A Secret California City Called 'Butterfly Town USA' Is A Less Touristy, Authentic Coastal Haven

Pacific Grove, California is on the Monterey Peninsula between Monterey and Carmel, making it a great stop during a road trip along California's iconic Highway 1. And there's a particular grove of eucalyptus, pine, and cypress trees that's long been a winter destination for some very popular visitors: monarch butterflies. The Pacific Grove Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary is one of the area's largest overwintering sites for these migrating butterflies. And because of that, Pacific Grove has gotten the nickname of "Butterfly Town, U.S.A.," according to the city's website. They take their butterflies so seriously here that if you're caught touching or bothering one, you'll face a fine of $1,000. It's well worth it to visit Pacific Grove to get the opportunity to witness this breathtaking natural phenomenon; plus, there's plenty more to enjoy in this delightful coastal city.

If you do want to visit Pacific Grove to see the butterflies, here's when to go. The butterflies typically start to arrive around mid-October and stay there until February. Hundreds and up to tens of thousands of butterflies can be found here. The number of monarchs in the sanctuary varies from year to year, so there's never any guarantee that you'll see them. But this spot gives you one of the best chances to see them in the largest numbers.

You'll most often see them clustered tightly together for shelter on the trees. They'll stay like that if temperatures remain below 55 degrees Fahrenheit; Pacific Grove has a mild climate; it's about 45 to 60 degrees during the winter. If you visit on a sunny afternoon, you may see them in flight.

Monarch butterflies have been recorded gathering in Pacific Grove in winter for over 100 years.  These butterflies are members of a so-called "super generation" that live around six to nine months as compared to other generations, which only live about six to eight weeks. The super generation monarchs born east of the Rocky Mountains migrate down to Mexico; the ones overwintering in California typically come from west of the Rockies. You can learn more about the monarchs at the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History. The museum also has exhibits on additional ecologic and cultural aspects of the region.

A number of places in Pacific Grove have really leaned into the city's nickname of "Butterfly Town, U.S.A." There's the Butterfly Grove Inn, with a beautiful monarch mural on one of its walls. The boutique hotel has 38 rooms, and it's located near the entrance of the sanctuary. The Pacific Grove Butterfly House on 9th Street is a private home entirely covered in colorful butterfly-themed decorations. Its unique design has a touching origin story. The house was bought by a husband ("J") and wife (Sonja) in the 1970s, When Sonja started to lose her eyesight, she could still see bright colors, so he transformed their home into a masterpiece for her to enjoy.

Then there's The Monarch Pub & Restaurant. This British-themed spot, complete with a beer garden, opened in 2018 as the city's first pub. That seems a little bit hard to believe, but Pacific Grove was officially a dry town until the late 1960s. Even then, it took decades before the town would allow bars.

The dry laws for Pacific Grove predate America's nationwide prohibition; they go back to the city's founding in 1889. The city started out as a Methodist resort in the 1870s where visitors would live in tents during the summers; Robert Louis Stevenson came upon this tent city in 1879. Along with Stevenson, Pacific Grove has another literary claim to fame in John Steinbeck, who referenced it several times in his novels. While nearby (and more touristy) Monterey and Cannery Row might be top of mind when it comes to Steinbeck, the Steinbeck's had a family cottage in Pacific Grove at 147 11th Street. Another historic spot worth checking out is Point Pinos lighthouse. It's been operating since 1885; no other lighthouse on America's West Coast has been in service for so long without stopping. It's open for visitors from 1 to 4 p.m. Thursday through Monday.

Pacific Grove's location on the edge of the Monterey Peninsula means it has some fantastic beaches, like Asilomar State Beach and Lovers Point Park, which has some of the best sunset views. Lovers Point Park apparently didn't get its name because it's a great place for a romantic stroll (though it is that). Instead, it was reportedly called the "Lovers of Jesus Point," because of those early summertime Methodist visitors, according to See Monterey.

If you want to explore more of the central California coast during winter and want a chance to see more butterflies, there's another monarch preserve at Natural Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz. It's about an hour north from Pacific Grove.