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The Quirky Creativity of Pacific Grove, California
Someone really loves butterflies here in Pacific Grove, also known as Butterfly Town. Merriam Webster defines quirky as “unusual in especially an interesting or appealing way”. Synonyms for quirky include bizarre, curious, eclectic, kooky, peculiar, remarkable, and eccentric. In my opinion, every one of these boxes can be checked for Pacific Grove, also known as PG. While most of PG is full of traditional historic homes and businesses, it is the unusual features that often catch my eye. I find these quirky qualities oddly appealing.
Maybe it’s my British genes (aren’t they prone to eccentricity?), or just my appreciation for people who think creatively, but I love turning a corner to find something novel and bizarre. This mosaic wall in PG features such things as a hula doll, an old clock, a hot wheels car, and pearl necklaces in its composition. I love it.
Why have an ordinary garden arbor when you can have a rainbow with Pegasus flying over it? Horace Walpole, an English author, coined the word “serendipity” during the 1700s. Serendipity was used to describe making fortunate discoveries by accident. He based his new word on a fairy tale in which the three princes of Serendip were always making discoveries during their travels by accident. I would certainly call my accidental discoveries serendipitous.
The “Blue Garden” above, was discovered in an abandoned alley. It features morning glories, a windmill on the roof, a mechanical roaring dinosaur, a unicorn balloon, a waterfall fountain, and carnival music, among other things.
What I find so refreshing about Pacific Grove is that people are allowed to be who they are here. Personal expression is embraced. Nobody seems to care if you want to paint your picket fence purple or have dozens of kooky little gnome statues stacked on your porch. It’s truly an accepting culture. Several of my friends live here and they absolutely love it.
Photo courtesy of @thescenicshutter Quirkiness is also found in some of the unique shops here. Tessuti Zoo, located at 171 Forest Avenue, has been described as “the most colorful, zany, eclectic store one may ever shop”.
Photo courtesy of @ca.love.fornia For more information, see Pacific Grove. You may also enjoy my other posts: Butterfly Town: Pacific Grove, Lovers Point: Legendary Park in Pacific Grove, Point Pinos Lighthouse, Pacific Grove, The Feast of Lanterns in Pacific Grove, and Picket Fences by the Seaside: Victorian Homes in PG.
Thank you for visiting my blog! Wishing you peace, love, happiness, and beautiful vistas.
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Lovers Point: Legendary Park in Pacific Grove
Featuring panoramic views stretching from Monterey to Pebble Beach, Lovers Point will bewitch you. Located in Pacific Grove, on the tip of the Monterey Peninsula, it is merely the icing on the cake. Pacific Grove is called “Butterfly Town, USA” because monarch butterflies return here year after year. It is also known as “America’s Last Hometown” because of the strong community spirit binding together this quaint Victorian town. It is home to the Asilomar Conference Center, Point Pinos Lighthouse, and also hosts the annual Feast of Lanterns. Additionally, it has been the setting for several films, most recently the “Big Little Lies” HBO series.
Lovers Point is a dalliance between land, sea, and sky that never fails to charm. Its natural beauty has been an inspiration for decades. In the 1890s, the area was an artist’s haven. At that time, a movement seeking to create art in outdoor settings in natural light and weather conditions, called en plein air, was the rage. The movement, which started in France, soon swept through Europe and expanded to the United States beginning in California. Today, you may still see plein air artists set up with their easels and paints. 
Lovers Point is a place to experience not only beauty but also adventure. The park consists of 4.4 acres. Sand volleyball, rock climbing, surfing, kayaking, biking, scuba diving, paddle boarding, snorkeling and strolling along the ever-popular waterfront coastal trail are just some of the fun things to do here. The coastal trail stretches for 18 miles, from Castroville in the north to the far tip of Asilomar Beach in the south. It follows the path of the now defunct Southern Pacific Railroad.
Located above a sand volleyball court is one of the last remaining swan boats from Lover’s Point. The swan boats of Pacific Grove were originally introduced in the 1890s to enable visitors to explore the area by sea. The swan boat fleet was owned and operated by Nathanial “Dad” Sprague for more than 50 years. The boats were then operated by a variety of owners until the mid-1970s.
