called to me and I felt that kids should learn about it." Photo:XXXXXXXXXX Randy Reinstedt Makes History Fun A Lifetime Fascination with the Monterey Peninsula B Y M I C H A E L C H AT F I E L D • P H OTO G R A P H Y B Y K E L L I U L D A L L 130 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • H O L I D A Y 2 0 1 4

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