Pacific Grove

Pacific Grove A "Piney Paradise" was how local historian Lucy Neely McLane described the small township of Pacific Grove. Situated in the elbow of the Monterey Peninsula, Pacific Grove came to prominence in the latter part of the nineteenth century as a popular location for a summer Methodist retreat. Land made available to the religious order by David Jacks (of "Monterey Jack" fame) allowed the development of Pacific Grove as a Christian seaside resort (The Pacific Grove Retreat Association).

The size of each lot, situated amongst the pines, was determined by the founding association and was to be 30 ft in width and 60ft in depth fronting onto avenues 60 ft in width. This then was the way that Pacific Grove took its form. Originally, each small lot provided the plot for a tent, which the owners were accustomed to use throughout the period of the retreat. Over time more permanent establishments often constructed around the original tent frame replaced the tented city. (Tent City)

Visitors to the area during California's spring are often entranced by the prolific display of two plants the "Pride of Madeira" and the "Ice Plant". Neither plant is indiginous to the area, but the ice plant, a semi-succulent, drapes itself like a red carpet over the edge of the rocky foreshore at Pacific Grove in the spring

.Pacific Grove is also known as "Butterfly Town USA" as in early October thousands of Monarch Butterflies migrate into the area to winter in Pacific Grove until March of the following year.

Pacific Grove now, retains much of the character that made it such a desirable place as a retreat, which, no doubt, is one of the reasons that it is often referred to as America's last hometown. Although some two hours plus from San Francisco by car, there is a sensation that, in time you could be many years away. Prominent literary figures have always had a fondness for this part of the Pacific Coast. John Steinbeck, born in Salinas, lived for many years on the edge of Pacific Grove and wrote vividly about Cannery Row, which exists now only as a tourist trap and captured the atmosphere of the Monterey Peninsula in Tortilla Flats. While earlier, just after the foundation of the Retreat Association, Robert Louis Stevenson stayed at nearby Monterey while in pursuit of his wife to be. Farther south Point Lobos, was the inspiration for Spyglass Hill featured in "Treasure Island".