The beach at Lovers Point faces west and has a concrete wall and breakwater, making it one of the few safe swimming places in the area and popular for families and children. Be advised, however, that the water here is very chilly year round.
Lovers Point State Marine Reserve, created in 2007, lies directly offshore Lovers Point Park. It is one of four marine protected areas on the Monterey Penisula. It includes a variety of wondrous flora and fauna including kelp forests, sea otters, harbor seals, pelicans, cormorants and more.
Helpful Tips:
- Numerous benches, BBQ grills and picnic tables are available.
- Fishing is prohibited in the Lovers Point State Marine Reserve.
- Bikes, kayaks, surreys, paddleboards, scuba diving gear, surfboards, and other rentals are available at Lovers Point by Adventures By The Sea.
- Nearby restaurants include The Beach House and The Grill at Lovers Point.
- Public restrooms are available.
Thank you for visiting my blog! Wishing you peace, love, happiness & beautiful vistas!
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The Feast of Lanterns in Pacific Grove
Pacific Grove, California, is a quaint Victorian seaside community filled with charming old homes. Each year it celebrates its history and culture during the Feast of Lanterns. It is Pacific Grove’s oldest tradition, beginning in 1905. It is a wonderful event that draws this charming small town together with a multitude of fun events and lasts for four days. The festival includes a lantern parade to the beach, fireworks over the bay, a sandcastle contest, a pageant, and a pet parade. The pet parade is held on Friday before the last day of the festival on the city’s main street, Lighthouse Avenue.
Pacific Grove has been billed as “America’s Last Hometown” and it is easy to see why, during this magical festival. Many Pacific Grove businesses & residents show their support by hanging brightly colored lanterns and lights in windows, trees, and on their porches. There are also a great many private parties held in anticipation of the festival’s finale.
Blue Willow Plate You may have heard the legend of the blue willow, a story about the beautiful antique china pattern. In this story, Chang falls in love with the beautiful Koong-se, and they fly away as immortal doves, forever free. Pacific Grove, known as Butterfly Town, has its own spin on this story, in which the lovers fly away as Monarch butterflies. This is depicted in their annual pageant, which takes place on the last night of the festival at Lover’s Point. The story takes place in pantomime. It culminates with a burst of fireworks overhead as the lovers are seen for a brief moment before departing in the guise of Monarch butterflies.
The Feast of Lanterns is held the end of July, with the culmination occurring the Saturday of the last full weekend in July. If you are planning on attending the last day’s events, be sure to arrive early in the day to set up chairs, blankets, etc. Bring warm jackets, etc. as it can become quite chilly during the evening. For more information on the festival as well as other upcoming events see Pacific Grove. Thank you for visiting my blog! Wishing you peace, love, happiness, and beautiful vistas!
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Point Pinos Lighthouse, Pacific Grove
Point Pinos Lighthouse, located In Pacific Grove, is the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the west coast of the United States. In 1855, it was the second lighthouse built in California. Alcatraz Island Lighthouse had been built 8 months previously, but in 1909 was replaced by the famous prison. Point Pinos was built atop a quaint house enabling keepers to tend the light without fearing the elements. Point Pinos Lighthouse uses a Fresnel lens manufactured in France in 1853. The beacon is still used by the Coast Guard to aid navigation and the city of Pacific Grove maintains the property. While it began as just a narrow light beam fueled by whale oil, in 1912 it used an “eclipse” that made the light blink on for 10 seconds and off for 20 seconds. Today, the light is electronic and is on for three seconds and off for one, which helps mariners identify it. Point Pinos stands 43 feet tall, approximately 90 feet above the ocean, and its lens can be seen 17 miles out to sea.
