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Lover's Point Beach and Park Play in the white sand cove (bring your sand toys) or go boogie boarding, kayaking and surfing (kayaks, boards available for rent). Rent bikes and bike all the way to Cannery Row or out to Asilomar Beach. |
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Bring a picnic or pick up lunch at the snack bar, sit out on the grass in the park with gorgeous views of the bay. |
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Asilomar State Beach This is a one mile stretch of flat sandy beach, plus rocks to climb on and tide pools. |
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Look for sea lions, harbor seals, sea otters, dolphins, pelicans in the water. Or you can just sit and watch the waves break, totally mesmerizing. Bring binoculars for gray whale watching (December to April). |
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Point Pinos Lighthouse This cute little lighthouse has been flashing its light since 1855, and is the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the West Coast. Inside the lighthouse, kids can see what the lighthouse keeper's parlor, kitchen, bathroom, and sleeping quarters (one lighthouse keeper was a woman, who tended the lighthouse for over 20 years), plus exhibits about lenses and guarding the Monterey coast. |
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Monarch Grove Butterfly Sanctuary (250 Ridge Rd. Pacific Grove) November through February, kids will enjoy a stop at the Monarch Grove Sanctuary to see scads of monarch butterflies, hanging out in Monterey pine and eucalyptus trees. |
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Tip: Bring binoculars, butterflies may be high up in the trees. Also, in cold mornings, monarch clusters are folded up in the trees. Later when it warms up, butterflies open wings to sun on the leaves and fly around. |
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Grove is free, open sunrise to sunset daily. |
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Pacific Grove Natural History Museum (165 Forest Ave.) If the weather is cloudy or foggy, head to the Pacific Grove Museum to discover the abundance of wildlife in Monterey County. Find out all about the Monarch butterfly, listen to whale sounds, check out the natural history exhibits, and climb on the full size sculpture of a gray whale in front of the museum. |
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Museum is free, closed Monday and Tuesday. |
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Farmers Market Every Monday, 3pm - 7pm, at Central and Grand Ave. in Pacific Grove. Fresh fruits (strawberries and artichokes are grown in Watsonville)and vegetables, nuts, grown by local farmers in the area, plus rice bowls and other takeout food. |
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Before you view
the monarch butterflies at Monarch Grove Sanctuary, learn out about the life cycle of the monarch, from egg to caterpillar to butterfly. (Picture book)
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Detailed look at monarch butterflies, from egg to caterpillar munching on milkweed, chrysalis and emerging butterfly. Miraculous migrations, why monarchs are in danger, and how to help monarchs on their journey. (Picture book)
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Watch a caterpillar turn into a beautiful colorful monarch butterfly. Bright photos (e.g. caterpillar eating big hole in milkweed leaf) and simple text, perfect for little ones. (Board book)
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(More children's
books on other California pages) |