Monterey and Pacific Grove
The city of Monterey and the town of Pacific Grove are located on the Monterey Peninsula by the Monterey Bay of the Pacific Ocean. Pacific Grove is located between Monterey and Pebble Beach. All in all, Monterey and Pacific Grove are two of my favorite places to visit, mostly for the incredible rocky shorelines and the colors of the waters, but also for the many, many points of interest. The Monterey Peninsula is about 1 and 1/2 hours south of us, and this blog entry will serve only as a *brief* introduction. You really owe it to yourself to visit! 
No doubt, I will revisit the locations in future blog entries and in real life!
One of the attractions of Monterey that draws visitors from all over the world is the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Go there! The Monterey Bay Aquarium maintains close ties to MBARI, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, which is based in Moss Landing, at the head of the submarine Monterey Canyon. Another attraction is the Old Fisherman’s Wharf, and another is the new Fisherman’s Wharf. If you enjoy commercial watercraft or pleasure craft, there are plenty to be seen around these structures. Another attraction is the Monterey Custom House. In addition, you can occasionally see such things as a kayak class, an outrigger race, whale-watching vessels, and the always present sea lions. Monterey is also home to the Naval Postgraduate School, the Defense Language Institute, The Monterey Institute of International Studies, and the former Fort Ord, part of which is now the location of the California State University Monterey Bay campus. Near the campus, you will often see kitboarding, windsurfing, and folks hang-gliding, riding the wind currents rising from the sea below the sand dunes.
Pacific Grove has more Victorian houses per capita that anywhere else in America, according to Wikipedia. A number of these have been turned into Bread and Breakfast Inns. Pacific Grove is also known for wonderful views from Lovers Point, the annual migration of Monarch butterflies, the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the West Coast (Point Pinos Lighthouse) and Asilomar State Beach, with its rugged Pacific shoreline.
The discussion above does not begin to do justice to the area, but I hope that the articles and photos stimulate your interest in visiting. Once there, the food and the natural beauty will ensure your return.
-Bill at Cheshire Cat Photo™
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