History
Point Pinos Lighthouse has had many keepers, but perhaps the most interesting was Emily Fish. Emily Fish’s sister died in childbirth, and at age 17, Emily married her dead sister’s husband, Malancthon Fish, and raised her sister’s baby daughter, Juliet. Mr. Fish, a medical doctor, died when Emily was 50 years old. Following his death, Emily applied for the position of lighthouse keeper at the Point Pinos Lighthouse in Pacific Grove, CA. This was considered highly unusual, as most women only received their positions upon the death of their lighthouse keeper husbands. Emily, however, was an anomaly. She bucked the norms and defied gender roles. She would not be foiled in her efforts, proving that no matter how old you are and what society thinks, you should always follow your dreams and aspirations.
She thrived in her position, and for over twenty years, lived and worked at the lighthouse with her menagerie of French poodles, Holstein cows, horses, and chickens. She excelled at gardening and created an oasis of grass, hedges, and trees on the lighthouse grounds. From her home in Oakland, she brought antique furniture, paintings, china, and silverware. Being a lighthouse keeper was no easy chore; rather, it was a difficult and demanding life. Emily, however, excelled at her job, and soon became known as the “Socialite Keeper” because of her flair for style and fashion and her reputation for entertaining guests at the lighthouse. During her keep, Point Pinos Lighthouse consistently received high marks for being well-kept.
While Emily is the most memorable female lighthouse keeper at Point Pinos, she was not the first. The light’s first keeper, Charles Layton, was serving on a posse in pursuit of an outlaw when he was fatally shot the first year he was appointed. His wife Charlotte, left alone with four children, replaced her husband as keeper until 1860 when she was remarried and her new husband took over the position.
If you are planning on visiting the area and would like to tour the lighthouse, please see pointpinoslighthouse for information including directions, hours, and parking. *Photo courtesy of Jay Slupesky, follow him on Instagram @jayslu
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Butterfly Town: Pacific Grove
What do butterflies and quaint seaside Victorian houses have in common? Pacific Grove! Called “PG” by the locals, it is a quiet town filled with history and charm. It was originally a Methodist Church camp in the late 1800s and nowadays boasts more historical houses per capita than anywhere in California. Perhaps owing to its pious history, it was the last dry town in California and did not serve liquor until 1969! It is also known as Butterfly Town, due to the thousands of monarch butterflies that overwinter here on the Monterey pines and eucalyptus trees. You can see them at the Monarch Grove Sanctuary beginning in October through March, when they take flight to migrate as far away as Canada, laying their eggs on milkweed plants along the way. Every October, the town of PG holds a Butterfly Parade to celebrate the return of the monarchs, and the school children don colorful butterfly wings and march through the town. These gorgeous creatures are becoming endangered due to deforestation and development, and PG takes this very seriously. If you kill or threaten a butterfly in PG, you can get slapped with a $1000.00 fine. You can help support the butterfly population by planting milkweed! I did last year and hope to spot some of our orange & black friends at my farm.
Pacific Grove is also home to the famed “Lover’s Point”, where Asilomar State Beach begins. Asilomar means “asylum or refuge by the sea”, and it fits this description perfectly. If you are looking for the best place to watch the sunset, this is it! It is pure heaven to wander along the wonderful walking/running trail lined with exotic shrubs and flowers next to the rocky coast and crashing waves and is one of my favorite places to take my dog for a walk. You can stop to examine the tide pools or watch the sailboats along the way.
The Asilomar Conference Center, part of the Asilomar State Beach, was designed by Julia Morgan. Morgan is also famously known for being the architect of Hearst Castle, which lies much further down the coast. Asilomar was originally built in the early 1900s for the YWCA, and still retains a very lodge-like Arts and Crafts/Mission look, with wonderful shingled and stone buildings, cozy fireplaces and gorgeous lighting. Did you know that the first national discussion regarding recombinant DNA was held at Asilomar? Do you care? Just thought I’d throw that in there.
In July, PG hosts the Feast of Lanterns, a Chinese festival that lasts for a week and you will see lanterns hanging all over town at this time. In December, you can walk down “Candy Cane Lane”, and see all the festive lights and decorations for the holidays. There is also a tour of the amazing inns and bed and breakfasts at this time of year. My favorite is the Green Gables Inn, but really, they are all pretty amazing. There is always, ALWAYs something fun going on in PG!
