Epilogue - Pacific Grove, California

In this post I will share a little bit about everyday living in Pacific Grove. My three months there were really enjoyable. The location of the apartment where I stayed was perfect. It was right near the Monterey/Pacific Grove line. I was able to walk to most of the places where I needed to go.  I did a lot of walking, sometimes just in the neighborhood, looking down the hill to the view of the bay. 

As I said in a previous post, I walked the few blocks to the Monterey Bay Aquarium many times and spent the afternoon strolling through the different sections - Kelp Forest, Into the Deep, Open Sea, Touch Pools, the outside deck and so many more. It was relaxing because it was not as busy on the week days and was easier to move around and get closer to observe all the wonderful and amazing creatures.

                                                                                                           

                                   

One of our favorite restaurants in the neighborhood was Vivolo's Chowder House on Central Avenue. The food was always delicious and the service was great.  https://vivoloschowderhouse.com/

On the corner of Central & Eardley Avenues. is the Second Chance Thrift Store. This is a good place to browse for anything you might need or even something you don't really need but that  catches your eye. I got many great deals here including some folding camp chairs. They have a senior discount and special prices every day.

There is also Andronico's Community Markets which is actually in Monterey but it was a close walk from my home base. They advertise this as an upscale specialty market with organic food and local produce, but it was handy to pick up a few things without driving to the big grocery store. And if you do your homework you can find bargains.

There are a lot more businesses, thrift shops and restaurants on Lighthouse Avenue in the central part of the area between 1st Street and 17 Mile Drive. The Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History has a cool whale sculpture outside the building. The Post Office is also in this part of the city.

Another interesting thing in Pacific Grove - the deer. They would show up on the street, on steps in front of a house or in the grassy strip dividing the street. Once, as I walked my dog there were three of them coming from the opposite direction, down the middle of the street. And they will stare you down and not move. Needless to say I turned around and walked away from them.   

                                                

                                          

                                                                     

                                                                                         

                                                                        

                                                               
                                                            

                       

           

                                                                                                              

I hope these posts conveyed what in my experience is the beautiful and unique Monterey Bay area. And there is so much more to explore in addition to what I have shown.

                                                                                                                                               

  Pacific Grove, California

Pacific Grove is basically a continuation of Monterey on the Monterey Peninsula. The Monterey Bay Coastal Trail follows the coastline to Lover's Point Beach. The Harbor Seal Observation Area, which I included in my previous post, is in Pacific Grove. Between the observation area and the Monterey Bay Aquarium is the Hopkins Marine Station. This is the marine laboratory of Stanford University, named after Timothy Hopkins who founded the city of Palo Alto and was a supporter of Stanford University. As you continue along the trail there is so much beauty, wildlife statues and spots to stop and admire the view.

  

                                                               

The Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary at 250 Ridge Rd. is a special place. The butterflies migrate here around October and stay until March. It is such a thrill to see so many butterflies fluttering in the air and covering trees. The sanctuary is run by volunteers from the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History. There is no charge to visit but donations are accepted. There is a short path to walk through the sanctuary which I did but mostly I just stood and watched. The trees became alive in a mesmerizing way. The butterflies massed in trees, giant clusters of color with the movement of their wings creating undulating shapes. It was a marvelous and wondrous sight.

 

When you leave the Butterfly Sanctuary, if you turn left onto Lighthouse Ave. and continue towards the ocean you will get to Point Pinos Lighthouse. It is the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the west coast of the United States. I cannot tell you much because unfortunately when we were there it was closed. There is a gate and it was locked. I love lighthouses so this was a disappointment.

Moving on from the lighthouse, if you follow Ocean View Blvd. to the tip of the Monterey Peninsula, you will see a turnoff to the John Denver Memorial. He died in 1997 when the plane he was piloting crashed into Monterey Bay. 

17 Mile Drive is a scenic road that goes through Pacific Grove, cuts over to the coast and follows the coast to Carmel. There is a fee to travel on this road. It has five entrance gates, one being off of Lighthouse Ave. in Pacific Grove. The famous Pebble Beach Golf Course is one of the points of interest along this road. There are many scenic pull-offs where you can stop and admire the view. There is also a residential area.

Bird Rock

           

      

                                        

In conclusion, Pacific Grove is an interesting place with abundant beauty and so much to see. I had the good fortune to experience this area for 3 months. This post covers a small part of the sites to see. Stay tuned for the next post which will go a little more into living in Pacific Grove.

 

Monterey Bay, California Part 2

Coastal Trail, Cannery Row, Old Fisherman's Wharf

In the first part of this series on Monterey Bay, the subject was the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I would like to add one more bit about the aquarium. I mentioned the sea otters that you can spot in the water of the bay from the outside deck. But there are also sea otters inside the aquarium. There is a show a few times a day where the caretakers play with the otters. It is fun to watch.

When you leave the aquarium, turn right and go a few blocks on the Monterey Bay Coastal Trail and you will come to the Harbor Seal Observation Area. There is a chain link fence and if you look down at the beach you will see many, many harbor seals lying there. It is quite a sight. As we stood there viewing them a man on a bike came by and asked if anyone had questions about the seals. They actually have a Facebook Page - The Harbor Seals of Pacific Grove. They are protected by the National Marine Fisheries Service and the City of Pacific Grove. They even have certain restrictions during pupping season. They are nocturnal creatures, sleeping on the beach during the day, making for excellent viewing opportunities. 

The coastal trail runs through Pacific Grove with some nice viewing areas and parks along the way. If you travel in the other direction from the aquarium, into Monterey, Cannery Row is along the coast and the trail actually is on the inland side of it until the end of Cannery Row. Then it is along the coast again. The trail is 18 miles long from Pacific Grove to Castroville but I did not explore the whole length. In fact I only walked through Pacific Grove and to the end of Cannery Row in Monterey. But you can't beat it if you like to be near the ocean.

  

     

If you want more than nature and the outdoors, Cannery Row has shops and restaurants. It can get very busy on weekends. It is a cool place to visit just because of it's history and location. It is on the to-do list if you visit Monterey.

Next up is Old Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey. There is a good choice of restaurants with some great seafood. There are also other shops and of course a great view. It is nice to go there for an afternoon to have a meal, walk the wharf and take in the sea breeze. Below is a photo of the delicious food we had on our visit there.

              

There is so much to see and do in this region of California. I only covered the main areas.

Next time we will venture into Pacific Grove and Pebble Beach on the Monterey Peninsula. 

View of Bay