Pacific Grove, California has a classic Main Street, USA feel. With one of the oldest continually operating lighthouses on the West Coast and a classic 1932 golf course partially designed by Jack Neville, Pacific Grove holds many old-fashioned charms.
Pacific Grove also has a thoroughly modern focus on green elements like nature and sustainability. Its beaches, located right on the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, are perfect spots for kayaking or surfing — and some of the fish you see on the Bay may turn up in your sustainable seafood dinner that night. Pacific Grove's status as one of the top Monarch butterfly wintering-over spots has procured it the nickname of "Butterfly Town, USA."
Looking for ideas on how to spend your Pacific Grove vacation? Take a look at a Pacific Grove sample itinerary, and dream of a weekend away in "America's Last Hometown."
Pacific Grove's attractions evoke a timeless air, from its historic establishments to its breathtaking slices of nature.
The Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History gives children and adults insight into the ever-evolving story of the Monterey Peninsula, with both human artifacts and exhibits on the flora and fauna of the area. Visitors can also learn what life was like when Pacific Grove was remote and wild by visiting the Point Pinos Lighthouse, the oldest continually operating lighthouse on the West Coast and the oldest building in Pacific Grove.
Ranked as one of America's best golf courses by the Zagat Survey, Pacific Grove Municipal Golf Links offers great play, low greens fees and sweeping views of Monterey Bay. Both wheelchair accessible Asilomar State Beach and Lovers Point Beach offer reliable surfing and beautiful kayaking. Cyclists and pedestrians enjoy the coastal views along the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail.
If you're fortunate enough to be in Pacific Grove during the fall or winter, you will be witness to one of nature's most incredible spectacles: the annual migration of the Monarch butterflies. Tens of thousands of Monarchs descend on Pacific Grove in October, and take up residence in the pines and eucalyptus trees of the Monarch Grove Butterfly Sanctuary.
"Sustainable" is a watchword of Pacific Grove's restaurants, as exemplified by the award-winning Passionfish, leader of the sustainable seafood movement. Pacific Grove also offers cozy breakfast nooks, home style Italian cooking, cutting-edge European cuisine, and more. For the wine fan seeking the perfect pairing, the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence that hangs on the wall of many a Pacific Grove restaurant ensures that the beverages will be as excellent as the food.
If you're searching for a cozy cottage, a quaint Victorian inn with an ocean view, or a suite tucked away in Pacific Grove's beautiful pine forest, you'll find Pacific Grove hotels that suit your needs. Pacific Grove hotels offer the perfect combination of an escape from hustle and bustle and easy access to the entire Monterey Peninsula. Pacific Grove's accommodations are known for their old-fashioned charms, personal touches and proximity to nature.
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