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.